Scott R Chilcutt, Galveston, TX (April 3, 2016) Sports fans from around the world converged on Houston, TX, with the NCAA, Final Four and the Shell Houston Open in the city for the weekend. In spite of all the commotion, Golf Channel AM Tour members, struggled through the traffic 50 miles south to Moody Gardens for the Galveston Island Championship on Sunday, a mainstay event on the Houston Tour.
Moody Gardens, situated nearly in the middle of a small sliver of the barrier island, gets the good and bad of the weather on the Gulf Coast. North winds off the mainland can be brutal, as testament to some Saturday practice rounds, but when things are good they can be really good. We got some of the best on Sunday, when over 100 players were greeted to light southerly winds, to go with excellent course conditions, some of the best in recent years.
Bruce Beakley (Senior Palmer Flight), Matt Purgahn (Hogan Flight), Blake Barnes (Sarazen Fligth) and Marcy Glidden (Jones Flight) were "Up for the Srixon Challenge", winning their prospective flight playing a Srixon ball and will get a dozen sent to them for the win. Marcy Glidden, with a -9 net score, grabbed the win for the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving. The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $500, bringing the year to date total from the Texas Tours to $4,350 contributed to the Foundation.
RESULTS:
Championship: Second time tour player, Neil Hennigan, of Beaumont,TX, started the day with a birdie on the first hole, added two more on the front and came to the clubhouse with a pair on the the par 4 - 16th and par 3 - 17th to pick up his first win on tour. Three time winner on tour and defending Champion at the Galveston Island Championship, Scott Waltrip, of Montgomery, TX, picked up steam on the back nine, with three birdies of his own, but came up just one stroke shy, carding the runner up finish. Visor, TX, player, Aaron Pickering, playing his first event of the 2016 points season, made the best of three birdies of his own coming to the club house to round out the top three.
Palmer Flight: Coming out of the gate, two over after eight holes, Jeff Zemencsik of Magnolia, TX, got those two strokes back quickly. Zemencsik birdied the par 3 - 9th, added another at the par 4 - 10th, but had rough finishes at 14 and 15, followed by birdies at the par 4 - 16th and par 3 - 17th, getting things back in hand, but only enough for extra holes. Spring, TX, member, Aaron Brougher, thought to be out of it after his front nine, even with a birdie on his starting hole, par 5 - 1st, he made the turn and finished the back in even par. Back to the tenth hole for the playoff, Zemencsik, one of only two birdies on that hole of the day, dunked it in the water, but a favorable drop, shot and putt, carded a par for the win, his first of the season and fifth on tour. Wayne Taylor, three strokes back, took advantage of a birdie on the par 4 - 8th for the show place finish.
Senior Palmer Flight: Playing from the long yardages for the Senior Palmer Flight, Bruce Beakley of Houston, TX, held true to his level headed play. With a birdie on the par 3 - 4th, Beakley kept his head down to pick up his second win on the season and tenth on tour. Playing along side Beakley, Tim Kozlowski of Humble, TX, the home of the Shell Houston Open, finished in the runner up spot, two strokes back. Out on tour for the second time this year, Dennis Walsh of Groves, TX, recorded his second third place finish of the season.
Hogan Flight: Birdie on the first hole of the day, the par 5 - 1st, Orange, TX, player Matt Purgahn, settled into a rhythm, took a hit at the par 4 - 8th, but bounced back on the final nine with a three over par to pick up his first win on the season and sixth on tour. Mike Karlin, of Houston, TX, with birdie on the par 4 - 10th, relegated a big giant skin, opting out of that side game, tied it up with Kingwood, TX, Brian Frazier, with a birdie of his own on the par 3 - 4th and Mike Rayburn of Montgomery, TX, with three birdies on the day, splitting the runner up finish.
Senior Hogan Flight: Jimmie Chambers of Wharton, TX, nearly lapped the field, with a personal best on tour, +3, with the assistance of birdies on the par 5 - 1st and par 4 - 8th for his first win on tour. Houston, TX, player Robert Hayward, already a two time winner on the season, including one Major Championship, birdied the par 3 - 17th to stay ahead of the third place finishers by four strokes. Kevin Turner, of La Porte, TX and Cypress, TX, player Will Whitley shared the third place honors.
