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
