Houston Tour Players Take on A Texas Retreat on Lake Conroe

Scott R Chilcutt, Montgomery, TX (July 25, 2015)  La Torretta Lake Resort and Spa, coined "A Texas Retreat" played home to the Classic on the Lake event on the Houston Tour.  Situated near Lake Conroe, the course meanders through the pine trees for almost a bowling alley look off of many tees.  While the crazy native areas of many local courses are generally nonexistent, there was plenty of trouble for the competitors.

Traylor Sells (Palmer Flight), Mike Karlin (Sarazen Flight) and Rick Halprin (Senior Jones Flight) were "Up for the Srixon Challenge", winning their respective flights playing a Srixon ball and will get a dozen sent to them for the win. Matching his win in the flight, Wayne Waldrep went on to grab the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving, by one stroke.

RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  After winning his first event on tour the previous week, Jefred Villalobos of Katy, TX, strung together five birdies during regulation, but the first of two very important ones came at the par 5 - 16th to tie up the score with Killeen, TX player Jordan Massey.  Massey, also a winner his last time out, finished his front nine with consecutive birdies, and came to the clubhouse, only to head back out for a playoff.  Returning to the par 5 - 10th for the sudden death, Villalobos would make his sixth birdie on the day for the championship after Massey had trouble out of a green side bunker to make par.  First time player, Kyle Stewart of Tomball, TX, carded a birdie on the par 5 - 9th to round out the top three, three strokes back.

Palmer Flight:   While the tournament committee set tee's on Friday, it appeared that some of the mowing staff early Saturday morning didn't get the memo.  The combined flight, played much longer than initially planned, setting up a long day for this group, but in the end, the top two came from the Senior Palmer group.  Traylor Sells, playing out of Cypress, TX, took four strokes off his front nine score on the back to pick up his third win on the season and tenth on tour.  Houston, TX, Senior Palmer, Leslie Clifton, made birdie on the long par 4 - 15th to grab the runner up finish four strokes back, with Jeff Zemencsik of Magnolia, TX, taking the show position finish, three strokes back of Clifton.

Hogan Flight:  Katy, TX, player Mike Hafner, picked up his second win on the season and fifth on tour.  Hafner, just back from a T-4 at the Pinehurst Amateur, to go along with another two runner up finishes at majors in the 2015 points season, used a birdie on the par 5 - 16th for the win.  Arthur Flores of Houston, TX, with two birdies on the day, finished just one stroke out of the victory, with a trio of players nipping on his heels one stroke back.   Larry Murphy of Cypress, TX,  Beaumont, TX, player Kevin Turner and Tyler Logeman of Montgomery, TX, accumulated seven birdies on the round to share the third place finish.

Sarazen Flight:  Playing in his first year on tour, Mike Karlin of Houston, TX, has been close, but not on top, until today.  With a third place finish earlier in the year to go with a runner up, his last time out, Karlin, made par on his final hole of the day, the par 5 - 9th to pick up his first win.  Two strokes back, another first year player,  Eddie Thomas of Richards, TX, parred his final four holes of the day to knot up the runner up finish with Spring, TX, resident Chris Neelley.

Jones Flight:  The third first year player to pick up a win on the day, Spring, TX, player Wayne Waldrep made it his third of the year.   Waldrep, with birdies on the par 4 - 13th and par 5 - 18th, used the holes to finish with a three stroke advantage for two in his last two attempts.  Joe Armstrong, also from Spring, TX, carded his best finish on the season with the help of a birdie on the par 3 - 17th.  Nearby, resident, Jeff Gregory of Montgomery, TX rounded out the top three.

Senior Jones Flight:  Starting the day on the tenth hole,  Rick Halprin of Houston, TX, made the turn with a one stroke advantage. Halprin would go on to birdie the par 3 - 2nd, which would prove to be just enough to finish two strokes ahead of Dallas Tour traveler, Zane Latham of Valley View, TX.  John Pickens of Montgomery, TX, added another third place finish on his season to go along with a win at The Woodlands - Player course in May.

