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
