Scott R Chilcutt, Grand Prairie, TX (July 1, 2017) Tangle Ridge Golf Club, aka Rain Ridge, home of the Grand Prairie Classic over the years, has been known to get players wet and the 2017 edition was no different.
100 of 105 players slated to make the start traversed through the DFW area, where heavy storms surrounded the Grand Prairie area to find it dry at the course, for a while that is. With nearly one hour of times on the course, a deluge of rain hit the players, when we got the players off the course, for playability reasons. With a few stragglers trying to squeak out another hole or two, a lightning bolt near the #7 tee scattered those to the safety of the clubhouse.
Fast forward, 2 1/2 hours, when a final survey of the grounds conditions showed the course to be playable, members took back to the Championship Course and playable it was. While soft and sloppy conditions might have hampered some, some record low rounds were turned in under clear, relatively cool skies.
The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $470, bringing the Texas Tour local events total to $13,170 in contributions to the Foundation in 2017.
RESULTS:
Championship Flight: With four birdies in six holes, before the rains hit, Nick Quast of Trophy Club, TX, resumed his round after the delay with a bogie, giving some hope to the rest of the field, but then steady play finishing his final eleven -1, left him with a -4 - 68 for his sixth win in as many attempts. Granbury, TX, member Eric Anderson, put a couple of birdies together on the back nine, to finish the side -1, for the runner-up spot. Anderson a winner his last time out at nearby Tierra Verde, held off first-time player Brannon McCabe also of Granbury, TX, by a single stroke, after McCabe, poured in five birdies on the round.
Senior Championship Flight: Scheduled to go off at the tail end of the tee times, the Senior Championship Flight, had to endure the delay, but didn't have the start and stop some of the other flights saw. Trophy Club, TX, member Andrew Braun, went on a birdie string with three in a row, during his first nine holes, added another two on his back, to finish -3. Local Grand Prairie, TX, player Larry Vannatta made the turn with a one stroke lead but could only muster an even par back nine and fell short by one stroke for his best finish since a runner-up spot at the March Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay Major Championship. Mark Echols of Diana, TX, and Lewisville, TX, resident, Jack Carlile, shared the third place honors.
Palmer Flight: Michael Barr of Lewisville, TX, made the turn with a two-stroke lead, and thought it let the Championship slip away on the back nine. First time Crowley, TX, player Ricky Neiman, made a charge picking up two strokes, with the help of two birdies on the back nine, but fell just one stroke short. For Barr, it was his second win in as many attempts and third of the season. Dallas Webster of Murphy, TX, got to within one stroke of Neiman, with two birdies on his back nine, including the par 5 - 18th to finish in the final podium spot.
Senior Palmer Flight: Playing in his third event on tour, local Grand Prairie, TX, player Jeff Baurys carded a personal best low round, -2 with the help of three birdies on his day to pick up his first Championship. Four strokes back, Ken Dyke, of Keller, TX, starting the day on the par 4 - 10th, was -2 after his first ten holes, but ran into a few troubles on his back nine to grab the runner-up spot. Fort Worth, TX, member Scott Harris, with his share of issues on his first nine holes, charged back with a -1 back nine with two birdies to round out the top three.
Hogan Flight: Joseph Roy of Rockwall, TX, picked up his second win of the points season and first since the November Dallas Fall Championship. Two birdies on the round, proved to be just enough for Roy to finish two strokes clear of Richardson, TX, member Sven Bock. Bock, with two birdies of his own, including his final hole of the day, the par 5 - 18th, for his sixth runner-up finish, to go with three wins on the points season. Two strokes back of the second place finish, Deon Barber of Frisco, TX, with a birdie on the par 3 -17th shared the third place finish with Aaron Sisk of Fort Worth, TX, with three birdies on his round.
Senior Hogan Flight: Starting the round on the tenth, Fort Worth, TX, player Jeff Gandy was one stroke back making the turn, then strung together another four pars for nine in a row to pick up his second win on tour, both coming in the 2017 season. One stroke back, Jerry Emmons of Granbury, TX, and Dallas, TX, resident Rick Allaire, both carding a birdie on their rounds, split the runner-up honors.
Sarazen Flight: Nancy Geihl, of Grand Prairie, TX, a regular at Tangle Ridge, recorded her National Championship qualifying third win of the season and eighth on tour. Two strokes ahead making the turn, Keller, TX, player Nick Easen, with two birdies on the front nine, couldn't keep up with Geihl on the back nine, to settle for second place. Two strokes out of second, Scott Striegel, of Southlake, TX, with the help of a birdie on the par 4 - 11th took home the final podium finish.
