Scott R Chilcutt, Cypress, TX (November, 14, 2015) The Houston Tour of the Golf Channel AM Tour continued the 2016 Points season with it's second of three events before the strike at midnight on New Years eve, bringing in the new calendar year. Despite the nearby construction closures and traffic gridlock, Cypress Lakes Golf Club held true to its fast pace of play, with all 31 pairings finishing the round in under 4 hours 30 minutes.
Javier Quintero (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. Bobby Stokes grabbed the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving, with a career low round on tour.
RESULTS:
Championship Flight: It took two players from the final pairing of the flight to put up some scores that would need more holes to settle the score. Derek Husband of Kingwood, TX, and Tomball, TX, member, Kyle Stewart, matched front nine back nine scores, both with three birdies on the round, and headed back out to the #1 hole for the sudden death playoff. In the end, Stewart took home the hardware, his first on tour. For Husband, it was his best finish after winning his first time out at the June, 2015 Friendswood Challenge. Finishing three strokes back of the pair, Josh Stout of Houston, TX, a two time winner on tour, rounded out the top three.
Palmer Flight: Playing the front nine in even par, with a birdie on the par 3 - 7th, Harrison Hastings of College Station, TX, controlled the flight and never looked back. Adding another birdie on the par 5 - 10th, Hastings would give up four strokes to par on the final eight, but finished with a solid two stroke victory, his first on tour. Runner up, Missouri City, TX, resident, Wayne Taylor, looked to make it close, but just couldn't overcome the three stroke disadvantage making the turn. Two, Senior Palmer players in the combined flight, 2014 National Champion in the Senior Hogan Flight, Ernie Dyer of Orange, TX, and first time Cypress, TX, player, Brad Bailey shared the third place finish.
Hogan Flight: Inching closer to a performance promotion, Tom Dyer of Magnolia, TX, made it two for two in the 2016 points season after winning the opener at Tour 18. With two birdies on the day and a two stroke win, Dyer has now played his last five tournaments with three wins and two runner finishes. With the flight starting on the 10th hole, Groves, TX, player Matt Wolfe took two strokes off his first nine, to record his best finish since winning just over a year ago at Cinco Ranch with the second place honors. Three strokes back of Wolfe, first time player Craig Zietsman of Cypress, TX, recorded a show place finish with a birdie on the par 5 - 8th.
Senior Hogan Flight: Richmond, TX, member Christopher Phillips, remained steady with three birdies on the day and pars on his final two holes to edge out Dallas Tour traveler, Rick Swanson of Carrollton, TX by a stroke. For Phillips it was his seventh win on tour, including one Major Championship at 2015 TRUE linkswear Amatuer at Pinehurst. Swanson, starting on tour in June, collected his best finish with Richmond, TX, member Eddey Neeley, putting a string of birdies together at 13, 14 and 15 to collect the third place points.
Sarazen Flight: Rick Smalley of College Station, TX, started the day out with a birdie on the par 5 - 10th to collect his third win on tour. Smalley, tried to give it away on his final hole, but managed to card a double, just enough for the one stroke advantage over Jeff Chen of Pearland, TX after he birdied his last frame. One stroke back of Shen, the trio of Katy, TX, player Adam Bray, San Antonio, TX, member CD Dunem and John Schott of Marion, TX, split the third place honors.
Senior Sarazen Flight: Rosharon, TX, player, Bobby Stokes put together the round of his career on the AM Tour. Stokes, now a four time winner on tour, carded only two bogey's on the day to go along with 16 pars to finish six strokes clear of second place finisher, Chris Neelley, of Spring, TX. Neelley, with a birdie on the par 4 - 2nd, just edged out a hard charging Show Low, AZ, traveler, Dave Godley, by one stroke. Godley finished his round with a birdie on the par 4 - 6th, one under over his last four holes to snatch third place over a trio just behind him in fourth.
