South Texas Winter Championship - Rayburn Country

Scott R Chilcutt, Brookeland, TX (December 3, 2017)  What difference a year makes.  Twelve months earlier, the Golf Channel AM Tour, took to the Rayburn Country Golf Club, in a team match play format, under horrid conditions.  Cold, with rain and a hard constant rain it was,  turned into a beautiful weekend this go round.  Clear skies, cool in the morning, but up in the 70's early on, with NO wind, add to that green conditions on the greens, and scores would represent that.

Two days after PGA Tour professional, after the Golf Channel announced the Chris Stroud Hurricane Harvey Relief Benefit, he teed it up in front of our first group.  What I saw, would say he didn't need to take advantage of the great greens to score, all his approaches were so close to the hole, one or more of the kids, traveling around the course with the group, was picking up his ball.

The winners of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $210 on day one with another $230 on Sunday, bringing the Texas Tour local events total to $22,680 in contributions to the Foundation in 2017.


RESULTS:

Palmer Flight:  Orange, TX, member Rick Keszeg picked up his third win of the points season and 2018 National Championship qualification.  Keszeg went out in +1 - 37 on the front, ran into trouble coming to the clubhouse but kept the early lead for a seven-stroke advantage over John Harvell, of Honolulu, HI. Taking a break from the tour since 2014, points season,  Rowlett, TX, player Gregory Haddon, rounded out the top three.

Hogan Flight:  Runner-up on Saturday, Jeff Green of Coldspring, TX, made two birdies in his first five holes on Sunday to take home the Championship for his second win on tour and first of the points season.  Two strokes back, with two birdies on his round, Orange, TX, Matt Purgahn carded the second place finish, with Ken Johnson of Carrollton, TX, with two birdies of his own, taking home third.

Sarazen Flight:  San Felipe, TX, player Jim Craig, carded a double on his first hole of the day, which proved to the be difference in his first round, Saturday score, but was able to grab his seventeenth win on tour and first of the points season.  Craig, with a birdie on the par 5 - 5th, finished, one stroke clear of hard-charging Rodney Wren of Dallas, TX, with two birdies over his back nine, including the par 4 - 18th.  One stroke back of Wren, River Oaks, TX, player Mike Adcock, with a birdie on the par 4 - 10th and John McClemore of Dallas, TX, split the third place honors.

Jones Flight:  Already a two-time winner this fall, Robert Vespa, of Pasadena, TX, fresh off a promotion at the beginning of November, picked up his first win in his new flight.  For Vespa, it was his eighth win on tour, three strokes clear of Dallas, TX, Saturday's winner David Farmer.  Four strokes back, the trio of Mark Boles of Sealy, TX, Conroe, TX, player Carl Eaton and Mike Lee of Dallas, TX, split the third-place finish.

Snead Flight:  Irving, TX, player Fabio Mazilli, made it two in as many attempts after winning for the first time on Saturday, with Jennifer Grothaus of Abilene, TX, and Javier Quintero of Houston, TX, splitting the runner-up finish,  three shots back.







SKINS:


Sunday - South Texas Winter Championship:

Giant SKINS:  ($50/each)  1 -- David Farmer Jr, Dallas, TX; Steve Killion, Sanger, TX; Rodney Wren, Dallas, TX; Matt Purgahn, Orange, TX; Jeff Green, Coldspring, TX.

Palmer / Hogan:  ($45/each)  2 -- Jeff Green, Coldspring, TX. 1 -- Steve Killion, Sanger, TX; Matt Purgahn, Orange, TX.

Sarazen:  ($25/each)  2 -- Mike Adcock, River Oaks, TX; Rodney Wren, Dallas, TX. 1 -- Jim Craig, San Felipe, TX; Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX; Donovan Ackerson, Houston, TX.

Jones / Snead:  ($50/each)  2 -- Carl Eaton, Conroe, TX. 1 -- Javier Quintero, Houston, TX; Mike Lee, Dallas, TX; David Farmer Jr, Dallas, TX.

CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:


Sunday - South Texas Winter Championship:

$60/each:  #2 - Rick Keszet - 15' 4";  #4 - Rodney Wren - 9' 8";  #14 - Steve Killion - 2' 11";  #17 - Carl Eaton - 19' 2".


