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Monday, August 12, 2013

GCAmTour-Houston, Augusta Pines Challenge Tournament Recap, August 12, 2013.


Jeff Zemencsik (Houston, TX) – GCAmTour-Houston players go back to the course for “sudden death” playoffs to determine the winners of the Palmer and Hogan Flights at the Augusta Pines Challenge.  With the course in great condition and light winds throughout the day, scoring was low and competitive at Augusta Pines.

The Course:  Augusta Pines Golf Club, Spring, TX.  The course was in great condition after receiving ¼ inch of rain on Sunday with green tees, fairways, and putting surfaces.  The greens were smooth and fast, running 10+. 

The Weather:  A great day for golf if you like it hot with a mix of sunshine, clouds, and blue sky throughout the day.  Temperatures were hot and humid, high 70’s in the morning and warming up to the mid 90’s by the early afternoon.  The winds were relatively light SSE between 5-8mph. 

The Tournament: 

Championship Flight:  Top 3:  Jaleel Adatia (78), Dennis Reiner, Jr. (81), Lynn Cormier (86).

Jaleel Adatia captured his first tour victory with a nice round of 6-over par 78; three strokes clear of the field.  Adatia went out in 43 but rallied on the back nine with a 1-under par 35.  Adatia carded nine pars and birdies at holes 8, 11, and 15 en route to victory.  Dennis Reiner, Jr. finished with runner up honors and round of 81.  Reiner Jr. kept is streak alive and in five events has either placed 1st or 2nd, this time with a runner up finish.    Reiner Jr. carded eleven pars but failed to card a birdie on the round.  Lynn Cormier may have been a little run down from the trip back for Louisiana and finished with third place honors and round of 86.  Cormier carded eight pars and a birdie at the par-4 14th hole.


Palmer Flight:  Top 5:  Tino Flores (75), Traylor Sells (75), Art Flores (75), Herb Reynolds (75), Mike Hafner (75).

GCAmTour-Houston history was made in the Palmer Flight at Augusta Pines with the first ever “5-Man Playoff”.  Five players carded rounds of 75 and went back to the course and the “risk-reward” par-5 18th hole for the “sudden death” playoff.  On the first playoff hole, Tino Flores and Traylor Sells made birdie-4 and eliminated Art Flores par-5, Herb Reynolds bogey-6, and Mike Hafner other.  On the second playoff hole both Tino Flores and Traylor Sells carded birdie-4 again!  On the third playoff hole Tino Flores carded par-5 and Traylor Sells carded bogey-6, with Flores capturing the victory, his second of the year.  In regulation play, Tino Flores carded nine pars including a 2-under par 34 back nine to get in the playoff, going birdie at 14, and birdie-2, EAGLE-3 at the 17th and 18th!  Traylor Sells took the steady approach and carded 15 pars against three bogeys.  Art Flores carded eleven pars and birdies at holes 2 and 16.  Herb Reynolds carded twelve pars and birdies at holes 6 and 10.  Mike Hafner carded twelve pars and birdies at holes 1 and 10, including and even-par back nine.  WOW!


Hogan Flight:  Top 5:  Jeff Stahlhut (82), Willis Griffin (82), Steve Nagy (82), Mike Rayburn (85/43), Jeff Burke (85/44).

Not to be outdone by the Palmer players, the Hogan players had a “Sudden Death” playoff of their own!  The Hogan players went with the more traditional, 3-Man playoff, with Jeff Stahlhut, Willis Griffin, and Steve Nagy all carding rounds of 82.  Once again, it was back to the par-5 18th hole for the playoff.  On the first playoff hole it was Jeff Stahlhut capturing his fifth victory of the season with a birdie-4, rolling in a +30ft putt.  Willis Griffin, visiting from the Chicago Tour, finished runner-up with a bogey-6, and Steve Nagy finished 3rd place with a double-bogey.  In regulation play, Stahlhut carded nine pars and a birdie at the par-4 11th.  Griffin carded ten pars in regulation play.  Nagy carded seven pars and birdies at holes 9 and 11, including a 1-over par front nine 37.  Mike Rayburn finished with fourth place honors and round of 85/43, including three pars and birdies at holes 2 and 15.  Jeff Burke carded six pars and birdies at holes 2 and 4.


