Scott R Chilcutt, The Woodlands, TX (May 19, 2015) The Player Course at The Woodlands Country Club played host to the Player Championship on the Houston Tour. The Gary Player design puts a premium on shot making, with narrow fairways, water hazards and tricky sight lines.
With the abundance of rain and storms over the entire state of Texas, the weather forecasts would have made this event a wash out. Monday morning storms in the area, gave way to help dry out some of the venue for the Tuesday morning start times, well at least they were able to pick balls for the range, allowing players to warm up.
Gary Gum made it two in a row, taking home the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving, by a single stroke over Alan Brumley and Scott Thompson.
RESULTS:
Championship Flight: Senior Championship Flight members, take one / two and T-3 in the combined flight. David Ortego, Spring, TX, playing in his first year, picked up his first win on Tour. Ortego, was only able to card three pars on the front, with a birdie on the par 4 - 3rd, but made the turn and got onto a hot streak of pars, playing the back in even par. In his sixth event on the season, including four Major Championships, Mike Harkins of Cedar Park, TX finished two strokes back for his best finish on the points season. After taking an eight on the par 4 - 13th, Travis Nichols of Houston, followed with birdies on the par 3 - 14th and par 5 - 16th to finish in a tie for third. Father / son Sugar Land, TX, pair Jordan Wagner, playing in his first event, and Gordon Wagner, with five birdies on his round shared the third place honors.
Palmer Flight: James Sheppeard of Tomball, TX, continues to put an exclamation point on his recent promotion. Moved from the Hogan Flight before the May 1st event, Sheppeard now has two wins in three attempts, with the help of two birdies on the back nine, including one to follow up a triple 8 on the par 5 - 16th. In his first event of the calendar year, Orange, TX resident, Rick Keszeg played the back nine in one over par to finish just one stroke out of the lead. Aaron Brougher of Spring, TX, split the third place honors with Houston, TX, member, Keith Storey, who had three birdies on the round.
Senior Palmer Flight: First year member, Leslie Clifton of Houston, TX played the back nine in +2 with the help of a birdie on the par 4 - 15th to pick up his first win. Four strokes back, Baytown, TX member Harold Jackson, came out of the gate hot, with birdies on the par 5 -2nd and par 3 - 5th, then added one on the par 4 - 10th, but ran into trouble late in the round to share the runner up honors with Ernie Dyer of Orange, TX.
Hogan Flight: Robbie Roberson of Conroe, TX opened the door for Hill Country Tour member, Derrick Matthews of Killeen, TX with a double on the final hole of the day. Matthews, in a playoff on Sunday in Fort Worth, wound up with another runner up finish after Robberson made birdie on the second hole of the playoff. Sugar Land, TX resident, Steve Nagy rounded out the top three, three strokes back.
Senior Hogan Flight: Playoff's were the name of the game for the two Hogan Flights, when traveling Leander, TX, player Steve Hamilton and Glynn Aldredge of Orange, TX, swapped scores on the two nines to finish locked in a tie. Back to the par 4 - 1st, for the second time of the day, Hamilton would make par to pick up his second win, in his first year on tour. Three strokes back, former Houston Tour member, Allan Collier now from Dripping Springs, TX, picked up the third place honors.
Sarazen Flight: Starting on the tenth hole, Scott Thompson of Helotes, TX came out of the gate a little shaky, but righted the ship with a birdie on the par 4 - 3rd, to finish his back nine +2, for a six stroke victory. It was the eighth win of his career and third of the season including the March Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay Major Championship. Houston, TX member, Massimo Passini, with birdie on the par 5 - 16th, recorded the second place finish, with Kyle Young of Bellaire, TX, a winner at the two day, South Texas Winter Championship last December, rounding out the top three.
Senior Sarazen Flight: The winner of the 2010 - The Woodlands - Gary Player Course event, Gary Gum of Spring, TX became the only repeat winner of the day. Gum, with birdies on the par 3 - 11th and par 4 - 17th, picked up his eleventh win on tour and first of the year. Bridge City, TX, player Mark Kirby, most recently a winner at The Fall Classic at Dancing Rabbit, used birdies on the par 4 - 4th and the par 3 - 14th, to finish in the second spot four strokes back. William Criss of Houston, TX, carded his best finish on his just less that a year on tour, just one stroke back of Kirby.