Snead Flight:  Ray Bednar of Houston, TX, a first time winner just two weeks ago in Austin, TX, is keeping the momentum, following a third place finish last week at Wildcat with his second win on tour. Local Conroe, TX, player Carl Eaton struggled a little through the middle of the back nine, but finished up strong with birdie on the par 5 - 18th to command sole position of the runner up spot, five strokes ahead of Beaumont, TX, player Rick Hagel taking the third place honors.




SKINS:

Giant Skins:  ($120/each)  1 -- L.P. Jones, Houston, TX; Eddey Neeley, Richmond, TX; Wayne Waldrep, Spring, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($65/each)  1 -- Jordan Massey, Killeen, TX; Scott Waltrip, Montgomery, TX; Leslie Clifton, Houston, TX.

Hogan:  ($15/each)  2 -- Arthur Flores, Houston, TX; Larry Murphy, Cypress, TX; Tyler Logeman, Montgomery, TX. 1 -- David Anthony, Cypress, TX; Eddey Neeley, Richmond, TX; George Smith, Magnolia, TX; David Jackson, McKinney, TX; John Hilgers, Wimberley, TX.

Sarazen:  ($22/each)  2 -- Alan Joseph, Houston, TX; Mike Adcock, River Oaks, TX. 1 -- Rick Smalley, College Station, TX; L.P. Jones, Houston, TX; Rick Houchins, Houston, TX; Chris Neelley, Spring, TX.

Jones:  ($20/each)  3 -- Wayne Waldrep, Spring, TX. 1 -- Dion Casto, Wylie, TX; Jeff Gregory, Montgomery, TX; Heath Rood, Porter, TX; Benjamin Lipson, Houston, TX.

Senior Jones / Snead:  ($60/each)  1 -- Zane Latham, Valley View, TX; Rick Halprin, Houston, TX; Carl Eaton, Conroe, TX.



CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

($100/each)  #2 - Art Flores - 1' 11 1/2";  #6 - Wayne Waldrep - 5' 10";  #11 - Fred Rich  - 2' 6";  #14 - Massimo Passini - 6' 7".

Upcoming Texas Events:

Players scramble for National Championship qualification and Year End Flight Champion awards as the points season winds down.

The double points and double prize fund event at the Tour Championship where spots are filling up quickly for the Saturday, August 15th and Sunday August 16th, Houston Tour Championship @ Blackhorse.  Registration deadline is Friday, August 7th but is sure to sell out before then.

The Tribute Golf Links, closed since the floods in late May, should be in excellent conditions for the Dallas Tour Championship on August 22nd and 23rd.

On tap in The Hill Country, a special Friday prelude to the Texas Open at Barton Creek for the Championship at Falconhead on Friday, July 31st.  Waiting list spots still available.  TPC San Antonio, The AT&T Oaks Course, closes the Hill Country season on Sunday, August 9th at the Hill Country Tour Championship.  Entries close on Friday, July 31st.

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

Houston Tour for The Open Championship @ Wildcat

Scott R Chilcutt, Houston, TX (July 19, 2015) The second of two Texas Tour events on the weekend of the famed Open Championship at St.Andrews, went off at Wildcat Golf Club on Sunday in Houston.  Crazy weather, wind and flooding rains, delaying the finish to Monday, in Scotland, while hot, sunny and steamy would describe the day in South Texas.  The course, wet from overnight sprinklers played relatively slow, and downright muddy in areas, couple that with a recent influx of Po annua in the greens made scoring difficult.

Steve Nagy (Hogan Flight) was "Up for the Srixon Challenge", winning his flight playing a Srixon ball and will get a dozen sent to him for the win. Matching his win in the flight, Nagy went on to grab the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving, by one stroke.

RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  A pair of players off in the first group, came to the clubhouse with the distinct possibility of a playoff, didn't need to wait on the lunch, when first time player Jefred Villalobos of  Katy, TX turned in his scorecard to rain on that parade.  Villalobos made the turn at +1 with a birdie on the par 5 - 7th, added three more on the back including the par 5 - 18th to snatch the win at even par.  One stroke back, Zachary Bell of Richmond, TX, took seven strokes off his front nine total with the help of an eagle at the par 5 - 12th, going - 4 over the last seven holes to knot up the second place finish with Houston, TX, player Josh Stout one stroke out of the lead.

Palmer Flight:  Twenty two year old, Michael Wagner of Houston, TX stayed out of any trouble on the front nine with only one bogey, made the turn with birdies on the par 4 - 11th and par 3 - 13th and never looked back for his first win on tour.  Magnolia, TX, member, Jeff Zemencsik bounced back from a rough event his last time out, to card three birdies on the day and finished just two strokes back.  Leslie Henry of Houston, TX made her 2015 debut at a Houston Tour event after playing four events in the New Orleans area, made three birdies on the back nine to shoot - 2 coming to the club house to round out the top three.

Hogan Flight:  Steve Nagy of Sugar Land, TX bypassed any point standings to stamp his ticket directly to the National Championship with his third win on the season and career.  Nagy followed a double on the front with a birdie on the par 5 - 7th, then just put it on cruise control for a three stroke advantage.  Fellow Sugar Land, TX resident Derek Matta was left alone on the runner up spot with a trio of players, Mike Rayburn of Montgomery, TX,  Deer Park, TX, player Al Campo and Matt Wolfe of Groves, TX sharing the third place honors.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Beaumont, TX player, Kevin Turner used the help of a birdie on the par 3 - 4th to pick up his second win of the season and fourth on tour.  With the win, Turner edged his way closer to a Senior National Championship invitation, while currently fifth in points overall, he is now first place in points not otherwise qualified.  Two strokes back, John Reynolds also of Beaumont, TX playing in his second event on tour, birdied the par 3 - 4th to share the runner up finish with Cypress, TX, player David Anthony, carding two birdies of his own on the day.

Sarazen Flight:  Houston,TX,  third time player, George Horton, now has two wins and two in a row at that.  Horton with four birdies on the day, coupled with only three pars, used a very colorful scorecard for the one stroke victory.  Just behind Horton, another Houston, TX resident and first year player, Mike Karlin, scratched out three birdies on the round, including the final hole par 5 - 18th for a one stroke advantage over a pair tied in third.  Adam Bray of Katy, TX with his second T-3 of the year to go with a runner up finish, shared the third place finish with The Woodlands, TX player Patrick Richardson.  Richardson, made two birdies on the par 3 - 8th and par 4 - 10th in the middle of the round.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Chris Neelley of Spring, TX, used the help of birdies on the par 3 - 4th and par 4 - 9th to pick up his first win on the season and third on tour.  Wharton, TX, player Larry Viktorin finished just two strokes back for the runner up finish, with Alan Joseph of Houston, TX, rounding out the top three, three strokes back of Viktorin.

Jones Flight:  Starting the day on the tenth tee, Randy Adcock of Vidor,TX took three strokes off on his back nine to force a playoff with Sprint, TX, resident Wayne Waldrep.  Waldrep struggled a bit on his back nine, but went back out to the par 4 - 10th and prevailed in the extra hole sudden death to pick up his second win on tour.  Sharing the third place honors, David Sipe of Houston, TX, with a birdie on the round and Spring, TX member, Joe Armstrong finished just two strokes out of the playoff.