NEXT UP:

2018 Texas Tour Schedules, are continuing to be populated and should be completed through the tour championships, in August in the coming weeks.

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

Rayburn Country - Shootout - Southeast Texas

Scott R Chilcutt, Brookeland, TX (December 2, 2017)  What difference a year makes.  Twelve months earlier, the Golf Channel AM Tour, took to the Rayburn Country Golf Club, in a team match play format, under horrid conditions.  Cold, with rain and a hard constant rain it was,  turned into a beautiful weekend this go round.  Clear skies, cool in the morning, but up in the 70's early on, with NO wind, add to that green conditions on the greens, and scores would represent that.

Two days after PGA Tour professional, after the Golf Channel announced the Chris Stroud Hurricane Harvey Relief Benefit, he teed it up in front of our first group.  What I saw, would say he didn't need to take advantage of the great greens to score, all his approaches were so close to the hole, one or more of the kids, traveling around the course with the group, was picking up his ball.

The winners of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $210 on day one with another $230 on Sunday, bringing the Texas Tour local events total to $22,680 in contributions to the Foundation in 2017.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  First-time tour player Brandan Leach of Cypress, TX, made the best of a birdie on the par 4 - 6th to pick up the win.  Two strokes back, West Lafayette, IN, player Tanner Skiles, was the runner-up, with Randall Grimes, of Plano, TX, rounding out the top three.

Palmer Flight:  Starting his second season on tour, Nederland, TX member Michael Glover, pickup up his first win.  Glover stayed clear of Honolulu, HI, traveler John Harvell, by eight strokes.  Harvell, Fort Worth, TX, member Lee Johnson taking home the showplace finish.

Hogan Flight:  Nacogdoches, TX, player Charles Kirk, played his first eight holes in even par with the help of a birdie on the par 4 - 3rd to pick up his third win on tour and first of the points season.  Jeff Green of Goldspring, TX, would finish two strokes back, three clear of the pair of Amarillo, TX, member Tim Edwards and Matt Purgahn of Orange, TX, knotted up in third.

Sarazen Flight:  Member on tour, since 2011, David Cox or Orange, TX, came out of the gate with a birdie on the par 5 - 1st, giving himself a four-stroke advantage at the turn to grab his first win on tour.  One stroke back, the trio of Jonny Vayon of Houston, TX, with two birdies on the round, San Felipe, TX, player Jim Craig with one of his own and Burnie Rodgers of Haslet, TX, also picking up two birdies, split the third place honors.

Jones Flight:  Dallas, TX, traveler, David Farmer, picked up his second win, starting his second year on tour, making the best of a birdie on the par 4 - 11th.  Two strokes back, Robert Vespa of Pasadena, TX, with a birdie on the par 5 - 1st took home the runner-up finish, with Sealy, TX, player Mark Boles, rounding out the top three.

Snead Flight:  Fabio Mazilli of Irving, TX, and Bryan, TX, member, Robert Haddon, needed extra holes to settle the score.  Mazilli, if his first year on tour and only second event, would take the championship on the first sudden-death hole.  Abilene, TX, traveler, Jeffinfer Grothaus, finished two strokes back in third.





SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($34/each)  2 -- Rodney Wren, Dallas, TX; David Cox, Orange, TX. 1 -- Charles J. Kirk, Nacogdoches, TX; Matt Purgahn, Orange, TX; Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX.

Championship / Palmer / Hogan:  ($45/each)  1 -- Randall Grimes, Plano, TX; Paul Cornwell, Dickinson, TX; Charles J. Kirk, Nacogdoches, TX; Matt Purgahn, Orange, TX.

Sarazen:  ($43/each)  2 -- Rodney Wren, Dallas, TX; David Cox, Orange, TX. 1 -- Rick Halprin, Houston, TX; Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX.

Jones / Snead:  (25/each)  2 -- Robert Vespa, Pasadena, TX; David Farmer Jr, Dallas, TX. 1 -- Don Martino, League City, TX; Carl Eaton, Conroe, TX; Javier Quintero, Houston, TX.





CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

Saturday - Shootout:

$60/each:  #2 - John Harvel - 3';  #4 - Carl Eaton - 72';  #14 - Mike Young - 4' 9";  #17 - Rodney Wren - 3' 3".



NEXT UP:

2018 Texas Tour Schedules, are continuing to be populated and should be completed through the tour championships, in August in the coming weeks.

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

Tour 18 Humbles the best for the Fall Challenge - Humble

Scott R Chilcutt, Humble, TX (October 28, 2017)  Cold, north winds blew in overnight to make for a real challenge at Tour 18 Houston.  The club, situated in Humble, TX, replicates a collection of some of the greatest golf holes in the country and the course while the course didn't disappoint, the scores did.

The 2018 version, with the swinging winds from the north, found players averaging almost four strokes more than 2017.  While the par 5 - 2nd, designed like the #6 hole at BayHill, where the Arnold Palmer Invitational is played continued to be tough, and played almost two strokes over par. The par 5 - 13th, designed like #14 at Pebble Beach, jumped from mid-pack in 2017 to the toughest test on the course.

The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $470, bringing the Texas Tour local events total to $20,270 in contributions to the Foundation in 2017.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Starting the day on the par 5 - 10th, Ashton Brewer of Tomball, TX, found himself two strokes back making the turn and turned it on.  Eagle on the par 5 - 2nd would get things going, with Brewer adding back to back birdies on 6 and 7 to finish out his first Championship three strokes clear of Lake Charles, LA, player Randy Tadlock.

Palmer Flight:  Orange, TX, player Rick Keszig, wasn't impressed with his first nine holes after starting on the back nine, but low and behold, he was one of only two players to break 50 going out.  Keszig, used a four-stroke lead, to stay four strokes clear of a hard-charging Jeff Zemencsik of Magnolia, TX, for his seventh win on tour and second in as many attempts.   Zemencsik, with an ugly first nine holes, played his last nine with all pars to pick up the runner-up finish, while Houston, TX, resident, Mike Karlin would birdie his final hole of the day, the par 3 - 9th to round out the top three.

Senior Palmer Flight:  Chris Phillips of Richmond, TX, looked to have the tournament sewn up through sixteen holes but ran into trouble on the par 4 - 8th, after starting the day on the 10th, and that trouble opened the door for Tomball, TX, resident Fred Rich.  Rich, would make birdie on his last hole of the day, the par 3 - 9th to clear the second place finishers by two strokes to follow up on his win at Cypress Lakes his last time out.  Phillips with a birdie on the par 4 - 4th would share the runner-up finish with Bob Hayward of Houston, TX.

Hogan Flight:  Cypress, TX, player Kyle Standley, led from out of the gate to pick up his fourth win on tour and first of the points season.  Standley, with a lot of history at Tour 18, birdied the par 4 - #1, making the turn to finish, five strokes clear of Sugar Land, TX, players Derek Matta finishing in the runner-up spot and Steve Nagy, rounding out the top three.

Senior Hogan Flight:  2015 Senior National Champion in the Hogan Flight, Tim Kozlowski of Conroe, TX, picked up his first win since that Championship.  Kozlowski, with birdies on the par 3 - 6th and par 5 - 10th, finished six strokes clear of Avon Lake, OH, traveler Stephen Brent and Cypress, TX, member Will Whitley, both with a single birdie on their cards.

Sarazen Flight:  New Orleans, LA, native Bill Furr, transferred to the Houston Tour from the DC / VA area in the middle of 2017 and now residing in Houston picked up his first Texas win and third on tour.  Furr, with a birdie on the par 4 - 16th, cleared the field by five strokes, with Montgomery, TX, player Joe Michetti, taking home the runner-up spot and Adam Bray of Katy, TX, recording the third-place finish.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Houston, TX, resident Robert Hayter, became the third two-time winner on the season after picking up the Championship at Cypress Lakes his last time out.  Hayter, now with five wins on tour, finished three strokes clear of Richmond, TX, player Marty Hodges, with David Cox of Orange, TX, three strokes back of Hodges rounding out the top three.