Jones Flight: Recently promoted, Atascocita, TX, player Alan Brumley made birdie on the par 5 - 7th coming to the clubhouse with a back nine low score of the flight and forced a three way playoff. Mike Murphy of Corrigan, TX, and Montgomery, TX, first year player John Pickens, went back to the course where, Pickens, with three birdies on the day, was able to get back to the course and take care of the three on the first playoff hole, for his first win on tour.
Snead Flight: Jeff Gregory of Montgomery, TX became a repeat winner in his first year on tour by a narrow two stroke margin. Magnolia, TX member, Hal Wychopen took the runner up honors, his fourth second place finish of the season with the help of a birdie on the par 4 - 6th. Rick Hagel made the trip in from Beaumont, TX, rounding out the top three.
SKINS:
Giant SKINS: ($275/each) 1 -- Bruce Beakley, Houston, TX; Leslie Clifton, Houston, TX.
Championship / Palmer: ($68/each) 1 -- David Ortego, Spring, TX; Gordon Wagner, Sugar Land, TX; Keith Storey, Houston, TX; James Sheppeard, Tomball, TX; Michael Van Swol, Sugar Land, TX.
Senior Palmer: ($16/each) 3 -- Harold Jackson, Baytown, TX. 2 -- Bruce Beakley, Houston, TX; Dave Paukner Jr, Angleton, TX. 1 -- Leslie Clifton, Houston, TX; Todd McLane, Orange, TX; Randy Hodges, Montgomery, TX.
Hogan / Senior Hogan: ($64/each) 1 -- Gus Aldana, Houston, TX; Robbie Roberson, Conore, TX; Steve Nagy, Sugar Land, TX; Ali Gazi, Flower Mound, TX; Danny Doss, Houston, TX; Colin Knight, Richmond, TX.
Sarazen: ($10/each) 7 -- Scott Thompson, Helotes, TX. 3 -- Massimo Passini, Houston, TX. 1 -- Kevin Montague, Spring, TX; Eddie Thomas, Richards, TX.
Senior Sarazen: ($25/each) 2 -- Mark Kirby, Bridge City, TX; Gary Gum, Spring, TX. 1 -- Olan Benge, Wharton, TX; L.P. Jones, Houston, TX; Louis Jones, Spring, TX; Greg Faubion, Richmond, TX.
Jones: ($30/each) 3 -- John Pickens, Montgomery, TX. 1 -- Thomas Dubrock, Friendswood, TX; Rick Halprin, Houston, TX; Doyle Fleming, Haslet, TX; Alan Brumley, Atascocita, TX; Wayne Glover, Nederland, TX; Wayne Waldrep, Spring, TX.
Snead: ($10/each) 5 -- Jeff Gregory, Montgomery, TX. 4 -- Hal Wychopen, Magnolia, TX. 2 -- Carl Eaton, Conroe, TX. 1 -- Rick Hagel, Beaumont, TX.
CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:
($140/each) #5 - Gordon Wagner - 3' 7"; #8 - Kevin Montague - 3'; #11 - Gary Gum - 2' 3/4"; #14 - Travis Nichols - 2' 6".
Upcoming Texas Events:
Houston Tour heads south for the Missouri City Championship at Quail Valley Golf Club on May 30th, entry deadline is Friday, May 22nd.
The Hill Country Tour makes its Memorial Day Weekend visit to Vaaler Creek Golf Club for the Battle at Blanco on Saturday, May 22nd. Then on to a special Monday event for the Cedar Park Challenge, at Twin Creeks on June 15th. Entry deadline is Friday, June 5th.
Back to the popular Heritage Ranch, the Dallas Tour competes at the Fairview Classic on May 31st. Registration closes on Friday May 22nd.
For More Information:
Scott R Chilcutt
Director - Texas Tours
Dallas Tour - Hill Country Tour - Houston Tour
GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467
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