Three National Champions Return Home to Texas!

Scott R Chilcutt, Scottsdale, AZ (September 19, 2014)  Talking Stick Golf Club with its North and South Course along with the Raptor and Talon Courses at Grayhawk Golf Club hosted the over 1200 players to 4800+ rounds of competitive golf with thousands more practice rounds during the 2014 National and Senior National Championship on the Golf Channel AM Tour.

Extreme weather in the Valley of the Sun,  dust storms preceded torrential rains, remnants of Tropical Storm Dolly coming in off the Gulf Coast shortened practice rounds for the Open Group, but diligent golf course maintenance crews worked through the night to make sure play started without a hitch. 

The Senior Championship practice rounds and opening went off as scheduled, with Hurricane Odile slamming the Mexican Baja.  Odile would generally spare the event of any havoc, although skirting the Talking Stick Courses for a wet afternoon of play.  

As the curtains closed on the year end finale, three Texas members, one from each tour in the state returned home as a Champions.  Home Cookin' may have assisted the Arizona Tour members to equal the Lone Star State total with three, with the other six championships spread across the country from Florida to Washington.

2014 National Championship:

Dallas Tour Member Jeff Blackwood of Dallas, TX finished four rounds with a  two stoke victory over 150+ players in the Hogan Flight .  Blackwood progressed each day, with his best two rounds coming at arguably the two hardest tracks of the event at the Grayhawk facility.   Firing a +4 - 76, the low round of the day on the final round, Blackwood came from nine strokes back for the victory.

Two other Texas Members, solidified a 2015 National Championship run with top five finishes.  Hill Country Tour member, Mark Miller of Spring Branch, TX jumped up the leader board on his final day to finish T3 with the help of three birdies in the Championship Flight.  Tomball, TX resident,  James Sheppeard from the Houston Tour, finished T2 for his qualification after finishing near the top of the leader board each round.

2014 Senior National Championship:

Senior Hogan Flight player Ernie Dyer from Orange, TX representing the Houston Tour, peaked at the right time.  Dyer, a winner at the 2014 San Antonio Open at LaCantera at the end of June, carded three rounds in the 70's to finish two strokes clear of the field for the Senior National Championship honors and lifetime qualification to the premier event.

Hill Country Tour member, Larry Harper, qualifying for the event with three wins on the season, shared the low round in the Senior Snead Flight in two of his four rounds to run away from the field, eight strokes clear of second place.




Al Smith, Senior Palmer Flight player from Midland, TX playing out of the Hill Country Tour, secured his 2015 National Championship spot, rebounding from a tough third round with a final round +5 - 76 to finish in the runner up spot.

NEXT UP:

2015 points season underway in the coming weeks.


The Houston Tour opens the season on Sunday, October 12th at the Cypress Open at Cypress Lakes Golf Club, registration closes on Friday, October 3rd.

Hill Country Tour action resumes at the Fall Challenge / Round Rock at the Teravista Golf Club on Sunday, October 19th with entries closing on Friday October 10th.

The Fall Classic at Dancing Rabbit in Mississippi is the first Major of the season in the South Central Region on October 25th and 26th.

November 1st marks the season start on the Dallas Tour at The Golf Club at Frisco Lakes for the Frisco Lakes Challenge, entry deadline is October 24th.. 


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