Snead Flight:  Robert Haddon of Bryan, TX, shot the round of his career in route to his first win on tour.  Haddon with birdie on the par 4 - 3rd, posted a nine stroke advantage over Houston, TX player Javier Quintero firmly set in the runner up position.  Four strokes back of Quintero, Ray Bednar of Houston, TX rounded out the top three





SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($200/each)  1 -- Ralph Haun, Sugar Land; Steve Nagy, Sugar Land, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($20/each)  2 -- Josh Stout, Houston, TX; Ralph Haun, Sugar Land; Joe Sublett, Baytown, TX. 1 -- Leslie Henry, Houston, TX.

Hogan:  ($15/each)  3 -- Mike Rayburn, Montgomery, TX. 2 -- Matt Wolfe, Groves, TX. 1 -- Gus Aldana, Houston, TX; Derek Matta, Sugar Land, TX; Steve Nagy, Sugar Land, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($28/each)  2 -- David Anthony, Cypress, TX; Michael Castaneda, League City, TX. 1 -- Frank O'Neill, Sugar Land, TX; Christopher Phillips, Richmond, TX; Arthur Flores, Houston, TX.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:  ($28/each)  2 -- Chris Neelley, Spring, TX; L.P. Jones, Houston, TX; Mike Karlin, Houston, TX. 1 -- Keith Gannon, Houston, TX; Gary Gum, Spring, TX; Kevin Koy, Spring, TX.

Jones / Snead:  ($70/each)  1 -- Javier Quintero, Houston, TX; David Sipe, Houston, TX; Randy Adcock, Vidor, TX.


CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

($100/each)  #4 - Josh Stout - 2' 1";  #8 - Kevin Turner - 8' 9 3/4";  #13 - Keith Gannon  - 5' 2";  #17 - Josh Stout - 12' 9".

Upcoming Texas Events:

Players scramble for National Championship qualification and Year End Flight Champion awards as the points season winds down.

Houston Tour players, finish out three events in three weeks on Saturday at the Challenge at the Lake before the two day, double points and double prize fund event at the Tour Championship.   Spots are filling up quickly for the Saturday, August 15th and Sunday August 16th, Houston Tour Championship @ Blackhorse.  Registration deadline is Friday, August 7th but is sure to sell out before then.

After the weekend rescheduled Fairview Classic @ Heritage Ranch, the Dallas Tour ends a long weekend after The Texas Open at Barton Creek with the Monday, Open @ Lantana, on August, 3rd, ENTRY Deadline is Friday July 24th at 11:54 PM EST.  The Tribute Golf Links, closed since the floods in late May, should be in excellent conditions for the Dallas Tour Championship on August 22nd and 23rd.

On tap in The Hill Country, a special Friday prelude to the Texas Open at Barton Creek for the Championship at Falconhead on Friday, July 31st.  Waiting list spots still available.  TPC San Antonio, The AT&T Oaks Course, closes the Hill Country season on Sunday, August 9th at the Hill Country Tour Championship.  Entries close on Friday, July 31st.

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

The Woodlands Open - Tournament Course Continues the History

Scott R Chilcutt, The Woodlands, TX (July 6, 2015)  The Tournament Course at The Woodlands is rich with history at the highest level of golf.  PGA Tour wins from the likes of David Duval ('98), Hal Sutton ('01) and Vijay Singh ('02) go with more recent Insperity Invitational, presented by United Healthcare, wins on the Champions Tour from Bernard Langer ('08,'14), John Cook ('09) and Fred Couples ('10).

In the seventh consecutive edition of the event on the Golf Channel AM Tour, the facilities proved to be one of the best on tour.  Excellent green complexes, nearly perfect fairways matched with brutal rough to keep scoring at bay.  With a sellout crowd nearly three weeks prior to the event, organizers were able to set up another wave of split tee times, making for the 135+ field.  

Richard Schram (Snead Flight) was "Up for the Srixon Challenge", winning his flight playing a Srixon ball and will get a dozen sent to him for the win. Schram was the only player on the day to make it multiple wins at the Tournament Course.  Nearly matching his personal best low round, Tom Dyer grabbed the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving, by three strokes.



RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Five strokes out of the lead with the front nine scores posted, Josh Stout of Houston, TX, was ready to leave the facility.  After waiting on players coming in from later tee times, kept Stout on the property to learn he picked up his first win, in eleven attempts on tour. One stroke back, Houston, TX, player Jordan Wagner started out on a roll with a birdie on the par 5 - 1st, added another on the par 5 - 7th and was sitting at -1 after 8.  Then came the par 4 - 9th, where Wagner just couldn't traverse the OB and rough, slipping back to what would eventually become a runner up finish. Logan Edwards of College Station, TX, carded his best finish on tour, rounding out the top three.

Senior Championship Flight:  David Ortego of nearby Spring, TX made birdie on the par 4 - 17th, while Sugar Land, TX, standout, Gordon Wagner made bogey on his final hole of the day to knot up the front runners.  Back to the tenth hole for the playoff, Wagner had what looked to be an in the middle putt from 36' for par, that came up a little short, opening the door for a 3' par putt by Ortego for his second win on tour, both coming at The Woodlands properties. One stroke back of the pair a trio of players, Fred Rich of Tomball, Bernard Weber of  Missouri City, TX, , both with three birdies on day shared the third place honors with Midland, TX, player Terry Rice, with five birdies on his round.

Palmer Flight:  Tomball, TX, player James Sheppeard, another two time winner at The Woodlands courses this season, made a birdie at the turn on the par 5 - 1st that proved to be just enough for his seventh win on the season and fourth since his promotion to the Palmer Flight. Playing in his second event on tour, Matthew Shaunty of Spring, TX, made birdies on the par 5 - 1st and par 3 - 16th to stay one stroke ahead of a pair just behind him. Sugar Land, TX, player Ralph Haun snared his third, third place finish on his first year on tour with the help of a birdie on the par 4 - 12th and Michael Van Swol with birdie on the par 5 - 16th shared the third place honors.

Senior Palmer Flight:  Bouncing back from heat related issues in Hot Springs at the Arkansas Championship Major in early June, J.D. Price of Whitney, TX, made birdies on the par 4 - 9th and par 4 - 11th to seal his fifth win on his first year on tour. Vidor, TX, member Robert Corbello, with a pair of birdies of his own on the day, finished two strokes clear of a pair sharing the third place honors.  Bruce Beakley of Houston, TX, and second time player from Lake Jackson, TX, Clemente Saenz, both carded a couple birdies to split the show place finish.

Hogan Flight:   Sixty three year old, Tom Dyer of Magnolia, TX, preferring to play with the young guys, carded one of the lowest rounds of his career to pick up his first win of the season and fourth on tour.  In his second event back after major medical issues, Al Campo of Deer Park, TX, put together a couple of birdies on the par 4 - 11th and par 3 - 16th for the runner up finish, with Dallas Tour player Jeff Workman of Fort Worth, TX rounding out the top three.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Starting the day on the tenth hole, Arthur Flores of Houston, TX, was mid pack after nine.  Birdies on the par 5 - 1st, and par 4 - 7th got the wheels rolling for Flores to pick up his first win on the season and fifth on tour. Sugar Land, TX, member Frank O'Neill, with birdies on the par  4 - 2nd, and par 4 - 12th finished a distant four strokes back of the winners circle, one in front of  David Anthony of Cypress, TX, with birdies on three of his first five holes for the third place finish.

Sarazen Flight:  George Horton and Rick Houchins of Houston, TX, along with Port Arthur, TX, member, Kyle Young came to the finish line in a dead heat.  All three carded two birdies on the round to make it close. Back to number 10 for the playoff, all three would look to make it close, but in the end, Horton made par for his first win in only two attempts on tour.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Spring, TX, standout, Gary Gum became three of The Woodlands Course Champions after winning the May Player Championship @ The Woodlands.  Gum, historically a winner early in the season notched his twelfth win on tour and only second victory after June 1st.  Three strokes back, Marty Hodges of Richmond, TX, carded his second runner up finish to go with two wins on the year with Bridge City, TX, player Mark Kirby taking home the third place spot with a birdie on the par 3 - 3rd.

