Road Construction and Wind Headlines Cypress Open

Scott R Chilcutt, Cypress, TX (March 24, 2018)  Cypress Lakes Golf Club, played host to the Cypress Open once again on the Houston Tour.  The course, northwest of Houston off 290, also once again, became a trouble to get to from the southeast with what seems to be endless construction and wrecks as a result of the construction.   While some of the players were scrambling to make the tee time, all were greeted with great green complexes, and wind!  Wind, along with firm and fast conditions, the course instituted after the wet late winter, challenged the players and scores, more than usual events at the venue.

The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $540, bringing the Texas Tour events total to $5,670 contributed to the Foundation in 2018.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Down by three strokes making the turn, Beaumont, TX, member Scott Mays, carded an eagle on the par 5 - 10th to jumpstart his way back into the event with Blake Wilson of League City, TX.   Wilson, with two birdies on the front, would add one on #10, and would par the last two holes of the round to force a playoff with Mays.  Back to the course, Mays would win the first sudden-death hole, for his second win in three attempts.  Conroe, TX, member Brandon Whitaker, with two birdies on the day, would round out the top three.

Palmer Flight:  Orange, TX, member Rick Keszeg, took a relative break during the 2017 season but has come back with a flurry of wins and top finishes (only once out of the top two).  With his last win in August of 2016, Keszeg has racked up four wins on the points season, including two at Cypress Lakes, to make it nine on tour.  With three birdies on the round, the leader, cleared the trio of Al Campo of Deer Park, TX, Houston, TX, player Damian Smith and Brian Frazier of Kingwood, TX, sharing the runner-up spot by eight strokes.  Smith, had two birdies on his round, with Campo carding one on the par 5 - 10th.

Senior Palmer Flight:  Starting his third season on tour, Cypress, TX, local Brad Bailey picked up his first Championship.  Bailey, with two birdies on his round, cleared second place finisher, Bob Hayward of Houston, TX by fives strokes.  Hayward, with a birdie on the tough into the wind, par 4 - 18th, edged out Pasadena, TX, member Bo Kirkwood, with two birdies on his day, by a single stroke.

Hogan Flight:  Playing in his second event on tour, Nestor Alvarez, of Houston, TX, grabbed his first win.  Alvarez, with birdies on the par 4 - 5th and par 4 - 16th, edged out Chicago, IL, traveler Jeremy Rose, with a birdie of his own on the par 5 - 10th by two strokes.  Rose, cleared, Las Colinas, TX, member Rick Houchins, with a birdie of his own on the par 5 - 2nd, by two strokes.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Seventy-year-old, Montgomery, TX, first-year member Rod McCasland, became a winner on tour.  One stroke ahead making the turn, McCasland, added a birdie on the par 5 - 14th, to fend off hard-charging,  David Anthony of Cypress, TX.  Anthony, with two birdies on his round, both coming to the clubhouse, took over the lead on the 14th but dropped one back over the final four to finish in the runner-up spot, his second, in as many attempts.  Spring, TX, player Chris Neeley, rounded out the top three.

Sarazen Flight:  Coming off a runner-up at the Western Amateur Championship at PGA West, Joe Michetti of Montgomery, TX, picked up his tenth win on tour.  Two strokes back, San Marcos, TX, traveler Tommy Mobley, commanded the runner-up finish, with Josh Vasquez, of Houston, TX, taking home the showplace finish.

Senior Sarazen Flight:   Marty Hodges of Richmond, TX, made the most of two birdies on his round to pick up his first win since August of 2016.  For Hodges, it was his seventh win on tour, four strokes clear of Houston, TX, player Rick Halprin. Halprin, also with two birdies on the day, cleared a trio of players by three strokes.  Sharing the third place honors, were John Pickens of Montgomery, TX, Houston, TX, player Robert Hayter and Mike Young, of The Woodlands, TX, all carding birdies on the round.

