With the Sun Goes the Frost - North Texas Winter Championship

Scott R Chilcutt, Glen Rose, TX (November 19, 2017)  Squaw Valley Golf Course, played host to the two event weekend, culminating with the North Texas Tour Championship on Sunday, on the Apache Links Course.  

After brutal North winds blew through for the Saturday version, clear skies let the frost creep in overnight.  With a 30 minute delay on Sunday, came the sun, little to no wind and clear skies.  Add a few new players, with some scheduled to leave after Saturday, the new day and Links layout added new challenges.

The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $520, bringing the Texas Tour local events total to $22,240 in contributions to the Foundation in 2017.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Three players made the turn knotted in the lead spot at -1.  Ron Finnerty of San Antonio, TX, with a new attitude towards the round, birdied the next three of four holes, to solidify what would become a four-stroke victory.  For Finnerty, it was his fourteenth win on tour and first since his promotion to the Championship Flight.  Granbury, TX, player, Brannon McCabe, grabbed the runner-up finish, his third this season, with John Williamson of Tolar, TX, and Granbury, TX, Saturday winner, Keith McKelvy, splitting the third-place finish.

Palmer Flight:  With four birdies on his round, Fort Worth, TX, player Kirk Boerner jumped into a sudden-death playoff run after finishing his last four holes -1 when leader Scott Harper of Ranger, TX, ran into a bogie run at 16.  Back to the par 4 - 1st for the extra holes, the pair would both par the first three holes, until a birdie on the par 4 - 4th by Harper would settle the score.  For Harper, it was his twelfth win on tour and first since March of 2016.  Diana, TX, member Keith Childress, with three birdies on his day, rounded out the top three.

Senior Palmer Flight:  Starting the day on the par 4 - 11th, in a format to bypass starting on a par 3, Mark Taylor of Coppell, TX, came out of the gates with a birdie and would never look back.  Taylor, added a birdie on the par 5 - 5th to pick up his tenth win on tour.  Three strokes back, the trio of Whitney, TX, J.D. Price, Sean Fenton of Fort Worth, TX, the Saturday winner and Wylie, TX, resident Jack Whitling, would split the runner-up spot.

Hogan Flight:  With the help of two birdies on the front nine, Heartland, TX, player Kyle Akins, made the turn with a one-stroke lead.  Akins then put the explanation mark on the victory, with another birdie on the par 5 - 18th for his first win on tour.  Three strokes back, John Heintz of San Antonio, TX, eagled the par 5 - 12th for the runner-up with one stroke clear of Brook, TX, player Walter Albertson, rounding out the top three after finishing T2 on Saturday.

Senior Hogan Flight:  George Smith of Magnolia, TX, made the turn tied up with Granbury, TX, member Dave Hanson after he birdied the par 5 - 18th and Saturday's winner Kyle Lewie of Waco, TX.  Smith, then took control of the contest when he birdied the par 5 - 5th, added another at the 5 - 8th to play the par 5's in -2 to pick up his eighth win on tour.  Hanson and Lewie would finish knotted in the runner-up spot, three strokes back.

Sarazen Flight:  Local Stephenville, TX, player Tony Lyon, birdied the par 4 - 16th to pick up his first win on tour after his runner-up spot the day before.  Two strokes back, Judy Harris of Abilene, TX, Saturdays Champion, carded three birdies on her round for the runner-up spot, with Michael Hill of Greenville, TX, taking home the third-place honors.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Steve Killion of Sanger, TX, made the turn one stroke ahead after a birdie on the par 5 - 18th, played his back nine, after starting on the par 4 - 11th, in even par and overcame a double on his final hole to win his seventh event on tour.  Fort Worth, TX, player Rodney Wren, already a winner on the 2018 points season, took home the second place spot, with Bob Moreau, of Rockwall, TX, and Bullard, TX, member Bill Clark, splitting the third-place finish.

Jones Flight:  Dallas, TX, player Ronald Occenad, spared himself of the wind on Saturday and arrived just in time to pick up his second win on tour.  Occenad, with a birdie on the par 5 - 12th, shot a career-low +6 to finish seven strokes clear of Saturday's winner Marcy Glidden of Brookshire, TX.  Glidden with a birdie on the par 3 - 10th finished two strokes clear of third-place finisher, Mike Lee of Dallas, TX, with a birdie of his own on the par 4 - 4th.

Snead Flight:  After not making the podium on Saturday, Jason Jenniges of Weatherford, TX, took twenty-seven strokes off his previous round to pick up the Championship.  Coming up short in the playoff at the Lakes Course in the wind, Fort Worth, TX, player Keith Huddleston carded his second runner-up finish of the weekend.





SKINS:

GIANT SKINS:  ($130/each)  2 -- Tim Bush, Granbury, TX.  1 -- Keith Childress, Diana, TX; Bruce Beakley, Houston, TX; Nic Linde, Keller, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($52/each)  2 -- Ron Finnerty, San Antonio, TX. 1 -- Keith Childress, Diana, TX; Jason Reicks, Round Rock, TX; Scott Harper, Ranger, TX.

Senior Palmer:  ($20/each)  2 -- Nic Linde, Keller, TX; Tim Bush, Granbury, TX; Scott Harrelson, Portland, TX; Mark Taylor, Coppell, TX. 1 -- Bruce Beakley, Houston, TX; Sven Bock, Richardson, TX.

Hogan:  ($34/each)  2 -- Brian Gow, Mansfield, TX; Randy Dorsey, Killeen, TX. 1 -- Kyle Akins, Heartland, TX; Rick Smalley, College Station, TX; John Heintz, San Antonio, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($64/each)  2 -- George Smith, Magnolia, TX. 1 -- Dave Hanson, Granbury, TX; Stephen Lamb, Garland, TX; Rick Swanson, Carrollton, TX.

Sarazen:  $25 -- Judy Harris, Abilene, TX.  $15 -- Chad Isaacs, Keller, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($150/each)  1 -- Bob Moreau, Rockwall, TX; Jerry Emmons, Granbury, TX.


Jones / Snead:  ($40/each)  2 -- Mark Boles, Sealy, TX. 1 -- Mike Lee, Dallas, TX; Keith Huddleston, Fort Worth, TX.



CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$165/each:  #2 - Tim Bush - 7' 7";  #6 - Lloyd Reid - 4' 7";  #10 - Rick Swanson - 10' 3";  #14 - John Williamson - 3' 6 3/4".


NEXT UP:


Texas Tour 2017 events close out at Lake Sam Rayburn, on December 2nd for the Turkey Shootout and December 3rd for the South Texas Winter Championship.  PLAY ONE OR PLAY BOTH! Registration for both of these events closes on Friday, November 24th, at 11:59 PM CST.

Excellent accommodations available at the course, in addition to a great restaurant, no need to go anywhere for the weekend.  Book your room by calling - Reservation Assistance: 409-698-1002.  Make sure to tell them you are with the Golf Channel AM Tour.  

For More Information:

Scott R Chilcutt

Director - Texas Tours

Dallas  Tour - Hill Country Tour  - Houston Tour

GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour

405.513.1467

schilcutt@gcamtour.com