Winter Winds Greet The North Texas Winter Championship

Scott R Chilcutt, Glen Rose, TX (November 25, 2018)  Glen Rose, home of the Dinosaur Valley State Park, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, and more importantly Squaw Valley Golf Course, hosted the second of two events over the weekend on Sunday.  

Similar to the 2017 version of the special two events in two days, with a flip-flop for days, the Northerly's came in just in time for play on the final round.  The course, designed for the south winds that blow across the area, needed some tweaks, for what was coming.  The track, played long, even with those changes, and the ball blowing around on the undulating greens didn't seem to help the scores.

RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Back on tour after a five-year hiatus, Chad Johnson of Grandview, TX, won, in his second time out.  Johnson with a birdie on the par 5 - 18th, played the front nine in +1 to pick up the Championship, by four strokes over Granbury, TX, player Keith McKelvy.  McKelvy a winner last year at Squaw Valley on the Lakes Course, carded a birdie on the par 3 - 14th, that proved to be just enough to stay one stroke clear of Gregory Haddon of Rowlett, TX.  Haddon, with three birdies on the round, held the final podium spot.

Palmer Flight:   The runner-up on Saturday, George Adams of Houston, TX, with a pair of birdies on the back nine, picked up his first Championship on Tour.  Two strokes back, San Antonio, TX, player Ron Finnerty, the 2017 winner at Apache Links, recorded a couple of birdies himself, to stay ahead of Saturday's winner, Mark Taylor of Coppell, TX, with birdies on the par 3 - 6th and par 4 - 9th rounding out the top three.

Hogan Flight:  With three birdies on the round, Las Colinas, TX, member Rick Houchins was able to hold a one-stroke advantage for his third win of the new points season and eighteenth on tour.  Walter Albertson of Weatherford, TX, already a winner during the points season, picked up another second place finish, with the help of a birdie on the par 5 - 5th.  Two strokes back of Albertson, Heartland, TX, player Kyle Aikins with a birdie on the front and eagle 3 on the par 5 - 18th rounded out the top three.

Senior Hogan Flight:  With the momentum of a T-3 finish on Saturday, Hill Country Tour traveler, Scott Harrelson, of Portland, TX, put a strong +7 - 79 in the books for his first win on tour.  Five strokes back, the pair of Dale Fuhr of Missouri City, TX, with a birdie on the par 3 - 2nd and Keller, TX, resident Phillip Holt carding two birdies on the day, shared the runner-up finish.

Sarazen Flight:  Waco, TX, member Stephen Hodge, ran away from the field for his first win of the season, with the help of a birdie on the par 4 - 13th.  Ten strokes back, Houston Tour visitor, Patrick Richardson of The Woodlands, TX, with a pair of birdies and Shawn Whitaker of Lewisville, TX, split the second place honors.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Deep into the post-round sandwiches, Andre Fitzpatrick of Weatherford, TX, and Fort Worth, TX, Burnie Rodgers, would have to return to the course for a sudden death playoff.  The pair made their way to the into the wind, long par 4 - 8th, where Rodgers would prevail for the Championship.  It was Fitzpatrick's, second playoff in as many attempts, with an extra holes runner-up in the Hill Country.  One stroke back of the pair Rodney Wren, of Dallas, TX, rounded out the top three, with the help of a birdie on the par 5 - 18th.

Jones Flight:  Unable to make the trip on Saturday, Michael Page of Burnet, TX, completed his second win in as many attempts after a Championship in Houston the previous week.  One stroke back, Van Alstyne, TX, member Tom Holman, with a lucrative birdie on the par 4 - 1st, grabbed the runner-up finish over Robert Varela, of Copper Canyon, TX, one stroke back of second. 

Snead Flight:  Shannon Buffington, of Irving, TX, picked up his first win on tour, with a four-stroke advantage.  Second place finisher, Jason Jenniges, of Weatherford, cleared Lewisville, TX, member Ron Hardy, by two strokes. 






SKINS:

GIANT SKINS:  ($80/each)  Holman, Tom (1) Birdie on 1. Darnell, Reid (1) Birdie on 12. Petty, Michael (1) Eagle on 13. Akins, Kyle (1) Eagle on 18. McCutchen, Tony (1) Birdie on 2. Houchins, Rick (1) Birdie on 4. 

Championship/Palmer:  ($60/each)  Darnell, Reid (2) Birdie on 12, Par on 15. Gunn, BJ (1) Birdie on 16. Taylor, Mark (1) Birdie on 9. 

Hogan:  ($24/each)  Houchins, Rick (3) Birdie on 4, Birdie on 9, Birdie on 14. Dorsey, Randy (1) Birdie on 11. Petty, Michael (1) Eagle on 13. Akins, Kyle (1) Eagle on 18. Albertson, Walter (1) Par on 17. McCutchen, Tony (1) Birdie on 2. Hebert, Brian (1) Birdie on 7.

Senior Hogan:  ($110/each)  Fuhr, Dale (1) Birdie on 2. Holt, Phillip (1) Birdie on 5.

Sarazen/Senior Sarazen:  ($75/each) Fitzpatrick, Andre (1) Par on 15. Moreau, Bob (1) Birdie on 16. Crossan, Mackie (1) Birdie on 5. Cox, Mike (1) Birdie on 7


Jones/Snead:  ($55/each)   Holman, Tom (1) Birdie on 1. Page, Michael (1) Par on 17. Varela, Robert (1) Birdie on 7. Buffington, Shannon (1) Par on 8




CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$130/each:  #2 - Mackie Crossan - 8' 11".  #6 - Mark Taylor - 3".  #10 - George Adams - 3' 6".  #14 - Jeff Ackerman - 7' 1/2".





NEXT UP:


TEXAS TOURS SCHEDULE - click on the title for more information:

2019:

1/19/2019 - Coastal Bend Championship - Northshore Country Club.
2/09/2019 - Kerrville Winter Championship - The Golf Club at Comanche Trace.
2/10/2019 - Katy Classic @ The Golf Club at Cinco Ranch.
2/16/2019 - North Richland Hills Open - Iron Horse Golf Club.
2/23/2019 - Winter Championship - Golf Club of Houston.
2/24/2019 - Classic at the Creek - Indian Creek.
3/09/2019 - Prelude - Houston Open - Pecan Grove Plantation.



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
www.gcamtour.com