Jones Flight:  Randy Adcock, splitting time between the Houston area and Austin, TX, picked up his fifteenth wins since his 2010 Senior National Championship.  Adcock, with a birdie on the par 3 - 17th was the only player in the flight to break the century mark, with Michael Page of Burnet, TX, one stroke back.  Two strokes back of Page, Jonathan Tawney of Lorena, TX, and Waco, TX, traveler James Castellano, shared the third place finish.

Snead Flight:  The Woodlands, TX, player Jim Lamberth nearly ran away from the field to pick up his ninth win on tour and first of the points season.  Six strokes back, Robert Vespa of Pasadena, TX, playing in his last event as a Snead Flight player with an upcoming promotion on the horizon, finished in the runner-up spot after playing the back nine twelve strokes better than his front, with Houston, TX, member Javier Quintero rounding out the top three. 





SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($85/each)  2 -- John Pickens, Montgomery, TX. 1 -- Tim Kozlowski, Conroe, TX; Kyle Young, Bellaire, TX; Kyle Standley, Cypress, TX; Walter Menuet, Houston, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($24/each)  2 -- Brian Frazier, Kingwood, TX. 1 -- Mike Karlin, Houston, TX; Rick Keszeg, Orange, TX; Randy Tadlock, Lake Charles, LA.

Senior Palmer:  ($15/each)  3 -- Chris Phillips, Richmond, TX. 2 -- Brad Bailey, Cypress, TX; Walter Menuet, Houston, TX. 1 -- Wayburn Henry, Pearland, TX.

Hogan:  ($20/each)  3 -- Kyle Standley, Cypress, TX. 2 -- Derek Matta, Sugar Land, TX. 1 -- Steve Nagy, Sugar Land, TX; Kyle Young, Bellaire, TX; Mikkel Jebjerg Souza, Houston, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($36/each)  2 -- Tim Kozlowski, Conroe, TX. 1 -- David Arnold, Houston, TX; Stephen Brent, Avon Lake, OH; Will Whitley, Cypress, TX; Benny Silva, Friendswood, TX.

Sarazen:  ($6/each)  5 -- Joe Michetti, Montgomery, TX. 4 -- Bill Furr, Houston, TX. 2 -- Mitch Ryan, Dallas, TX. 1 -- Donovan Ackerson, Houston, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($35/each)  2 -- David Cox, Orange, TX; John Pickens, Montgomery, TX; Gregory Wolfford, Orange, TX; Robert Hayter, Houston, TX.

Jones:  ($22/each)  2 -- Scott Sammons, Katy, TX; James Castellano, Waco, TX. 1 -- Randy Adcock, Austin, TX; Johnathan Tawney, Lorena, TX; Mark Boles, Sealy, TX; Michael Page, Burnet, TX.


Snead:  ($20/each)  3 -- Robert Vespa, Pasadena, TX. 2 -- Javier Quintero, Houston, TX. 1 -- Ron McGinty, Humble, TX; Mike Lane, Katy, TX.




CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$130/each - #6 -  Tim Kozlowski - 3' 1";  #9 -  Robert Hayter - 14';  #11 - John Pickens - 3' 11 1/4";  #17 - David Cox - 6'

NEXT UP:

Back on the schedule after sitting out for years, The Bandit Golf Club in New Braunfels, TX, will get Hill Country players back to competition on Sunday, November 12th, for the Fall Open, New Braunfels.  Friday, November 3rd will be your last chance to get in this event.

North Texas will see a special two events over the weekend at Squaw Valley in Glen Rose, TX, on Saturday and Sunday, November 18th and 19th.

RESCHEDULED, The Houston Tour finishes the 2017 year at Rayburn Country on December 2nd for the Turkey Shootout and December 3rd for the South Texas Winter Championship.     

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

Houston Tour Opens 2018 Season at Cypress Lakes

Scott R Chilcutt, Cypress, TX  (October 14, 2017)  After Hurricane Harvey, bounced and churned along the Gulf Coast in late August, ultimately dumping historic rains on Houston, it became a question of not only where to start the 2018 points season on the Houston Tour, but how many players could make the start.  

