Good, Bad, And Beautiful - South Houston Championship

Scott R Chilcutt, Houston, TX (May 14, 2016)  The Houston Tour made a Monday trip for the first time south of I-10.  What a trip it was, Bay Oaks Country Club, situated near Clear Lake in South Houston, was up for the challenge.  Just off the NCAA, DIII Womens Championship the course would be ready.

Overnight rains didn't effect the course staff who simply said at 6:00 am, we are ready for you.  Steady rains from before that point, that extended well into the rounds, wouldn't stop the play.  Off the cart paths for a few hours would be a testament to how well the course would handle weather.  More importantly, players endured through the steady rainfall to finish, setting themselves up for the National Championship / Senior National Championship in Florida, unlike the desert events the past few years, which are bound to see some rain.

Bay Oaks, for whatever you might think, was an incredible place to hold such a Championship.  Water, what water?  Perfect greens to go with very playable conditions warrants another trip South of I-10.

Dwayne London (Jones Flight) was "Up for the Srixon Challenge".   Winning his prospective flight playing a Srixon ball, he will get a dozen sent to him for the win. London, also  picked up the Tournament Champion, presented by Carlisle's Engraving with a net - 5.   The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $280, bringing the year to date total from the Texas Tours to $6,710 contributed to the Foundation.

RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Two strokes out of the lead making the turn, Vidor, TX, player Aaron Pickering birdied the par 4 - 10th and off he went to the title.  For Pickering it was his eighth win on tour and first of the season.  Three strokes back a trio of players, in contention, shared the runner up spot.  Neil Hennigan of Beaumont, TX, Corpus Christi, TX, player Marcus Flores and Gordon Wagner of Sugar Land, TX, shared the runner up honors.

Palmer Flight:  James Sheppeard of Tomball, TX, out of the winner circle since the South Texas Winter Championship at the Falls, got it back together for his twenty third win on tour.  Tyler Logeman, coming off a win at the Masters @ Magnolia, snared the runner up finish by just a stroke and one over the third place finisher, Charles Kirk of Nacogdoches, TX. 

Senior Palmer Flight:  Ernie Dyer of Orange, TX, took a one stroke lead to the back nine, but Robert Corbello of Vidor, TX, shrunk that lead with the help of two birdies coming to the clubhouse to force extra holes.  Back to the first hole, Corbello would snare the Championship with a par on the first hole to pick up his eleventh win on tour and first of the season.  Fred Rich of Tomball, TX, and Pasadena, TX, member Bo Kirkwood, would share the third place finish.  

Hogan Flight:   Groves, TX, member Matt Wolfe, became a two time winner on tour, by a single stroke.  Deer Park, TX, player Al Campo, attempting to score his third win of the season, fell just one back and  a full five strokes ahead of third place finisher, Scott Thompson of Helotes, TX.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Robert Hayward of Houston, TX, carded the low round of the day, with the help of three birdies. For Hayward it was his third win on the season and fifth on tour.  Fellow Houston, TX, player Daryl Epperson finished in the  runner up spot with Christopher Phillips and his eagle two on the par 4 - 17th rounding out the top three.

Sarazen Flight:  Cypress, TX, first time player, Julio Ayuso, slides into the winner circle with the help of a birdie on the par 5 - 11th with a two stroke victory.  Houston, TX, first year member Dennis Walker, finished two strokes back and two strokes ahead of Adam Bray of Katy, TX.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Larry Murphy of Cypress, TX, and Chris Neelley, of Spring, TX, needed extra holes to settle the score.  Back to the par 4 - 1st, Murphy would take home the Championship, his first on tour.  Two strokes back of the pair, LP Jones of Houston, TX, finished in the show position, for the second time in two attempts.

Jones Flight:  Dwayne London of League City, TX, blew the field away with his first win on tour in four years.  London with a birdie on the par 4 - 8th, finished seven strokes ahead of Joe Michetti of Montgomery, TX, with Huntsville, TX, player Neil MacDonald rounding out the top three.

Snead Flight: Montgomery, TX, player Michael Pierce, won his second event in two attempts, by five strokes.   Corrigan, TX, member Mike Murphy on a roll with eight top five finishes in a row, took home the runner up spot with Houston, TX, member Perry Dragon rounding out the top three.

SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($110/each)  1 -- Bruce Beakley, Houston, TX; Robert Corbello, Vidor, TX; Christopher Phillips, Richmond, TX; Larry Murphy, Cypress, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($28/each)  2 -- Neil Hennigan, Beaumont, TX; Aaron Pickering, Vidor, TX. 1 -- Tyler Logeman, Montgomery, TX; Johnny Liguez, Helotes, TX; James Sheppeard, Tomball, TX.

Senior Palmer:  ($20/each)  2 -- Bruce Beakley, Houston, TX; Bo Kirkwood, Pasadena, TX; Robert Corbello, Vidor, TX. 1 -- Ernie Dyer, Orange, TX; Mike Bailey, Houston, TX.

Hogan / Senior Hogan:  ($40/each)  2 -- Christopher Phillips, Richmond, TX; Robert Hayward, Houston, TX. 1 -- Scott Thompson, Helotes, TX; Rickey Felts, Houston, TX.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:  ($93/each)  1 -- Dennis Walker, Houston, TX; Steve Hamilton, Leander, TX; Larry Murphy, Cypress, TX.

Jones / Snead:  ($68/each)  1 -- Dwayne London, League City, TX; Joe Armstrong, Spring, TX; Neil Macdonald, Huntsville, TX; Marshall Sweed, Sugar Land, TX; Richard Lagrone, Spring, TX.

CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

($110/each)  #3 - Kevin Thibodeaux - 10" 2.5;  #8 - Larry Murphy - 4' 3 1/2";  #12 - Johnny Liguez - 14' 11";  #14 - Rickey Felts - 3' 6 1/2".

Upcoming Texas Events:

Memorial Day weekend will fill the schedule for those not taking in lake or beach action, starting Saturday May 28th for the Battle @ Blanco at Vaaler Creek Golf Club.  Follow up with a Sunday event in Frankston, TX, just some 250 miles to the northeast for the Memorial Weekend Championship at Pine Dunes on May 29th.

Make sure to register for the Arkansas Championship at Hot Springs Country Club on June 4th and 5th.  This Major Championship, unlike many in the area still has spots available.

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