Pages

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Eagle Pointe for the Mont Belvieu Open

Scott R Chilcutt,  Mont Belvieu, TX (July 22, 2017)  Eagle Pointe Golf Club, back on the Houston Tour schedule after a few year hiatus, hosted the Mont Belvieu Open.  Mont Belvieu, built amongst a large contingency of pipelines and petrochemical plants was actually relocated in 1985 after a series of explosions threatened the salt dome the community was built on which was used to store LP Gas.

Storms and with it, brought quite a light show to the south bay area while setting up for the event in the morning darkness.  Those storms seemed to rain themselves out and never caused an issue.  
What did come with it, thankfully so, was a few clouds and breezes to keep the day somewhat comfortable for the time of year.  A tough course, with great greens, helped to keep the scores reasonable.

The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $360, bringing the Texas Tour local events total to $15,180 in contributions to the Foundation in 2017.

RESULTS:


Championship Flight:  After a tough outing at The Woodlands on Wednesday, Blake Wilson of League City, TX, bounced back for the Championship.   With two birdies on the day, Wilson picked up his third and National Championship qualifying win of the season.  Four strokes back, first-time player Timoty Gushanas of Pearland, TX, with two birdies on his round, finished in the runner-up spot with late arriving, Richmond, TX, Thomas Cruickshank, rounding out the top three.



Palmer Flight:  What started the week as a full field of six players, dwindled down to only four finishing the event, but the four stayed close to make it a competitive flight.  Sharing the lead at the turn, Mike Karlin of Houston, TX, made the best of two birdies coming to the club house to pick up his second win of the season.  Sugar Land, TX, player Roger Masek, nearly became a member of the hole in one club on the par 3 - 8th with the ball finishing just 3" past the cup,  it was his third runner-up of the season and sixth top three finish.  The final two players, Jon Colvard of Friendswood, TX, and Port Arthur, TX, member Darien Duhon shared the third place finish.



Senior Palmer Flight:  Nederland, TX, member Price Youngs, had a one stroke lead on the field making the turn, but Ernie Dyer of Orange, TX, wasn't finished.  With a birdie on the par 3 - 12th, Dyer played the back nine in +1 to force extra holes with Youngs.  Back to the course, the tough par 4 - 18th, Youngs would prevail on the first sudden death hole for his first win on tour.  One stroke back, Houston, TX, resident, Bob Hayward rounded out the top three.



Hogan Flight:  In a large combined Open / Senior Hogan flight, the Seniors took seven of the top ten spots, but it took extra holes to see which would take the championship.  Local Mont Belvieu, TX, player Colton Pitkin, took four strokes off his front nine score to finish in a tie for the top spot with Jeff Greene of Coldspring, TX.  Back out to the par 5 - 1st, the pair would only take one hole to finalize the Championship with Greene taking his first win on tour.  For Pitkin, playing in his first year on tour, it was his best finish, with Cypress, TX, player David Anthony, taking home the final podium spot in third.



Sarazen Flight:  The Woodlands, TX, long time member Patrick Richardson, was down as much as three strokes making the turn after starting the day on the tenth hole.   Richardson, cleaned up a double bogie train, on the second, then finished his final two holes of the day -1 with a birdie on the par 3 - 8th.  With enthusiastic cheers from his competitors, Richardson picked up his thirteenth win on tour and first since the October 2014 Cypress Open.  James Hebert finished in the runner-up spot with the help of a birdie on the par 4-5th, while Houston, TX, player Massimo Passini, a winner his last time out, rounded out the top three, with a birdie of his own on the par 3-12th.



Senior Sarazen Flight:   Greg Faubion of  Richmond, TX, would have to overcome a quad nine on the par 5-17th.  After starting the round on the par 4 - 10th, Faubion would make the turn, string together four pars and finish the back nine in +4 for his second win of the week after winning on Wednesday at The Woodlands.  It was his third and Senior National Championship qualifying win of the year.  Houston, TX, player David Sipe finished just one stroke back, with a pair of Orange, TX, residents, Gregory Wolfford and David Cox, splitting the third place finish.



Jones Flight:  League City, TX, player Don Martino, made the best of a birdie on the par 5 - 17th to command his first victory, in his third year on tour. Four strokes back, Neil Macdonald of Huntsville, TX, with a birdie of his own at the par 3 - 3rd, finished in the second place spot.  First-year Newton, TX, player Bryan Adams rounded out the top three, with a birdie on the par 4 - 14th.



Snead Flight:  Javier Quintero of Houston, TX, starting the day on the par 4 - 10th, had a big five stroke deficit to overcome after taking a nine on the par 4 - 18th.  Quintero, took six strokes off his first nine on the back to pick up his second win of the season.  Two strokes back, Alan Gumpenberger of Conroe, TX, also a two-time winner of the year, finished in the runner-up spot, with Sugar Land, TX, player Stephen Satar and Pasadena, TX, resident Robert Vespa, sharing the third place honors. 




SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($230/each)  1 -- Will Whitley, Cypress, TX; Rick Houchins, Houston, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($8/each)  4 -- Timothy Gushanas, Pearland, TX. 3 -- Thomas Cruickshank, Richmond, TX. 2 -- Mike Karlin, Houston, TX. 1 -- Roger Masek, Sugar Land, TX

Senior Palmer:  ($20/each)  3 -- Price Youngs, Nederland, TX. 2 -- Michael Weber, Magnolia, TX. 1 -- Ernie Dyer, Orange, TX; Bo Kirkwood, Pasadena, TX.

Hogan / Sarazen:  ($120/each)  1 -- Will Whitley, Cypress, TX; Rick Houchins, Houston, TX; Jeff Green, Coldspring, TX; George Smith, Magnolia, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($24/each)  3 -- Jeffry Holmes, Houston, TX. 2 -- Gregory Wolfford, Orange, TX. 1 -- Gordon Davenport Jr, Friendswood, TX; Dennis Don, Houston, TX; David Cox, Orange, TX; William Criss, Houston, TX.

Jones / Snead:  ($25/each)  2 -- Carl Eaton, Conroe, TX; Don Martino, League City, TX. 1 -- Javier Quintero, Houston, TX; Scott Sammons, Katy, TX; Neil Macdonald, Huntsville, TX; Bert Hood, League City, TX.





CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$110/each

#3 -  Micheal Webber - 5' 11";  #8 -  Roger Masek - 3";  #12 - Timothy Gushanas - 1' 10";  #15 - Jeffry Holmes - 4' 1 1/2".

NEXT UP:


Tour members from around the country compete at the Final Major Championship weekend in Texas; First at the Championship at Falconhead - Prelude to the Texas Classic on Friday, July 28th, then off to the Texas Classic - Barton Creek on Saturday, July 29th, and Sunday, July 30th. 

The Houston Tour gets back into action on Saturday, August 5th at the Mongomery Championship at Woodforest Golf Club.  Registration closes, Friday, July 28th.

DFW Tour members, visit for the first time, the Fazio Course for the Stonebriar Championship - Fazio course on August 7th.  Entries close, Friday, July 28th.



For More Information:

Scott R Chilcutt
Director - Texas Tours
Dallas  Tour - Hill Country Tour  - Houston Tour
GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467


Friday, July 21, 2017

Back to The Woodlands - Player Championship

Scott R Chilcutt, The Woodlands, TX (July 19, 2017)  After taking a year off at The Woodlands Country Club, Gary Player Course, the Houston Tour made its way back for a back to back The Woodlands event on the schedule.   Just as we came back after the Major Championship layoff at the Red River Shootout, to The Woodlands, another weather/superintendent scheduling issue gave us some bumpy greens.  Despite those course woes, some really low rounds were put on the board, with some first-time winners and career bests carded.

The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $480, bringing the Texas Tour local events total to $14,820 in contributions to the Foundation in 2017.


RESULTS:



Championship Flight:  Vidor, TX, player Aaron Pickering, went -1 after five holes of play and then gave back all that momentum with a +5 - 9 on the par 4- 6th.  Pickering would get it back to even with a birdie on the par 4 - 9th, and play the back nine one stroke better than the field for his second win of the season.  Blake Wilson of League City, TX and The Woodlands, TX, resident Matthew Winters shared the runner up spot.



Palmer Flight:  Down by two strokes making the turn, Steven Ruonavaara of Magnolia, TX, nestled a birdie in at the par 5 - 16th that proved to be just enough.  For Ruonavaara, it was his second win on tour, both coming this year.  One stroke back, Hill Country traveler, Jorge Rodriquez, of Round Rock, TX, made birdie on the par 3 - 11th to pick up his second runner-up finish of the season to go with a win earlier in the spring.  World traveler Micahel VanSwol of Sugar Land, TX, with a birdie of his own on the par 5 - 16th, rounded out the top three. 



Senior Palmer Flight:  Houston, TX, resident, Walter Menuet put together a pair of 38's with the help of a birdie on each side to pick up the win.  For Menuet it was his first win since, taking four Championships during the 2011 season, to notch his fifth win on tour.  One stroke back, Ernie Dyer of Orange, TX, and Vidor, TX, player Robert Corbello, with four birdies on his round, shared the runner-up finish.



Hogan Flight:  Starting the day on the par 4 - 10th, Brian Frazier of Kingwood, TX, had a rough start on his round, after taking a +4 - 8.  Frazier, then kicked it into gear to make up the loss, with an eagle, birdie, birdie, birdie run starting on the par 5 - 16th.  The one stroke victory was the first of the season and second on tour for Frazier.  Bellaire, TX, player Kyle Young took the second place spot, with Rick Houchins, of Houston, TX rounding out the top three.