Jones Flight:   Hill Country Tour member, Donald Bebout of Lakeway, TX, made the trip count with his tenth win on tour and first of the points season. Bebout carded a birdie on his first hole of the day, the par 4 - 10th to finish two strokes ahead of a pair knotted in the runner up spot,  Houston, TX, player Lee Isham, with a birdie on the par 3 - 16th and Corrigan, TX, resident Mike Murphy shared the runner up honors.

Snead Flight: Richard Schram of Bryan, TX, is a record holder.  Not one most would appreciate but, Schram, playing the par 5 - 15th in 2013 hit just one ball short of two dozen in the water.  After much debate and with the help of a putter over the bridge, Schram would card a 67 on one hole, just 30 strokes shy of his winning eighteen hole score this year.  It was Schram's first win on the season and fifth on tour as well as the only player to win two events at the Tournament Course. Two strokes back, Carl Eaton of Conroe, TX, took home the runner up honors with Javier Quintero of Houston, TX and  Sugar Land, TX, member Stephen Sater splitting the third place finish.    


SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($500/each)  1 -- Mark Echols, Diana, TX; David Brassard, Spring, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($43/each)  2 -- Aaron Pickering, Vidor, TX; Charles J. Kirk, Nacogdoches, TX.  1 -- Rick Keszeg, Orange, TX; Jeff Zemencsik, Magnolia, TX.

Senior Championship / Senior Palmer:  ($146/each)  1 -- Mark Echols, Diana, TX; David Ortego, Spring, TX; Mark Magnuson, Bridge City, TX.

Hogan:  ($36/each)  1 -- Derek Matta, Sugar Land, TX; Matt Purgahn, Orange, TX; David Brassard, Spring, TX; Darren Bufton, Bedford, TX; Jeff Workman, Fort Worth, TX; Steve Nagy, Sugar Land, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($95/each)  2 -- David Anthony, Cypress, TX. 1 -- Robert Hayward, Houston, TX; Arthur Flores, Houston, TX.

Sarazen:  ($22/each)  4 -- Kyle Young, Bellaire, TX. 2 -- Blake Barnes, Deer Park, TX; Rick Houchins, Houston, TX. 1 -- Mike Karlin, Houston, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($70/each)  1 -- Arjun Sen, Centennial, CO; Louis Jones, Spring, TX; Olan Benge, Wharton, TX; Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX; Mark Kirby, Bridge City, TX; Keith Gannon, Houston, TX.

Jones / Snead:  ($76/each)  1 -- Lee Isham, Houston, TX; J T Collins, Spring, TX; Gene Macha, Hungerford, TX; Marshall Sweed, Sugar Land, TX; Bryce Kocian, Wharton, TX.




CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

($250/each)  #3 - Clemente Saenz - 3' 0";  #8 - Mike Harkins - 7' 0";  #14 - Alan Joseph  - 3' 0";  #16 - Rick Keszeg - 2' 3".

Upcoming Texas Events:

After the special Monday event at TPC Craig Ranch, weekend play resumes on the Dallas Tour at the Saturday, July 18th Open Championship in Frisco.  Registration closes, Friday, July 10th at 11:59PM EST.

On tap in The Hill Country, the Austin - Nicklaus Open at the Hill Country Club, Flintrock Falls layout on July 11th.  Then the tour, welcomes players from around the country for the special Friday prelude to the Texas Open at Barton Creek for the Championship at Falconhead on Friday, July 31st.  Waiting list spots still available. 

Sunday, July 19th the Houston Tour players make a start at The Open Championship at Wildcat.  Registration closes, Friday, July 10th at 11:59PM EST.

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