Windy at Southwyck - Houston Tour

Scott R Chilcutt, Pearland, TX (February 24, 2018)  After the nearly statewide rainfalls of the week, causing a DFW Tournament reschedule on Sunday, the Houston Tour, with some of those refugee's, teed it up at Southwyck Golf Club in Pearland, for the first time in years.

The club, under new ownership, threesome years ago with the CBIGG Management acquisitions, continues to see improvements most recently to the renovations to the clubhouse.  Warm weather and WIND were on the menu, to go along with what was left of the wet conditions from earlier in the week.

The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $400, bringing the Texas Tour events total to $2,560 contributed to the Foundation in 2018.

RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Three first-timers, hit the Championship Flight, with two as a default of no handicap.  Beaumont, TX, resident, Scott Mayes put together birdies on the par 5 - 12th and par 4 - 15th, to lead the pack for the win.  Kory Calhoun of Montgomery, TX grabbed the runner-up finish with Pearland, TX, player Devin Conerly rounding out the top three.

Palmer Flight:  Down by one stroke making the turn, Mike Karlin of Houston, TX, put together a pair of birdies on the par 5 -14th and the par 4 - 15th to pick up the Championship.  Karlin, now a four-time winner on tour has one win in each of his four seasons as a member.  Four strokes back, Orange, TX, member Rick Keszeg, with a birdie on the par 5 - 8th and Gregory Haddon of Rowlett, TX, with a pair of birdies on his round, shared the runner-up finish.

Hogan Flight:  Previously playing out of the Los Angeles Tour, Rafa Rivero, now residing in The Woodlands, TX, picked up his first win on tour.  Rivero, with a sizable lead making the turn after shooting +2 on the front, used every bit of lead for the three-stroke victory.  Lewisville, TX, resident Shawn Whitaker, with a birdie on the par 5 - 12th, and Port Arthur, TX, player Tony Thibodeaux,  split the second place finish.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Coldspring, TX, player Jeff Green continues to rack up tour wins with colorful scorecards.  Green with a double, a triple, nearly matched his par numbers with four birdies on the day for his 2018 Senior National Championship qualifying third win of the season and fourth in two years.  Two strokes back, David Anthony of Cypress, TX, a two-time winner on the season, finished in the runner-up spot, with Pearland, TX, local Bob Murphy rounding out the top three.

Sarazen Flight:  Logan Landry of Westlake, LA, made the best of two birdies on his round to pick up his first win on tour.   Three strokes back, Montgomery, TX, player Joe Michetti, also with two birdies finished in the second place spot, with Traveling, Abilene, TX, player Judy Harris taking the showplace finish.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Playing the new season in the Senior Sarazen Flight due to a promotion, Houston, TX, member Rick Halprin made the most of two birdies on his day for the five-stroke victory.  Halprin, who has fiddled over the years in the flight, has fifteen wins as a Jones player, and this was his first as a Sarazen.   David Cox of Orange, TX, with a birdie on the par 5 - 12th and Spring, TX, resident, Kevin Hobbs shared the second place finish.

Jones Flight:  Houston, TX, local, Artis Stewart, sitting out since the 2017 National Championship, picked up his ninth win on tour.  One stroke back, another Abilene, TX, traveler, Kevin Crosson, snared the runner-up finish, three strokes clear of David Liggett, JR of LaPorte, TX.

Snead Flight:  Playing in his fifteenth event over two years on tour, Mike Lane of Katy, TX, picked up his second victory and first since April 2017 at the Master at Magnolia.  Lane finished, eight strokes clear of second place finisher, Stephen Sater of Sugar Land, TX, a winner his last time out, with Benjamin Gaddy of Princeton, TX, and Humble, TX, member Ron McGinty splitting the third place honors.





SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($81/each)  1 -- Joe Michetti, Montgomery, TX; Doug Sparkes, Houston, TX; Jeff Green, Coldspring, TX; Bob Murphy, Pearland, TX; Steve Allison, Spring, TX; Charles J. Kirk, Nacogdoches, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($60/each)  2 -- Mike Karlin, Houston, TX. 1 -- Jeff Zemencsik, Magnolia, TX.

Hogan:  ($27/each)  1 -- Shawn Whitaker, Lewisville, TX; Steve Allison, Spring, TX; Rodney Spruel, Ashburn, VA; Charles J. Kirk, Nacogdoches, TX; Rick Smalley, College Station, TX; Les Costales, Cedar Park, TX; Tony Thibodeaux, Port Arthur, TX; Mike Rayburn, Montgomery, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($75/each)  2 -- Jeff Green, Coldspring, TX. 1 -- Doug Sparkes, Houston, TX; Bob Murphy, Pearland, TX.

Sarazen:  ($5/each)  8 -- Joe Michetti, Montgomery, TX. 2 -- Judy Harris, Abilene, TX. 1 -- Donovan Ackerson, Houston, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($48/each)  2 -- Mike Young, The Woodlands, TX; David Jackson, Houston, TX. 1 -- Rick Halprin, Houston, TX.

Jones / Snead:  ($33/each)  2 -- Kevin Crosson, Abilene, TX; Artis Stewart, Houston, TX. 1 -- Blake Barnes, Houston, Tx; Ron McGinty, Humble, TX.


CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$130/each:  #5 - Michael Bell - 17' 3 1/2"; #7 - Charles Kirk - 5' 7"; #11 - Dennis Don - 10' 5";  #17 - Bo Kirkwood - 8' 2".

NEXT UP:

Dallas Tour - March 10th Frisco Lakes Challenge is SOLD OUT, waiting list spots are available.   

March 17th event at Winstar, the St. Paddy's Day Championship, is available for registration and is a TEXAS TOUR EVENT, and points available for year-end awards.

Hill Country Tour -  March 18th, the tour goes back to Delaware Springs Golf Course for the Classic at the Springs, in Burnett, TX.  March 9th is the registration deadline.

Houston Tour -  March 11th, the tour travels back to Cinco Ranch for the Katy Classic, entries close on Friday, March 2nd.


Major Championships Open for Registration - (Majors that will be included in the 2018 Texas Tour Flight Champion year-end awards)

NW Arkansas Open at Bellavista - April 21st and 22nd.  Spots available.

Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay - June 23-24th. 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