Senior Sarazen Flight: Frisco, TX, player Jon Neff, continued on his winning ways, picking up his second Championship in as many attempts. Neff with two birdies on the round, stayed two strokes ahead of a pair knotted in the runner-up spot. Dale McFarland, of Crowley, TX, with two birdies of his own and Sanger, TX, member Steve Killion with a birdie on the par 4 - 11th, split the second place finish.
Jones Flight: Second-year tour player Tim Davis from Yukon, OK has put together an impressive list of event in search of his first win. Davis, an Oklahoma Tour player has competed in 34 events, including 8 Major Championships all over the country before making his first stop on the Dallas Tour. starting the day on the tenth hole, Davis sailed through his front nine making the turn with a six stroke lead, that would allow him to sail through the back nine for his first win on Tour. Two strokes back, fellow Oklahoma Tour member, Ralph Justiz of Edmond, OK made a run at Davis on his back nine with a birdie on the par 4 - 6th but settled for his second runner-up finish to go with three wins of the season. A four-time winner on the season, including the Major Championship at the National Preview, Houston Tour traveler, Rick Halprin of Houston, TX, helped keep out any locals from the top three spots, finishing in third.
Snead Flight: Zane Latham of Valley View, TX, birdied his ninth hole of the day, the par 5 - 18th, to card his third Championship of the points season, including the Major in June at the Hall of Fame Championship in Florida. Seven strokes back, the trio of Lewisville, TX, member Ron Hardy, Douglas Pritchett of Fort Worth, TX, and Waco, TX, member James Castellano split the runner-up honors.
SKINS:
Giant SKINS: ($300/each) 1 -- Aaron Sisk, Fort Worth, TX; Keith McKelvy, Granbury, TX.
Championship / Palmer: ($25/each) 4 -- Nick Quast, Trophy Club, TX. 2 -- Brannon McCabe, Granbury, TX.
Senior Championship / Senior Palmer: ($55/each) 1 -- Scott Harris, Fort Worth, TX; Jalil Daneshfar, Trophy Club, TX; Larry Vannatta, Grand Prairie, TX; Keith McKelvy, Granbury, TX.
Hogan / Senior Hogan: ($50/each) 2 -- Kylar Smith, Grand Prairie, TX; Aaron Sisk, Fort Worth, TX; Sven Bock, Richardson, TX. 1 -- Jerry Emmons, Granbury, TX.
Sarazen: ($28/each) 2 -- Nick Easen, Keller, TX. 1 -- Scott Striegel, Southlake, TX; Joshua Tankersley, Fort Worth, TX; Justyn Wilder, Ennis, Texas.
Senior Sarazen: ($35/each) 1 -- Bill Clark, Bullard, TX; Steve Killion, Sanger, TX; Bob Moreau, Rockwall, TX; Jon Neff, Frisco, TX; Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX; Dale McFarland, Crowley, TX.
Jones / Snead: ($40/each) 2 -- Scott Sears, Carrollton, TX; Ralph Justiz, Edmond, OK. 1 -- Zane Latham, Valley View, TX; Thomas Rauch, Arlington, TX.
CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:
$150/each:
#3 - Brannon McCabe - 3' 5 1/2"; #9 - Nick Easen - 5' 4"; #12 - Joe Roy - 3' 0"; #17 - Tom Rauch - 1' 8".
NEXT UP:
Texas Tour Members will make up nearly 75% of the field at the Red River Shootout - WinStar Resort Major Championship on Saturday, July, 8th, and Sunday, July, 9th, just north of the border on Interstate 35.
Dallas Tour members will make its annual stop at Championship - TPC Craig Ranch on Monday, July 17th. Only a few spots are still available with a registration deadline this Friday, July 7th.
The always wonderful course conditions await the players at Delaware Springs for Classic at the Springs on Saturday, July, July 15th on the Hill Country Tour schedule. Entries close Friday, July 7th at 11:59 PM EST.
The Houston Tour gets ready for two events in three days; First up, The Woodlands for the Player Championship on Wednesday, July 19th, with entries closing on Friday, July, 7th. Then sprint to the Mont Belvieu Open, on Saturday, July 19th. Eagle Pointe Golf Club, back on the schedule after a long hiatus, plays host to the event, registration closes on Friday, July 14th.
For More Information:
Scott R Chilcutt
Director - Texas Tours
Dallas Tour - Hill Country Tour - Houston Tour
GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467
