Pages

Saturday, October 12, 2013

GCAmTour-Houston, Cypress Lakes 2014 Season Opener, October 12, 2013.


Jeff Zemencsik (Houston, TX) – The GCAmTour-Houston 2014 Season Opener starts with a bang!  A three-man, sudden death playoff determines the winner of the closely contested Sarazen Flight.  Intense competition and low scoring prevail at Cypress Lakes Golf Club, Cypress, Texas.

The Course:  Cypress Lakes Golf Club, Cypress, Texas.  The course was in good condition with green tees, fairways, and putting surfaces.  The greens were smooth, firm, and fast, running 10+.   

The Weather:  A wild weather day with a 50% chance of rain in the forecast so the skies were cloudy, partly cloudy, and occasional blue sky and sunshine.  The rain managed to stay away but the winds were difficult at times.  Winds were stead from the south most of the day, various from 5-15mph and turn from the north a few times 10-15mph.  Temperatures were warm and humid in the morning, low 70’s and warmed up to the high 80’s by the early afternoon. 

The Tournament: 

Championship Flight:  Top 3:  Travis Martin (72), Jan Peebles (74), Babak Mobasheri (78), Nathan Ashley (84).

Travis Martin made his tour debut in grand fashion by winning the Championship Flight and firing the low round of the event, even-par 72.  Travis overcame his triple-bogey on the par-5 2nd by carding a total of six birdies at holes 1, 5, 10, 11, 13, and 14.  Martin also carded eight pars with a nice back nine total of 2-under 34.   Jan Peebles is adjusting to the Championship Flight well and carded a round of 2-over 74.  Peebles managed fourteen pars and a birdie at the par-5 10th hole, finishing with runner up honors.  Babak Mobasheri finished with third place honors and round of 78.  Mobasheri carded nine pars and birdies at holes 5, 7, and 12, including a 1-under par front nine 35.  Nathan Ashley returned to tour play and finished with fourth place honors and round of 84.  Ashley carded eight pars and birdies at holes 14 and 17, but found trouble at the par-5 2nd hole.


Palmer Flight:  Top 5:  Cedric Smith (74), Rusty Stark (77), Greg Wessling (78), McLeod Glass (79), Keith Storey (81).

Cedric Smith returned to tour play and captured his first victory of the 2014 season with a round of 2-over par 74.  Smith was steady going out and carded an even-par front nine of 36.  On the day, Smith carded ten pars and birdies at holes 8, 13, and 14.  Rusty Stark returned to tour play and finished with runner up honors and round of 77.  Stark carded nine pars and birdies at holes 4 and 13, out in even-par 36.  Greg Wessling finished with third place honors and round of 78.  Wessling carded ten pars and birdies at holes 8 and 9, including a front nine of 1-over par 37.  McLeod Glass made his tour debut with the fourth place finish and round of 79.  Glass carded ten pars and birdies at holes 9 and 13, including a front nine total of 1-over par 37.  Keith Storey finished with fifth place honors and round of 81.  Storey carded eleven pars on the round.


Senior Palmer Flight:  Top 5:  Collier Nolte (77), Art Flores (78), Dennis Walsh (79), David Anthony (82), Bill Freeland (84).

Collier Nolte started the season off with a win at Cypress Lakes.  Nolte won by one stroke in tightly contested Senior Palmer Flight with a round of 77.  Nolte carded nine pars and birdies at holes 2, 5, and 8, out in 38 and in with a 39.  Art Flores finished with runner up honors and round of 78.  Flores carded seven pars and birdies at holes 4, 12, and 14, including a 2-over par 38 back nine.  Dennis Walsh, coming in from California off a “red eye”, managed to finish with third place honors and round of 79.  Walsh carded eight pars and birdies at holes 6 and 9.  David Anthony returned to tour play and finished with fourth place honors and round of 82.  Anthony carded seven pars and a birdie at the par-4 6th hole.  Bill Freeland finished with fifth place honors and round of 84.  Freeland carded nine pars on the day.


Hogan Flight:  Top 5:  James Sheppeard (79), Jeff Stahlhut (80), Jeff Burke (88), Mike Rayburn (89/42), Chris Stavinoha (89/44).