Cypress Lakes Golf Club in Cypress, TX, it was and support was strong.   With just a few bunker cave-ins on the high side, the course was in great shape, marked well, and greens were running as fast for the start of the new points season.

The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $480, bringing the Texas Tour local events total to $19,460 in contributions to the Foundation in 2017.


RESULTS:

Palmer Flight:   Orange, TX, resident, Rick Keszeg, playing a limited schedule over the past few years made it two Palmer Flight Championships, for a total of seven victories on tour.  Keszeg, with a birdie on the par 5 - 8th hole, made the turn with a one-stroke lead, stayed out of the big numbers and finished two-strokes ahead of Mike Karlin of Houston, TX.  Karlin, with three birdies on his round, had to settle for the runner-up spot with a double on his final hole of the day.  One stroke back of Karlin, newly promoted, Kingwood, TX, player Brian Frazier, and Sugar Land, TX, resident Michael Van Swol, split the third-place honors.

Senior Palmer Flight:   Starting his fourth year on tour, Fred Rich of Tomball, TX, backed up his opening 2017 campaign win in Wisconsin, for his third win on tour.  Rich, with a birdie on the par 4 - 13th, finished the day two strokes ahead of Pearland, TX, player Wayburn Henry.  Henry, with three birdies on the round, finished one stroke clear of Richmond, TX, member Chris Phillips in the third place spot.

Hogan Flight:  Fort Worth, TX, traveler, Jeff Workman, with the help of a birdie on the par 4 - 13th, carded his first win of the season and fifteenth on tour.  Workman, back by two strokes making the turn, finished two strokes clear of a hard-charging, Steve Nagy of Sugar Land, TX, with a three-birdie 37 on the back, along with recently relocated from Houston to Plano, TX, member Rick Houchins and Randy Dorsey, of Killeen, TX, all sharing the runner-up spot.

Senior Hogan Flight:  One tour since 2010, Cypress, TX, local, David Anthony cleared the field for his eighth Championship with two birdies on the day.  Seven strokes back, William Popek of Bay City, TX, playing a stretch of seven holes on the back nine, in -1, equaled his best finish on tour, a T2 at the December 2016, Arizona Open Major Championship.  One stroke back of Popek, the trio of Jimmie Chambers of Wharton, TX, Dickinson, TX, member Paul Cornwell and Houston, TX player Doug Sparkes shared the third-place finish.

Sarazen Flight:  Spring, TX, player, Matt Larson, just back from his first National Championship trip to Mission Hills, made the best of the experience to pick up his first win on Tour.  Starting the day on the par 5 - 10th, Larson built on a one-stroke advantage making the turn over Patrick Richardson of The Woodlands, TX and finished with three straight pars to finish the day four strokes clear. Richardson, finished the round, four strokes clear of Spring, TX, player Joe Armstrong, rounding out the top three.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Taking advantage of home course surroundings, Robert Hayter of Houston, TX, carded a career-low round, +5 - 77 to grab his eighth win on tour.  Hayter made the turn, two strokes back of fellow Spring, TX, resident Gary Gum, after starting the day on the tenth, but finished his back nine, in +1 with a birdie on the par 5 - 2nd for a four-stroke advantage.  Gum, with three birdies of his own on the front nine, cooled off a hot start to finish in the runner-up spot one stroke clear of San Felipe, TX, player Jim Craig.

Jones Flight:  David Liggett, JR of LaPorte, TX, made par on his final two holes of the day that proved to be just enough to force a sudden-death playoff with Spring, TX, player Kevin Montague. Back to the par 4 - 1st hole, where Montague took a one-stroke advantage on the hole after regulation play over Liggett, another bogie was just enough for Montague's second win on tour.  For Liggett, it was his best finish, starting his second year on tour.  Terry Collins, of Spring, TX, finished just one stroke out of the playoff, rounding out the top-three.

Snead Flight:  2017 Senior Snead Flight Champion from Pasenda, TX, opened his sixth year on tour with his sixth career Championship.  Vespa, with a birdie on the par 4 - 15th, held on to a five-stroke victory over the pair of Ron McGinty, of Humble, TX, and The Woodlands, TX, Jim Lamberth, sharing the runner-up finish.





SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($90/each)  1 -- Brian Frazier, Kingwood, TX; Anthony Desouza, Cypress, TX; David Cox, Orange, TX; Larry Viktorin, Wharton, TX; Wayburn Henry, Pearland, TX; David Liggett Jr, LaPorte, TX.

Palmer / Senior Palmer:  ($35/each)  3 -- Wayburn Henry, Pearland, TX. 2 -- Brian Frazier, Kingwood, TX. 1 -- Rick Keszeg, Orange, TX; Anthony Desouza, Cypress, TX; Fred Rich, Tomball.

Hogan / Senior Hogan:  ($180/each)  1 -- Steve Nagy, Sugar Land, TX; David Anthony, Cypress, TX.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:  ($73/each)  1 -- Gary Gum, Spring, TX; John Scott, Houston, TX; Jim Craig, San Felipe, TX; Larry Viktorin, Wharton, TX; Bill Criss, Houston, TX; Greg Faubion, Richmond, TX.

Jones / Snead:  ($22/each)  3 -- David Liggett Jr, LaPorte, TX. 2 -- Terry Collins, Spring, Texas.  1 -- Kevin Montague, Spring, TX; Javier Quintero, Houston, TX; Robert Vespa, Pasadena, TX; Ron McGinty, Humble, TX.

CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$130/each

#4 -  Greg Faubion - 6';  #7 -  Brian Frazier - 6';  #11 - Michael Weber - 6' 5";  #17 -  Robert Hayter - 9' 10".


NEXT UP:

The Houston Tour will resume play at the Fall Challenge Humble, at Tour 18 Golf Houston on Saturday, October 28th.  Registration closes on Friday, October 20th.  

Dallas Tour players will pick up the 2018 points season on Sunday, October 29th at the Golf Club of Dallas.  Entries close on Friday, October 20th. 

Back on the schedule after sitting out for years, The Bandit Golf Club in New Braunfels, TX, will get Hill Country players back to competition on Sunday, November 12th, for the Fall Open, New Braunfels.  Friday, November 3rd will be your last chance to get in this event.

Don't forget the special two events in two day weekends at Squaw Valley on Saturday and Sunday, November 18th and 19th and back to Southeast Texas at Rayburn Country on the 25th and 26th of November.   

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

Tour Championship at Blackhorse

Scott R Chilcutt, Cypress, TX (August 20, 2017)  Blackhorse Golf Club hosted the Houston Tour Championship for the third year this weekend.  First go round we played the North, last year we played both the North and South, this time around we planned on another North / South return, but scheduling screw up got the best of us.  With greens maintenance the Monday before on the North Course, we opted for two rounds on the South.

While we didn't get a repeat of the 2016 Lightning delays, we got a full boat of heat.  Very little wind, with oppressive humidity, made the thick rough and tree-lined fairways even more difficult than normal.

The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $560, bringing the Texas Tour local events total to $17,870 in contributions to the Foundation in 2017.

RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  2016 Houston Tour Champion, Thomas Cruickshank, of Richmond, TX, needed extra holes to finish off last years Championship, but not this one.  Cruickshank, came out with guns a blazing on Saturday, five birdies on his back nine, finishing his first day at - 3, with a seven stroke advantage, then it was just a coast on Sunday.  Thomas would clear Katy, TX, player Noah Purvis by three strokes for the Championship and his sixth win of the season.  Purvis took two strokes off his Saturday total on Sunday, with five birdies and an eagle on the weekend to take home the runner-up honors with Marc Duncan of Houston, TX, rounding out the top three.

Palmer Flight:  Deer Park, TX, resident Al Campo, had to sleep Saturday night on a slight one stroke lead after the first round.  Campo, with a single birdie on Saturday, put three together on Sunday to take three strokes off his final round for a six stroke victory, his second of the season.  Michael Glover of Nederland, TX, in his first year on tour, carded his best finish, with three birdies on the weekend, with Montogomery, TX, member Tyler Logeman, taking home the third place finish, with three birdies of his own.

