Father / Son Kind of Day - Fort Worth Championship

Scott R Chilcutt, Fort Worth, TX (April 29, 2018)  Waterchase Golf Club in Fort Worth, lived up to its consistently great course conditions once again on the DFW Tour.

Unlike events leading up to this one, where we were writing about terrible weather, with warm sunny temperatures, and a bit on the windy side, the theme of the day turned to a Father / Son kind of finish.

In the first two flights to finish, Father Jack Whitling, and Son, Jack (Trey) Whitling, III, completed rounds tied for the top spot in their respective flights, where both would go on to win in playoffs, add to it in the Championship Flight playoff, Jeremy Frenzel, had his father, former tour player Mike Frenzel on the bag.   

Next up, the Palmer Flight, where Scott Harper and late father Stan, loved to come to the Fort Worth facility and compete. During the just over two years on Tour, Stan and Scott traveled to 49 events together, and Stan won his first on tour at the Forth Worth Championship in 2014. Making the win even more special for Scott, it would have been Stan's 75th birthday on Sunday, and we know where he got his motivation.  It was a special way for all of us that knew him to remember Stan.


The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $690, bringing the Texas Tour events total to $9,160 contributed to the Foundation in 2018.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Playing in his second event on Tour, Trey Whitling, of Dallas, TX, made the turn knotted at the top of the leaderboard with Bedford, TX, player Rachel Smith.  Both played the front nine, in even par with single birdies.  Three strokes back, Jeremy Frenzel, would make up the distance coming to the clubhouse to force extra holes, with Whitling.  Back to the par 4 - 1st, Trey would make birdie for the Championship.  Frenzel relegated to the runner-up finish, now  0-2 in playoffs, where his combined score, during three holes of extra play is -1, hasn't beat himself, simply got topped by hot play.  Smith, finished just one stroke out of the playoff rounding out the top three.

Palmer Flight:  Ranger, TX, player Scott Harper, back one shot making the turn, played through an emotional back nine, to pick up his National Championship qualifying third win of the season and sixteenth on tour.  One stroke back, Tony Lyon of Stephenville, TX, playing from new distances with his recent move to the Palmer Flight, carded a birdie on the tough par 5 - 3rd, to finish in the runner-up spot, with Dallas, TX, member Jeff Bankard, rounding out the top three.

Senior Palmer Flight:  Starting the round on the par 5 - 10th hole, Jack Whitling, of Wylie, TX, looked to have things in good order, taking a three-stroke advantage to the back.  But then came to the back nine, Bedford, TX, player Keith Johnson, a winner his last two times out, birdied three of his next five holes, and then added another at the par 4 - 9th to force extra holes.  Back to the par 4 - 1st, the pair would again match scores, requiring another at the par 3 - 2nd, where Whitling and Johnson would match the scores the first time through, giving the Championship to Whitling.  For Jack, it was his second win on tour, both coming this points season. Three-strokes back, with a birdie on the par 4 - 4th, John Williamson of Tolar, TX, rounded out the top three.

Hogan Flight:  Rowlett, TX, player Michael Schmidt, looked to have things going in the right direction with a birdie on the par 4 - 1st, but then ran into trouble finishing the front nine.  Back three strokes making the turn, Schmidt would finish his final nine holes in +2, to pick up his second win on tour, by two strokes.  Billy Eubanks of Crowley, TX, with two birdies on the day, would finish in the runner-up spot, two strokes back of Schmidt, and three strokes clear of third-place finisher, Brian Hebert of Allen, TX, where Hebert carded a birdie on the par 5 - 3rd.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Tied up making the turn, after starting on the par 5 - 10th, Dave Hanson of Granbury, TX, made the most of a birdie on the par 5 - 3rd, to edge out Fort Worth, TX, member Sal Torres by a stroke.  For Hanson, it was his first win of the season and sixth on tour.  One stroke back, first time to finish an event on tour, Court Pontiff of Bullard, TX, carded three birdies on his round to round out the top three.