Senior Hogan Flight:  Top 5:  Vernon Wells (78), Bill Schuster (79), Grant Faulconer (80), Kevin Thibodeaux (82/38), Kevin Cruthirds (82/40).

Vernon Wells finally breaks through and captured his first tour victory of the 2013 season.  Wells one-stroke victory round of 78 included seven pars and birdies at holes 7, 12, and 17.  Bill Schuster finished with runner up honors and round of 79, just one-stroke back.  Schuster carded nine pars and birdies at holes 2 and 7.  Grant Faulconer finished with third place honors and round of 80.  Faulconer carded nine pars and a birdie at the par-4 5th hole.  Kevin Thibodeaux finished with fourth place honors and round of 82/38.  Thibodeaux carded seven pars and a birdie at the par-4 16th hole in regulation play.  Kevin Cruthirds started off hot but found trouble at the par-5 13th hole.  Cruthirds carded eight pars and birdies at holes 11, 15, and 17. 


Sarazen Flight:  Top 5:  James Sheppeard (77), Rick Smalley (85), Ronnie Hollier (89), Kristopher Bixby (90), Gary Gum (91).

A season or two of hard practice for James Sheppeard finally paid off as he posted his first ever tournament round below 80, with a 5-over 77.  Sheppeard captured his second victory of the season; eight strokes clear of the field.  Sheppeard carded an amazing eleven pars and a birdie at the par-4 10th hole, including a 1-over par 37 back nine.  Rick Smalley captured his second runner up finish in a row, following his T2 finish at the Barton Creek Major.  Smalley’s round of 85 included ten pars.  Ronnie Hollier made his tour debut with the third place finish and round of 89.  Hollier carded six pars and a birdie at the difficult par-4 4th hole.  Kristopher Bixby finished with fourth place honors and round of 90.  Bixby carded five pars on the round.  Gary Gum finished with fifth place honors and round of 91.  Gum, a bit tired from a long workweek, carded five pars on his round.


Senior Sarazen Flight:  Top 5:  Chris Neelley (78), Larry Viktorin (81/36), Tom Dyer (83/39), Roman Umali (83/40).

Chris Neelley broke 80 for the first time and recorded his best ever GCAmTour tournament round of 6-over 78.  Neelley carded ten pars and a birdie at the par-4 10th hole en route to the three-stroke victory.  Larry Viktorin finished with runner up honors and round of 81/36.  Viktorin carded eight pars and birdies at holes 4, 13, and 16, including an even par back nine of 36.  Mike Innes appears to be adjusting to Senior Sarazen play and finished with third place honors and round of 81/40.  Innes carded seven pars and a birdie at the par-5 13th hole, nothing worse than bogey.  Tom Dyer finished with fourth place honors and round of 83/39.  Dyer carded six pars and birdies at holes 13 and 17, including a 3-over par 39 back nine.  Roman Umali finished with fifth place honors and round of 83/40.  Umali carded eight pars on the round.


Jones Flight:  Top 5:  Damian Smith (82), Michael Bell (84), Lu Cormier (87/42), Mike Murphy (87/46), John Scott (88).