Jones Flight:  Bert Hood of League City, TX, starting the day on the par 5 - 10th, made the turn one stroke back of Spring, TX, member Kevin Montague, but made up the difference coming to the clubhouse to force extra holes.  Back to the course, Montague would pick up his fourth win on tour, and National Championship qualifying third win of the season.  One stroke back, Marcy Glidden of Brookshire, TX, also a three-time winner of the season rounded out the top three.

Snead Flight:  Bryan, TX, member Robert Haddon, became a four-time winner on tour.  Haddon, with his first Major Championship, win, his last time out at the Houston Open,  cleared second place finisher Stephen Sater of Sugar Land, TX, by four strokes.  Sater, with a birdie on the par 5 - 10th, a winner on the 2018 season, cleared Princeton, TX, member Benjamin Gaddy, with two birdies of his own on the day, by two strokes. 







SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($320/each)  1 -- Scott Mayes, Beaumont, TX; David Anthony, Cypress, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($60/each)  2 -- Scott Mayes, Beaumont, TX; Rick Keszeg, Orange, TX; Kyle Standley, Cypress, TX.

Senior Palmer:  ($17/each)  2 -- Brad Bailey, Cypress, TX; Bo Kirkwood, Pasadena, TX. 1 -- Bob Hayward, Houston, TX; Brian Ford, Kingwood, TX; Michael Weber, Tomball, TX.

Hogan:  ($44/each)  1 -- Rick Houchins, Las Colinas, TX; Nestor Alvarez, Houston, TX; Ferdinand Andres, Houston, TX; Ronnie White, College Station, TX; Michael Campbell, New Braunfels, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($66/each)  2 -- Jeff Green, Coldspring, TX. 1 -- David Anthony, Cypress, TX; Tim Pohl, Erie, Pa.; Mark Kirby, Bridge City, TX; Jamie Sansom, Allen, TX.

Sarazen:  ($13/each)  2 -- Tommy Mobley, San Marcos, TX; Josh Vasquez, Houston, TX; Joe Michetti, Montgomery, TX; Jeff Gregory, Montgomery, TX. 1 -- Larry Atchley, Kyle, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($35/each)  3 -- David Jackson, Houston, TX. 2 -- Rick Halprin, Houston, TX. 1 -- David Cox, Orange, TX; Robert Hayter, Houston, TX; Marty Hodges, Richmond, TX.

Jones / Snead:  ($66/each)  1 -- Bert Hood, League City, TX; Carl Eaton, Conroe, TX; Charles Watson, Llano, TX; Joey Butts, League City, Texas; Benjamin Gaddy, Princeton, TX; Ron McGinty, Humble, TX.







CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$160/each:  #4 - Brad Bailey - 8' 5";  #7 - Roger Masek - 4' 3";  #11 - Rick Swanson - 6';  #17 - Marty Hodges - 10".


NEXT UP:

Houston Tour -  The schedule includes a special, two events in three days, beginning in Galveston on Saturday, April, 14th at Moody Gardens for the Galveston Island Championship.  This tournament is a consistent sell-out so don't wait for the deadline on Friday, April 6th.   The tour then moves a few miles north for the first visit to Sugar Creek Country Club, for the Sugar Land Championship, on Monday, April 16th.  The event registration also closes on Friday, April 6th.

Hill Country Tour -  Sunday, April 8th, the Tour goes back to River Crossing Golf Club for the Spring Branch Classic.  Entries close on Friday, March 30th, 2018 at 11:59 PM CST.

Dallas Tour - April events start along I-35W in Burleson for the Battle Of Burleson, at Hidden Creek Golf Club on April 7th.  Registrations close on Friday, March 30th at 11:59 PM CST.   



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. SOLD OUT, waiting list spots available.

Hill Country Classic at La Cantera - July 7th and 8th.  Spots available.

Texas Classic at Barton Creek - July 28th - 29th.  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