Senior Palmer Flight:  It took a bogey on the 37th hole to settle the score.  Robert Corbello of Vidor, TX, carded a birdie on his final hole of the event, to go with two others in the round, to force extra holes with La Porte, TX, player Kevin Turner after Turner bogeyed his final hole.  Back to the par 4 - 1st, Turner would prevail for his third win of the season and eleventh on tour.  Carl Christoph of Friendswood, TX, would round out the top three, with four birdies on the weekend.

Hogan Flight:  "The hotter the better", proclaims Dallas Tour traveler, Sven Bock of Richardson, TX, and boy did he get it.  Bock, a 2016 winner at the Hill Country and Dallas Tour Championships in the Sarazen Flight, just missed out in Houston with a third place finish.  This time around, he held on to a one stroke lead after the first round, for his fourth win on tour.  One stroke back, a three-time winner of the season and Houston Tour Flight Champion, Rick Smalley of College Station, TX, settled for the second place finish, with Cypress, TX, local Kyle Standley, rounding out the top three.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Bridge City, TX, player Mark Kirby was on a roll in 2016, picking up two Major Championships in the Senior Sarazen Flight, but promotions got in the way of his roll.   Kirby, a Senior Hogan since July of 2016, has been close, but this one should be especially gratifying.   One stroke back after the first round, Mark played his way into the final pairing, to pick up his eighth win on tour.  Two strokes back, Will Whitley of Cypress, TX, took home the runner-up honors with Wharton, TX, player Jimmie Chambers and first round leader, Randy Tate of Sugarland, TX, sharing the third place finish.

Sarazen Flight:  Pearland, TX, member Jame Hebert, with a skinless eagle on the par 5 - 18th on Saturday, jumped over first round leader, Matt Larson of Spring, TX, on Sunday to take home his third National Championship qualifying win of the season.  Massimo Passini, of Houston, TX, looking for a promotion overcame some woes on Saturday to finish in the second place spot, with Spring, TX, player James Washburn and Katy, TX, player Adam Bray splitting the final podium spot.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  With three birdies and an eagle on the weekend, Sanger, TX, Dallas Tour player Steve Killion, added to his accomplishments in Cypress, TX.   Killion, carded his best finish on tour during the 2015 Cypress Open, across 290 at Cypress Lakes, picked up his second win of the season.  Fellow Dallas Tour player Burnie Rodgers of Haslet, TX, played his first nine holes on Sunday, -1 with a couple of birdies, added another at the over the water par 3 - 17th to finish two strokes ahead of Richmond, TX, member Greg Faubion.

Jones Flight:  With a slim, 20 point advantage starting the weekend for the Flight Championship, Rick Halprin of Houston, TX, took any questions out of the conversation with the victory.  Halprin led wire to wire, for his sixth win of the season, clearing second place Montgomery, TX, finisher John Pickens by eleven strokes.  Carl Eaton of Conroe, TX, with three birdies on his weekend, rounded out the top three.

Snead Flight:  Pasadena, TX, player Robert Vespa, another member on the brink of the Flight Championship in the Senior Snead group, did what he had to do to sew up the title, with the win.  Vespa,  with a pair of 93's eeked out the win by one stroke over Mike Murphy of Corrigan, TX.  Murphy, with a par on his final hole of the weekend, extended his lead over third place Houston, TX, finisher Javier Quintero, by five strokes.  








SKINS:

Day 1

Giant SKINS:  ($206)  1 -- Jeff Workman, Fort Worth, TX; Kevin Turner, La Porte, TX; Steve Killion, Sanger, TX.

Championship /Palmer:  ($60/each)  2 -- Thomas Cruickshank, Richmond, TX. 1 -- Tyler Logeman, Montgomery, TX.

Senior Palmer:  ($20/each)  3 -- Carl Christoph, Friendswood, TX. 2 -- Kevin Turner, La Porte, TX. 1 -- Ernie Dyer, Orange, TX; Robert Corbello, Vidor, TX.