Sarazen Flight:  Fort Worth, TX, player Preston Miller, had a colorful scorecard.  The birdie on the par 4 - 11th, helped his cause, then backed up a ten on the par 4 - 17th with a par on the 18th, to pick up his seventh win on tour and second in as many attempts.  Abilene, TX, tour traveler, Judy Harris, with three birdies on her round, took home the runner-up honors, with the pair of Jeremy Nolan of Rockwall, TX, and Dallas, TX, member Ronald Occenad sharing the third-place finish.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Rockwall, TX, member Bob Moreau, would out birdie the field, with three on the day to pick up his twelfth win on tour and first of the season.  One stroke with two birdies on his scorecard, Jerry Emmons of Granbury, TX, would clear a pair of players tied in the third-place finish by three strokes.  Grand Prairie, TX, member Tom Stockton and Rodney Wren of Dallas, TX, with a birdie on the par 4 - 15th would split the third place honors.

Jones Flight:  One stroke back going out, Steve Pearson of Plano, TX, equaled his back nine scores, proving to be just enough to pick up the Championship with a par on the last hole to record his fifth win on tour and second in as many attempts.  Haslet, TX, player Doyle Fleming, had regained the lead after the seventeenth hole, but couldn't finish out at eighteen, sharing the runner-up spot with John Grimley of Garland, TX.

Snead Flight:  Playing in his first year on tour, Midland, TX, traveler, Paul Ray, making it a double for the weekend after playing on Saturday in San Antonio, picked up his first win.  Ray was back one stroke making the turn but picked up two on the back for the Championship. Zane Latham of Valley View, TX, grabbed the runner-up finish, with another traveler, Mike Murphy of Corrigan, TX, rounding out the top three.





SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($95/each)  1 -- Keith McKelvy, Granbury, TX; Keith Johnson, Bedford, TX; Darren Bufton, Bedford, TX; Sal Torres, Fort Worth, TX; Jerry Emmons, Granbury, TX; Bob Moreau, Rockwall, TX; Ronald Occenad, Dallas, TX.

Championship/Palmer:  ($44/each)  2 -- Keith McKelvy, Granbury, TX. 1 -- Jack Whitling III, Dallas, TX; Brad Bugg, Ovilla, TX; Bobby Creech, Gainesville, TX.

Senior Palmer:  ($40/each)  2 -- Keith Johnson, Bedford, TX. 1 -- Ken Dyke, Keller, TX; Tim Bush, Granbury, TX.

Hogan/Sarazen:  ($30/each)  2 -- Judy Harris, Abilene, TX. 1 -- Steve Pond, Tulia, Texas; Brian Hebert, Allen, TX; Billy Eubanks, Crowley, TX; Tim Davis, Yukon, OK; Preston Miller, Fort Worth, TX; Ronald Occenad, Dallas, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($64/each)  1 -- Rick Allaire, Dallas, TX; Dave Hanson, Granbury, TX; Darren Bufton, Bedford, TX; John Cox, Mansfield, TX; Denver Roden, Fort Worth, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($60/each)  2 -- Mackie Crossan, Abilene, TX. 1 -- Nick Easen, Keller, TX; Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX; Jerry Emmons, Granbury, TX; Bob Moreau, Rockwall, TX.


Jones/Snead:  ($72/each)  1 -- Ray Tyczki, McKinney, TX; Christopher Johnson, Duncanville, TX; Mike Lee, Dallas, TX; Srinivas Pokunur, Frisco, TX; Zane Latham, Valley View, TX.



CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$160/each:  #2 - Terry Rice - 5' 5";  #7 - Bob Moreau - 8' 3 1/2";  #12 - John Cox - 2' 8";  .#14 - Darren Bufton - 2' 6".



NEXT UP:

Houston Tour - High Meadow Ranch hosts the Masters @ Magnolia on Saturday, May 5th. Sold out and closed.  Don't miss the next event at Bay Oaks Country Club, for the South Houston Championship on Monday, May 21st.  Entries close on Friday, May 11th.

Dallas Tour - Fairview Classic at Heritage Ranch on Sunday, May 6th, is closed and sold out.  The rescheduled event from March at Indian Creek, on Saturday, May 12th and the Grand Prairie Classic at Tangle Ridge on Saturday, May 19th are both sold out but have waiting list spots available.

Hill Country Tour -  The Memorial Day weekend, event at Vaaler Creek, in Blanco on Saturday, May 26th is always a big draw.  Be sure to register early, the deadline is Friday, May 18th at 11:59PM CST.



Major Championships Open for Registration - (Majors that will be included in the 2018 Texas Tour Flight Champion year-end awards)

Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay - June 23-24th. SOLD OUT, waiting list spots available.

Hill Country Classic at La Cantera - July 7th and 8th.  SOLD OUT, waiting list spots available.

Texas Classic at Barton Creek - July 28th - 29th.  Spots available.

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