James Sheppeard is adjusting the Hogan Flight rather well, capturing his first victory of the 2014 season.  Sheppeard’s round of 79 was good enough for a one-stroke victory in the tightly contested flight.  Sheppeard carded nine pars and birdies at holes 9 and 14.  Jeff Stahlhut, defending champion, finished with runner up honors and round of 80, just one-stroke back.  Stahlhut carded eight pars and birdies at holes 14 and 15.  Jeff Burke finished with third place honors and round of 88.  Burke carded six pars and a birdie at the par-5 2nd hole.  Mike Rayburn finished with fourth place honors and round of 89/42.  Rayburn carded five pars on the round.  Chris Stavinoha finished with fifth place honors and round of 89/44.  Stavinoha carded six pars and a birdie at the par-5 14th hole.


Senior Hogan Flight:  Top 5:  Christopher Phillips (75), George Smith (81), Eddey Neeley (84), Robert Nicks (87), Bill Schuster (93).

Christopher Phillips starts the season off with a bang, capturing his first tournament victory six strokes clear of the field and round of 75.  Phillips was steady on the round, carding 15 pars against only three bogeys!  Phillips also won the Troops First Foundation raffle and $250, a great day for Mr. Phillips.  George Smith finished with runner up honors and round of 81, carding nine pars and a birdie at the par-4 1st hole.  Eddey Neeley finished with third place honors and round of 84.  Neeley carded eleven pars and a birdie at the par-4 1st hole, but found trouble on the 18th.  Robert Nicks finished with fourth place honors and round of 87.  Nicks carded six pars on the day.  Bill Schuster finished with fifth place honors and round of 93.  Schuster carded seven pars and a birdie at the par-5 14th hole, but found trouble early in the round on the par-5 2nd hole. 



Sarazen Flight:  Top 5:  Gary Gum (85), Rick Smalley (85), Adam Bray (85), Rick Houchins (89), Ronnie Hollier (92/43). 

A three-man, sudden death playoff determines the winner of the Sarazen Flight at Cypress Lakes Golf Club.  Gary Gum, Rick Smalley, and Adam Bray all carded rounds of 85 in regulation play.  On the first playoff hole Gum and Smalley makes birdie-3 and Bray makes par-4, Bray was eliminated.  On the second playoff hole it was Gum carding bogey-6 for the win, Smalley finishes runner up.  In regulation play, Gum carded eight pars and a birdie at the par-4 12th hole, out in 38.  Gum was also the only player to successfully defend his victory from the 2012 season!  Rick Smalley finished with runner up honors and in regulation play carded seven pars and a birdie at the par-5 8th hole.  Adam Bray finished with third place honors and carded nine pars in regulation play, including a 3-over par front nine 39.  Rick Houchins finished with fourth place honors and round of 89.  Houchins carded seven pars but couldn’t keep the big numbers off the scorecard.  Ronnie Hollier finished with fifth place honors and round of 92/43.  Hollier carded six pars on the day, but struggled on the front nine.


Senior Sarazen Flight:  Top 5:  Tom Dyer (77), L.P. Jones (78/35), Chris Neelley (78/38), Larry Viktorin (80), Marty Hodges (83).
Tom Dyer picked up right where he left off after winning the last event of the season at the Tour Championship, winning the season opener.  Dyer fired a round of 77 but only won by a single stroke in the tightly contested Sr. Sarazen Flight.  Dyer carded seven pars and birdies at holes 10, 14, and 18, out in 42 and in with 1-under par 35.  L.P. Jones finished with runner up honors and round of 78/35.  Jones carded five pars and birdies at holes 6, 11, 14, and 18, out in 43 and in with a 1-under par 35.  Chris Neelley finished with third place honors and round of 78/38.  Neelley carded nine pars and birdies at holes 7 and 13, including a 2-over par 38 back nine.  Larry Viktorin finished with fourth place honors and round of 80.  Viktorin carded seven pars and birdies at holes 2, 6, and 8, including a 1-over par front nine 37.  Marty Hodges finished with fifth place honors and round of 83.  Hodges carded nine pars on the round.


Jones Flight:  Top 5:  Kyle Young (81), Woody Casasent (91), James Price (93), Randy Pegg (94), Patrick Richardson (96).

Kyle Young starts the season off with a bang and wins the Jones Flight ten strokes clear and career low tournament round of 81.  Young was solid, carding six pars and birdies at holes 4, 10, and 12.  Woody Casasent finished with runner up honors and round of 91.  Casasent carded eight pars on the round.  James Price finished with third place honors and round of 93, two strokes back.  Price carded five pars and a birdie at the par-4 12th hole.  Randy Pegg finished with fourth place honors and round of 94.  Pegg carded three pars on the round.  Patrick Richardson finished with fifth place honors and round of 96.  Richardson carded three pars and a birdie at the par-4 6th hole.    


