GCAmTour-Houston, Walden on Lake Conroe Tournament Recap, August 17, 2013

Jeff Zemencsik (Houston, TX) – GCAmTour-Houston players tackle the difficult Walden on Lake Conroe Golf Club located in Montgomery, Texas.  2013 marks the sixth consecutive year Walden has been in the tournament rotation and always delivers with beautiful scenery, challenging holes, and higher scores.  

The Course:  Walden on Lake Conroe Golf Club, Montgomery, Texas.  The course was in excellent condition after receiving 4/10” of rain on Friday afternoon with green tees, fairways, and putting surfaces.  The greens were smooth and fast, running 9.5-10 depending on the grain and slope.   

The Weather:  An amazing day for golf as a mild cold front passed through the area Friday nigh with sunshine and blue sky throughout the day.  Temperatures were cooler in the morning, high 60’s and warmed up to the low 90’s by the early afternoon.  The winds were relatively light from the N between 5-8mph. 

The Tournament: 

Championship Flight:  Top 3:  Rich Vigil (78), Adam Kuzinski (80), Milton Kirkwood (82).

Rich Vigil is no stranger to Walden on Lake Conroe and seems to have figured out how to play the course.  Vigil captured this third consecutive championship at Walden in 2013, preceded by 2012 & 2011.  Vigil also recorded his third tournament victory of the 2013 season, following up his win at the Barton Creek Major.  Vigil carded a round of 78 that included eleven pars and birdie at the par-3 14^th where he nearly aced the hole, hitting it to 7 inches.  Adam Kuzinski finished with runner up honors and round of 80, two strokes back.  Kuzinski was in contention, carding nine pars and a birdie at the par-5 16^th, but made a double-bogey at par-5^th 11^th.  Milton Kirkwood finished with third place honors and round of 82, two strokes back.  Kirkwood carded eight pars and birdies at holes 5 and 11.

Palmer Flight:  Top 5:  Dennis Walsh (80), Walter Menuet (82), Martin Nealey (84), Art Flores (85/42/26), Frank Wallace (85/42/28).

Dennis Walsh has had an up-and-down season but he managed to find his game on the difficult course to capture his first victory of the 2013 season.  Walsh carded a round of 80 that included twelve pars and kept the mistakes to a minimum.  Walter Menuet returned to good form and finished with runner up honors and round of 82.  Menuet carded five pars and birdies at holes 2, 12, and 16.  Martin Nealey finished with third place honors and round of 84.  Nealey carded eight pars on the day and put himself in contention for year-end flight champion honors.  Art Flores finished with fourth place honors and round of 85/42/26.  Flores carded eight pars on his round.  Frank Wallace finished with fifth place honors and round of 85/42/28.  Wallace carded seven pars and a birdie at the par-5 10^th hole. 

Hogan Flight:  Top 5:  Rick Keszeg (80), Jeff Stahlhut (82/39), Roger Masek (82/40), Leslie Henry (82/41), Scott Nagai (83).

Rick Keszeg captured his second victory of the 2013 season two strokes clear of the field and round of 80.  Keszeg carded nine pars and birdies at holes 2, 9, and 16, par-5 specialist.  Jeff Stahlhut finished with runner up honors and remains in contention for year-end flight champion.  Stahlhut carded a round of 82/39 that included ten pars and a birdie at the par-5 2^nd hole.  Roger Masek two-time winner at Walden, finished with third place honors and round of 82/40.  Masek carded eight pars and a birdie at the par-3 6^th hole.  Leslie Henry finished with fourth place honors and round of 82/41.  Henry carded eight pars and birdies at holes 3 and 16.  Scott Nagai finished one stroke back with a round of 83 for fifth place honors.  Nagai carded five pars and birdies at holes 12, 13, and 17.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Top 5:  George Smith (83), Vernon Wells (85), Randy Hodges (86), Keith Grissom (87), Bruce Beakley (88). 

It’s been since last December that George Smith won the Senior Hogan Flight, a bit of a drought.  Smith rekindled the winning spirit he had at Gleannloch Pines early in the season and return with a victory at Walden.  Smith’s round of 83 included nine pars and managed to keep the big numbers off the card.  Vernon Wells followed up his win at Augusta Pines with a runner up finished at Walden.  Wells round of 85 included four pars and a birdie at the par-5 9^th hole.  Randy Hodges finished with third place honors and round of 86.  Hodges carded seven pars and a birdie at the par-3 12^th hole.  Keith Grissom finished with fourth place honors and round of 87.  Grissom carded five pars and a birdie at the par-5 16^th hole.  Bruce Beakley finished with fifth place honors and round of 88, including six pars and a birdie at the par-3 6^th hole.

Sarazen Flight:  Top 5:  James Sheppeard (83), Massimo Passini (89), Jeff Greenwood (92/44), Rick Smalley (92/47), Gary Gum (92/49).