Senior Hogan Flight:  Cypress, TX, player David Anthony, back three shots making the turn after starting on the back nine, made up four strokes coming to the clubhouse for a one shot victory.  For Anthony, it was his third win of the season and seventh on tour.  Runner-up finisher Bobby Stokes of Rosharon, TX, carded a pair of birdies on his back nine to stay two strokes ahead of Allan Collier of Dripping Springs, TX.



Sarazen Flight:  Massimo Passini, of Houston, TX, a Major Champion in June at the Western Open, added another to make it three of the season.  Passini, with a birdie on the par 4 - 14th, finished five strokes clear of first-year player Spring, TX, player James Washburn.   Washburn, with a birdie on the par 4 - 17th, carded his best finish on tour, one stroke ahead of Dalton, GA, traveler Jeffeory White.



Senior Sarazen Flight:  Starting the round on the par 4 - 1st, Richmond, TX, player Greg Faubion, used a birdie on the par 4 - 6th to take a one shot lead heading into the back nine.  Faubion, built that lead on the tough stretch of holes, coming to the clubhouse for his second win of the season and seventh on tour.  Five strokes back Larry Viktorin of Wharton, TX, picked up his best finish of the season in the runner-up spot with Houston, TX, player David Sipe rounding out the top three.



Jones Flight:  John Pickens of Montgomery, TX, was back five strokes making the turn after starting the day on the tenth hole.  Then he got on a roll, a record breaking personal best, with nine straight par's to finish the round +11 for a two stroke victory, his second of the season, both coming at The Woodlands.  Abilene, TX, player Judy Harris, a winner her last two times out, finished in the runner-up spot with two birdies on the day, with Nicolas Bailey of The Woodlands, TX, taking the final podium spot.



Snead Flight:  Dalton, GA, traveler Clara White, capped off a trip to Texas with a husband/wife Championships after fellow traveler Jeffeory White, won in McKinney on Monday.  For Clara, it was her third win of the season, one stroke clear of Lewisville, TX, player Ron Hardy. Stephen Satar of Sugar Land, TX, finished four strokes back of Hardy to round out the top three. 





SKINS:

Giant SKINS:   ($170/each)  1 -- Mark Tylenda, Dallas, TX; Robert Corbello, Vidor, TX; Bill Furr, Houston, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($28/each)  2 -- Aaron Pickering, Vidor, TX. 1 -- Blake Wilson, League City, TX; Jorge Rodriguez, Round Rock, TX; Tyler Logeman, Montgomery, TX.

Senior Palmer:  ($30/each)  2 -- Robert Corbello, Vidor, TX. 1 -- Kevin Turner, La Porte, TX; Carl Christoph, Friendswood, TX; Walter Menuet, Houston, TX; Price Youngs, Nederland, TX.

Hogan:  ($32/each)  1 -- Steve Nagy, Sugar Land, TX; Tom Dyer, The Woodlands, TX; Mark Tylenda, Dallas, TX; Scott Thompson, Helotes, TX; Kyle Standley, Cypress, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($90/each)  1 -- Daryl Epperson, Houston, TX; Chris Neelley, Spring, TX; Bobby Stokes, Rosharon, TX.

Sarazen:  ($25/each)  2 -- Jeffeory White, Dalton, GA. 1 -- Scott Striegel, Southlake, TX; Bill Furr, Houston, TX; Joe Michetti, Montgomery, TX; Massimo Passini, Houston, TX; Dennis Walker, Houston, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($15/each)  2 -- Larry Viktorin, Wharton, TX; Doyle Fleming, Haslet, TX; Gregory Wolfford, Orange, TX. 1 -- Aaron Evitts, Dayton, Tx.; David Sipe, Houston, TX; Greg Faubion, Richmond, TX.


Jones / Snead:  ($80/each)  3 -- Judy Harris, Abilene, TX.



CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$130/each

#5 -  Brian Frazier - 1' 9";  #8 -  Judy Harris - 7' 2";  #11 - Robert Corbello - 4' 5 1/4";  #14 - Tyler Logeman - 2' 11



NEXT UP:


Tour members from around the country compete at the Final Major Championship weekend in Texas; First at the Championship at Falconhead - Prelude to the Texas Classic on Friday, July 28th, with a registration deadline on Friday, July 21st.  Then off to the Texas Classic - Barton Creek on Saturday, July 29th and Sunday, July 30th. 

DFW Tour members, visit for the first time, the Fazio Course for the Stonebriar Championship - Fazio course on August 7th.  Entries close, Friday, July 28th.

The Houston Tour gets back into action on Saturday, August 5th at the Mongomery Championship at Woodforest Golf Club.  Registration closes, Friday, July 28th.



For More Information:

Scott R Chilcutt
Director - Texas Tours
Dallas  Tour - Hill Country Tour  - Houston Tour
GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467