Sarazen Flight: Deer Park, TX, member, Blake Barnes, was in a hurry to pick up his National Championship qualification. Barnes, starting on the par 4 - 10th, didn't get the game in line until the par 3 - 17th, making a birdie, following up for his third win on the season, third win in a row at Moody Gardens and eleventh win on tour. Three strokes back, Ross Gonzales of Hockley, TX picked up the runner up prize, with Katy, TX, player Adam Bray equaling his best finish on the season with two previous T3 spots.
Senior Sarazen Flight: Traveling south to follow his Alma mater, the Orangemen of Syracuse, into the final four, Kansas tour member, Michael Roane, of Leawood, KS, followed a disappointing Saturday night with a win, his first on the season and fifteenth on tour. Roane, with two birdies on the day, stayed two strokes ahead of a trio of players, knotted in the runner up spot. Spring, TX, member Chris Neelley, with one birdie on the round, William Criss, with three birdies on the day, and Wharton, TX, player Larry Viktorin, with a birdie of his own, shared the runner up finish.
Jones Flight: Brookshire, TX, resident Marcy Glidden, took advantage of the field for her seventh win on tour and first since the 2015 Masters at the Ridge. Glidden, with a birdie on the par 3 - 9th held a six stroke advantage over runner up, Olan Benge of Wharton, TX, with three players four strokes back. John Pickens, a two time winner on the season from Montgomery, TX, Shertz, TX, first year player Paul Tyus, also a two time winner on the season and Joe Armstrong, of Spring TX, with a birdie on the par 5 - 1st, split the third - fifth place points.
Snead Flight: Mike Murphy of Corrigan, TX, made it fourteen wins on tour, first of the season and first since June of 2015. Murphy, with a birdie on the par 3 - 17th, commanded a five stroke victory over Houston, TX, player Javier Quintero, already a two time winner on the season, with Conroe, TX, member Carl Eaton, also a two time winner in 2016 rounding out the top three.
SKINS:
Giant Skins: ($660/each) 1 -- Jeff Zemencsik, Magnolia, TX.
Championship / Palmer / Senior Palmer: ($70/each) 2 -- Jeff Zemencsik, Magnolia, TX. 1 -- Bruce Beakley, Houston, TX; Neil Hennigan, Beaumont, TX; Wayne Taylor, Missouri City, TX; Roger Masek, Sugar Land, TX.
Hogan: ($30/each) 2 -- John Heintz, San Antonio, TX. 1 -- Clay West, Lumberton, TX; Gus Aldana, Spring, TX; Matt Wolfe, Groves, TX; Mike Karlin, Houston, TX; Mike Rayburn, Montgomery, TX.
Senior Hogan: ($56/each) 2 -- Jimmie Chambers, Wharton, TX. 1 -- Michael Castaneda, League City, TX; Robert Hayward, Houston, TX.
Sarazen: ($26/each) 2 -- Judson Severson, College Station, TX; Sven Bock, Richardson, TX. 1 -- Jose Rivera, Houston, TX; Blake Barnes, Deer Park, TX.
Senior Sarazen: ($34/each) 2 -- Michael Roane, Leawood, KS; Chris Neelley, Spring, TX; William Criss, Houston, TX. 1 -- Gordon Davenport Jr, Friendswood, TX.
Jones / Snead: ($170/each) 1 -- Mike Murphy, Corrigan, TX; Joe Armstrong, Spring, TX.
CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:
($160/each) #4 - Aaron Pickering - 7' 2"; #6 - Aaron Brougher - 3' 3"; #13 - Mark Crafton - 12' 9"; #17 - Michael Van Swol - 5' 2".
Upcoming Texas Events:
Houston Tour members, head back to High Meadows Ranch Golf Club for the Masters at Magnolia on Saturday, April 16th, with entries closing on Friday, April 8th.
Backing up that weekend on Monday, April 18th, the Hill Country Tour visits the exclusive Dominion Country Club for the San Antonio Masters, registration closed on Friday, April 8th.
Sunday, April 24th, the Dallas tour hits the exclusive Heritage Ranch Golf and Country Club for the Heritage Ranch Classic. Registration deadline is Friday, April, 15th at 11:59 PM EST.
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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