Hogan:  ($30/each)  2 -- Jeff Workman, Fort Worth, TX. 1 -- Brian Frazier, Kingwood, TX; Rick Houchins, Houston, TX; Rick Smalley, College Station, TX; Sven Bock, Richardson, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($53/each)  2 -- Dale Fuhr, Missouri City, TX. 1 -- William Popek, Bay City, TX; Benny Silva, Friendswood, TX; John Reynolds, Beaumont, TX; Chris Neelley, Spring, TX.

Sarazen:  ($20/each)  3 -- Matt Larson, Spring, TX. 2 -- Massimo Passini, Houston, TX. 1 -- Adam Bray, Katy, Tx; Joe Armstrong, Spring, TX; Joe Michetti, Montgomery, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($75/each)  1 -- Gordon Davenport Jr, Friendswood, TX; Michael Bell, Pearland, TX; David Sipe, Houston, TX; Steve Killion, Sanger, TX.

Jones:  ($23/each)  3 -- Rick Halprin, Houston, TX. 2 -- Carl Eaton, Conroe, TX. 1 -- Bert Hood, League City, TX.

Snead:  ($26/each)  2 -- Ron McGinty, Humble, TX. 1 -- Jeff Powell, Santa Fe, TX; Stephen Sater, Sugar Land, TX; Mike Murphy, Corrigan, TX; Robert Vespa, Pasadena, TX.

Day 2

Giant SKINS:  ($124/each)  1 -- Ernie Dyer, Orange, TX; William Popek, Bay City, TX; Bob Murphy, Pearland, TX; Randy Tate, Sugarland, TX; Greg Faubion, Richmond, TX.

Championship /Palmer:  ($30/each)  1 -- Marc Duncan, Houston, TX; Thomas Cruickshank, Richmond, TX; Michael Van Swol, Sugar Land, TX; Roger Masek, Sugar Land, TX; Mike Karlin, Houston, TX; Tyler Logeman, Montgomery, TX.

Senior Palmer:  ($23/each)  3 -- Ernie Dyer, Orange, TX. 2 -- Robert Corbello, Vidor, TX. 1 -- Carl Christoph, Friendswood, TX.

Hogan:  ($90/each)  1 -- Mikkel Jebjerg Souza, Houston, TX; Kyle Standley, Cypress, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($100/each)  1 -- William Popek, Bay City, TX; Mark Kirby, Bridge City, TX; Randy Tate, Sugarland, TX.

Sarazen:  ($20/each)  2 -- Blake Barnes, Deer Park, TX; James Washburn, Spring, TX.
 1 -- Brandon Casella, Houston, TX; Massimo Passini, Houston, TX; Joe Michetti, Montgomery, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($70/each)  2 -- Greg Faubion, Richmond, TX. 1 -- David Day, Rockwall, TX; Robert Hayter, Houston, TX.

Jones:  ($14/each)  3 -- John Pickens, Montgomery, TX. 2 -- Carl Eaton, Conroe, TX; Rick Halprin, Houston, TX. 1 -- Bert Hood, League City, TX; Scott Sammons, Katy, TX; Mark Boles, Sealy, TX.


Snead:  ($16/each)  3 -- Mike Murphy, Corrigan, TX.  2 -- Jeff Powell, Santa Fe, TX.  1 -- Stephen Sater, Sugar Land, TX; Ron McGinty, Humble, TX; Allen Gumpenberger, Conroe, TX; Javier Quintero, Houston, TX; Mike Lane, Katy, TX.


CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$145/each

Day 1 

#4 - Jeff Workman - 7' 10";  #6 -  Jimmy Chambers  - 2 1/2";  #13 - Greg Faubion - 6' 1/2";  #17 - Randy Tate - 3' 1".

Day 2 

#4 - Gene Macha - 4' 3";  #6 - Jeff Powell - 3' 2";   #13 - Jeff Powell - 2 1/4";  #17 - Carl Christoph - 1.



NEXT UP:

National Championship September will take place in Rancho Mirage, CA at the Mission Hill Country Club and Westin Mission Hills Courses.  Open players will compete for the 2017 National Championship from September 10th-13th, with the 2017 Senior National Championship taking to the links from September 16th-19th.

Fall Schedule for all three tours will be announced and posted within the next few weeks, look out for those scheduled events.

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