Damian Smith captured his second victory of the season, following a 3rd Place finished at the Western Classic Major.  Smith carded a round of 82 en route to victory including ten pars and a birdie at the par-5 2nd hole.  Smith may have punched his ticket to the Sarazen Flight with his great performance.  Michael Bell followed up his victory at the Barton Creek Major with a runner up finish at Augusta Pines.  Bell’s round of 84 included seven pars and a birdie at the par-5 18th hole.  Lu Cormier continues to play well and finished with third place honors, following her T2 finish at the Barton Creek Major.  Cormier’s round of 87/42 included four pars and birdie at the par-4 12th hole.  Mike Murphy finished with fourth place honors and round of 87/46, including six pars and a birdie at the par-5 2nd hole.  John Scott finished with fifth place honors and round of 88.  Scott carded seven pars and a birdie at the par-3 9th hole.


Snead Flight:  Robert Viator (92), Bryce Kocian (94), Myron Brown (96), Carl Eaton (97), Javier Quintero (101). 

Robert Viator has yet to break 90 this year but he keeps getting it done, winning an unprecedented 7th event of the 2013 season!  Viator carded a round of 92 for the victory; two strokes clear of the field, including six pars.  Bryce Kocian finished with runner up honors and round of 94.  Kocian recorded four pars and a birdie at the par-4 5th hole.  Myron Brown finished with third place honors and round of 96, two strokes back.  Brown carded an impressive seven pars but couldn’t keep the big numbers off the card.  Carl Eaton finished with fourth place honors and round of 97.  Eaton carded three pars on his round.  Javier Quintero finished with fifth place honors and round of 101.  Quintero carded three pars on the day.


In addition to the flight winners, the following players won optional side games:

Closest to the pin $180.00 each

#3, George Carlisle
#9, Jeff Stahlhut
#15, Jeff Burke
#17, Lahn Nguyen

Skins Championship/Palmer:  $30.00 each

Mike Hafner, #1
Steve Allison, #9
Robert Corbello, #13 & #15
Tino Flores, #17 & #18 (EAGLE-3)

Skins Winners Hogan/Sarazen:  $100.00 each

Steve Nagy, #9
Vernon Wells, #12
Brennyn Smith, #13
Alan Joseph, #18

Skins Winners Jones/Snead:  $20.00 each

Alan Brumley, #2 (EAGLE-3) & #7
Rick Hagel, #3
Javier Quintero, #4
Bryce Kocian, #5
John Scott, #9
Lu Cormier, #12
Terry Collins, #15


50/50 Raffle:
Collier Nolte, $250.00

Prizes:
$50.00 Golf Galaxy Card, Carl Eaton
$50.00 Golf Galaxy Card, Michael Bell
Bridgestone Balls, Kevin Thibodeaux
Bridgestone Balls, Chris Neelley


Flight Winner Payoffs:

Winners
Awards

Winners
Awards
Championship (3)


Palmer (15)

1st - Gift Certificate
$150.00

1st - Gift Certificate
$200.00



2nd - Gift Certificate
$125.00



3rd - Gift Certificate
$75.00



4th - Gift Certificate
$50.00





Hogan (8)


Senior Hogan (12)

1st - Gift Certificate
$150.00

1st - Gift Certificate
$150.00
2nd - Gift Certificate
$75.00

2nd - Gift Certificate
$125.00



3rd - Gift Certificate
$75.00





Sarazen (10)


Senior Sarazen (11)

1st - Gift Certificate
$150.00

1st - Gift Certificate
$150.00
2nd - Gift Certificate
$100.00

2nd - Gift Certificate
$100.00
3rd - Gift Certificate
$50.00

3rd - Gift Certificate
$75.00





Jones (14)


Snead (8)

1st - Gift Certificate
$200.00

1st - Gift Certificate
$150.00
2nd - Gift Certificate
$100.00

2nd - Gift Certificate
$75.00
3rd - Gift Certificate
$75.00



4th - Gift Certificate
$50.00








Prizes




Trophies
$350.00



Golf Galaxy Gift Cards
$2,450.00



Golf Galaxy
$50.00



Golf Galaxy
$50.00



Bridgestone Balls
$40.00



Bridgestone Balls
$40.00



Skins
$740.00



Closest to Pins
$720.00



Total Prize Pool
$4,440.00



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