Senior Jones Flight:  Top 5:  Michael Bell (79), Mike Murphy (83), Rick Halprin (84), David Leird Smith (86/42), Neil MacDonald (86/43). 

Michael Bell is off to a fast start and wins the Sr. Jones Flight with an impressive round of 79.  Bell’s four-stroke victory round included and amazing eleven pars against seven bogeys.  Bell’s victory may propel him to the Sr. Sarazen Flight as he is very close to a flight promotion.  Mike Murphy finished with runner up honors and round of 83.  Murphy had a good day, carding six pars and birdies at holes 2 and 8.  Rick Halprin had a good day as well, finishing with third place honors and round of 84.  Halprin carded six pars and birdies at holes 6, 11, and 17, including an even par back nine total of 36.  Halprin also won closest to pin on holes 11 and 17, a great day!  David Leird Smith finished with fourth place honors and round of 86/42.  Smith carded six pars and a birdie at the par-3 17th hole.  Neil MacDonald finished with fifth place honors and round of 86/43.  MacDonald carded five pars and a birdie at the par-3 7th hole.


Snead Flight:  Danny Nunez (86), Doyle Flemming (89), Rick Hagel (93/45), Jim Lamberth (93/47), Javier Quintero (93/49). 

Danny Nunez took advantage of some “home cooking” and wins the Snead Flight with an impressive round of 86, three strokes clear.  Nunez carded eight pars en route to victory.  Doyle Flemming made the trip down from the DFW Tour worthwhile and finished with runner up honors and round of 89.  Flemming carded six pars on the round.  Rick Hagel finished with third place honors and round of 93/45.  Hagel carded seven pars on his round.  Jim Lamberth finished wit fourth place honors and round of 93/47.  Lamberth carded four pars on the day.  Javier Quintero finished with fifth place honors and round of 93/49.  Quintero carded five pars on his round.


In addition to the flight winners, the following players won optional side games:

Closest to the pin $175.00
#4, Art Flores
#7, Jeff Stahlhut
#11, Rick Halprin
#17, Rick Halprin

Skins Championship/Palmer:  $32.00
Adam Anderson, #6
Babak Mobasheri, #7
Jan Peebles, #10
Walter Menuet, #11
Nathan Ashley, #17

Skins Winners Hogan/Sarazen:  $65.00
John Scott, #3
Greg Faubion, #4
James Sheppeard, #9
Tom Dyer, #10
Jeff Stahlhut, #15

Skins Winners Jones/Snead:  $15.00
Kyle Young, #4 & #10
Rick Halprin, #6 & #11
Neil MacDonald, #7
Mike Murphy, #8
Terry Collins, #13
Carl Eaton, #14

50/50 Raffle:
Christopher Phillips, $250.00

Prizes:
Golf Galaxy $50 gift card, Phillip Sumang
Golf Galaxy $25 gift card, Javier Quintero
Bridgestone Balls, Rick Smalley
Bridgestone Balls, not claimed

Flight Winners:
Winners
Awards

Winners
Awards
Championship (4)




1st - Gift Certificate
$150.00








Palmer (8)


Senior Palmer (7)

1st - Gift Certificate
$150.00

1st - Gift Certificate
$150.00
2nd - Gift Certificate
$100.00

2nd - Gift Certificate
$75.00





Hogan (7)


Senior Hogan (6)

1st - Gift Certificate
$150.00

1st - Gift Certificate
$150.00
2nd - Gift Certificate
$75.00

2nd - Gift Certificate
$50.00





Sarazen (10)


Senior Sarazen (14)

1st - Gift Certificate
$150.00

1st - Gift Certificate
$200.00
2nd - Gift Certificate
$100.00

2nd - Gift Certificate
$100.00
3rd - Gift Certificate
$50.00

3rd - Gift Certificate
$75.00



4th - Gift Certificate
$50.00





Jones (7)


Senior Jones (11)

1st - Gift Certificate
$150.00

1st - Gift Certificate
$200.00
2nd - Gift Certificate
$75.00

2nd - Gift Certificate
$100.00



3rd - Gift Certificate
$50.00
Snead (11)




1st - Gift Certificate
$200.00



2nd - Gift Certificate
$100.00



3rd - Gift Certificate
$50.00








Prizes




Trophies
$400.00



Golf Galaxy Gift Cards
$2,700.00



Golf Galaxy
$50.00



Golf Galaxy
$25.00



Bridgestone Balls
$40.00



Bridgestone Balls
$40.00



Skins
$600.00



Closest to Pins
$700.00



Total Prize Pool
$4,555.00




No comments:

Post a Comment