James Sheppeard seems to be getting hot at the right time and followed up his victory at Augusta Pines with a win at Walden.  Sheppeard has also won 3 out of 4 of his last starts, third of the season.  Sheppeard’s round of 83 was six strokes clear of the field and included six pars and birdies at holes 2 and 10, par-5 specialist.  Massimo Passini returned to tour play and finished with runner up honors and round of 89.  Passini cared three pars and birdies at holes 2 and 12.  Jeff Greenwood finished with third place honors and round of 92/44.  Greenwood carded six pars on his round.  Rick Smalley is having a nice season and finished with fourth place honors and round of 92/47.  Smalley carded five pars on the day.  Gary Gum finished with fifth place honors and round of 92/49.  Gum carded four pars and a birdie at the par-5 16^th hole. 

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Top 5:  Tom Dyer (88), Greg Faubion (92), Mark Maddox (93), Chris Neelley (98), Kevin Koy (99).

Tom Dyer captured his first tour victory of the season four strokes clear of the field and round of 88. Dyer carded seven pars and a birdie at the par-4 3^rd hole en route to the win.  Greg Faubion finished with runner up honors and round of 92.  Faubion carded six pars and a birdie at the par-5 9^th hole.  Mark Maddox finished with third place honors and round of 93.  Maddox carded six pars but found trouble at the par-3 6^th hole where he did his best “tin cup” impression (self proclaimed).  Chris Neelley finished with fourth place honors and round of 98.  Neelley carded five pars on the round but couldn’t keep the big numbers off the card.  Kevin Koy finished with fifth place honors and round of 99.  Koy carded two pars on the round.

Jones Flight:  Top 5:  Damian Smith (87), Terry Collins (89), David Sipe (103), Troy Massey (106), Mike Murphy (107).

Damian Smith goes “back-to-back” after winning Augusta Pines on Monday and captured his third victory of the season, following a 3^rd Place finished at the Western Classic Major.  Smith carded a round of 87 that including seven pars.  Terry Collins had a good day finishing with runner up honors and round of 89.  Collins carded four pars and a birdie at the par-3 12^th hole, island green.  David Sipe finished with third place honors and round of 103.  Sipe carded ten bogeys and a birdie at the par-5 15^th hole.  Troy Massey finished with fourth place honors and round of 106.  Massey carded three pars and four bogeys on the day.  Mike Murphy, past Walden Champion, finished with fifth place honors and round of 107.  Murphy carded three pars and six bogeys on the day.

Snead Flight:  Tim Thayer (102), Carl Eaton (103), Stephen Sater (105), Rick Hagel (109), Ron Nelms (117). 

Tim Thayer returned to tour play and captured his first victory of the season by one stroke in the tightly contested Snead Flight at Walden on Lake Conroe.  Thayer carded three pars and four bogeys on the day.  Carl Eaton finished with runner up honors and round of 103.  Eaton carded three pars and seven bogeys on his round.  Stephen Sater finished with third place honors and round of 105.  Sater carded two pars and three bogeys on the round.  Rick Hagel, past Walden Champion, finished with fourth place honors and round of 109.  Hagel carded one par and three bogeys on the day.  Ron Nelms finished with fifth place honors and round of 117.  Nelms carded one par and three bogeys on his round.

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

Closest to the pin $145.00 each

#4, No Contest

#6, Leslie Henry

#12, Massimo Passini

#14, Rich Vigil

#17, Stacy Smith

Skins Championship/Palmer:  $20.00 each

Walter Menuet, #2 & #12

Greg Wessling, #8

Frank Wallace, #10

Milton Kirkwood, #11

Rich Vigil, #14

Skins Winners Hogan/Sarazen:  $175.00 each

Vincent Sloan, #11

Scott Nagai, #13

Skins Winners Jones/Snead:  $15.00 each

Terry Collins, #4, #12, #18

Carl Eaton, #8

Damian Smith, #10

Mike Murphy, #11

David Sipe, #16

50/50 Raffle:

Roger Masek, $185.00

Prizes:

$50.00 Golf Galaxy Card, Jan Peebles

$50.00 Golf Galaxy Card, Terry Collins

Bridgestone Balls, Gus Aldana

Bridgestone Balls, Scott Nagai

Flight Winner Payoffs:

Winners	Awards		Winners	Awards
Championship (3)			Palmer (8)
1st - Gift Certificate	$150.00		1st - Gift Certificate	$150.00
			2nd - Gift Certificate	$100.00
Hogan (12)			Senior Hogan (9)
1st - Gift Certificate	$200.00		1st - Gift Certificate	$150.00
2nd - Gift Certificate	$100.00		2nd - Gift Certificate	$100.00
3rd - Gift Certificate	$50.00
Sarazen (8)			Senior Sarazen (8)
1st - Gift Certificate	$150.00		1st - Gift Certificate	$150.00
2nd - Gift Certificate	$100.00		2nd - Gift Certificate	$100.00
Jones (7)			Snead (6)
1st - Gift Certificate	$150.00		1st - Gift Certificate	$125.00
2nd - Gift Certificate	$75.00		2nd - Gift Certificate	$50.00
Prizes
Trophies	$300.00
Golf Galaxy Gift Cards	$1,875.00
Golf Galaxy	$50.00
Golf Galaxy	$50.00
Bridgestone Balls	$40.00
Bridgestone Balls	$40.00
Skins	$570.00
Closest to Pins	$580.00
Total Prize Pool	$3,505.00