Jones Flight: After a runner up finish at Tour 18, his last time out, it was only a matter of time before Heath Rood of Porter, TX, stood atop of the podium. Rood with a birdie on the par 4 - 6th, set out on a tear to finish off his first win, five strokes clear of second time tour, Spring, TX, tour player Richard Lagrone. Rounding out the top three, Joe Michetti from Spring, TX, followed up his Major Championship win at the rain shortened Fall Classic at Dancing Rabbit his last time out, one stroke out of second.
Senior Jones Flight: Starting his third year on tour, Nederland, TX, member, Wayne Glover, grabbed his first win in a big way. With the help of a birdie on the par 3 - 7th, Glover put together a pair of 43's enroute to a four stroke win over, second place finisher, Neil Macdonald from Huntsville, TX. Macdonald, the 2015 Senior Jones Flight points champion and Club Glove Staff bag recipient cleared third place Houston, TX, honoree, David Sipe by three strokes.
Snead Flight: Javier Quintero from Houston, TX, continues his dominance at Cypress Lakes. Now an eighteen time winner on tour, with at least one win in each of his eight years on tour. During those eight years on tour, Javier has competed in six events at Cypress Lakes, with five wins and one T3 finish. Starting on the 10th tee, Quintero, went out on his first five holes in even par with the help of a birdie on the par 4 - 13th to finish four strokes ahead of The Woodlands, TX, player, Jim Lamberth, taking the second place honors. This was Lamberth's second in as many attempts after a runner up at the October Grand Cypress Challenge Major Championship in Florida. Ray Bednar, of Houston, TX got it within one of Lamberth with a par on his final hole to round out the top three.
SKINS:
Giant Skins: ($130/each) 1 -- Eddey Neeley, Richmond, TX; Christopher Phillips, Richmond, TX; Harrison Hastings, College Station, TX; Carl Eaton, Conroe, TX.
Championship / Palmer: ($40/each) 2 -- Kyle Stewart, Tomball, TX. 1 -- Marc Duncan, Cypress, TX; Damon Garcia, Fannett, TX; Harrison Hastings, College Station, Tx; Wayne Taylor, Missouri City, TX.
Hogan / Senior Hogan: ($35/each) 2 -- Christopher Phillips, Richmond, TX. 1 -- Arthur Flores, Houston, TX; Eddey Neeley, Richmond, TX; David Anthony, Cypress, TX; Kyle Young, Bellaire, TX; Mike Rayburn, Montgomery, TX.
Sarazen: ($17/each) 3 -- John Schott, Marion, TX; Rick Smalley, College Station, TX. 1 -- Douglas Key, Daphne, AL; C.D. Dunem, San Antonio, TX.
Senior Sarazen: ($73/each) 1 -- William Criss, Houston, TX; Greg Faubion, Richmond, TX; Mark Kirby, Bridge City, TX.
Jones / Senior Jones: ($30/each) 3 -- Wayne Glover, Nederland, TX. 2 -- David Sipe, Houston, TX. 1 -- Joe Michetti, Montgomery, TX.
Snead: ($25/each) 2 -- Carl Eaton, Conroe, TX; Javier Quintero, Houston, TX. 1 -- Art Henry, Victoria, TX; Perry Dragon, Houston, TX; Bryce Kocian, Wharton, TX.
CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:
($130/each) #4 - Damon Garcia - 5' 5"; #7 - Dave Godley - 3' 0"; #11 - Matt Wolfe - 8' 2"; #15 - Rick Swanson - 6'.
Upcoming Texas Events:
Players from around the state take on a sold out field at Sonterra Golf Club on Saturday, November 21st for the Fall Challenge at Sonterra on the Hill Country Tour.
After a Thanksgiving weekend break, more will flock to The Falls in New Ulm, TX, for the two tournaments in two days at the South Texas Winter Championship on Saturday, December 5th and Sunday December 6th. Tournament spots and accommodations at the destination resort are sure to sell out, so register today to secure your place at the final event of the 2015 calendar year.
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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