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.
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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