Around the Green

Josh Irving and Will Osborne win 2017 North Four-Ball

Josh Irving and Will Osborne win 2017 North Four-Ball

Keller – Josh Irving and Will Osborne’s tie for a low round of the day , five-under-par, 67 propelled them to title of North Four-Ball champions with a two day total of 135, nine-under, par. Their bogey free round was one shot better than Zach Atkinson and Brad Gibson’s 136 total.

For Irving and Osborne like in round one, got off to slower start for the final round with four straight pars. However, it was the 551 yard, par five, fifth that got the momentum going again. For the first round, it was the fifth that got help them rattle off four straight birdies. This time though they only converted for two birdies with the second on the difficult par three, eighth. Fort Worth native Osborne rattled the flagstick on his approach from the tee and followed it up with a tricky downhill putt for birdie.

Irving, Dallas, made three of the next four pars before Osborne again put another birdie on the card with tight wedge from 90 yards out on the thirteenth. Irving made four on the par five fifteenth and Osbourne par on the sixteenth.

Knowing they needed to get at least one more birdie on the card somewhere, they were disappointed when they both missed the green on the seventeenth. Osborne playing first, hit his chip just at the top of the hill on the green and when ball checked and trickled down the slope and in the hole for a birdie two.

With a par on the last, they were concerned that they’d be destined for a playoff with the team of Brad Gibson, Plano and Zach Atkinson, Colleyville, each having a look at eagle on the last and were playing in the same pairing group.

Gibson’s attempt was first and he was just coming off the last par five with an eagle. His putt slide by low which meant Atkinson’s putt was left to grab a share of the lead. He hit the putt well and true, it just didn’t take the last break and slid by.
For Josh Irving and Will Osborne, the title was their first as a partnership. This was Irving’s second North Four-Ball title as he won in 2015 with Michael Ray at Tierra Verde Golf Club.

Irving, the current and back to back Texas Golf Association’s Player of the year, and Osborne will take a break in the partnership before teaming back up in May for the Texas Four-Ball at Crown Colony Country Club and then a week later at U.S. Four-Ball at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club.

First Round leaders Mike Peck and Stephen Love finished in a four-way tie for third place with Jordan Woolf and Les Ledingham as well as Michael Ray and Gant Bills and Brian Hatter and Thomas Kulcak.

The Texas Golf Association would like to thank all the members, grounds staff as well as professional staff at Sky Creek Ranch Golf Club. The club was incredible host all weekend for the players and saw great champions triumph on their course.
The Texas Golf Association will continue the North Regional Series next at Tierra Verde Golf Club on March 17^th – 19^th for the North Mid-Amateur. For complete results and information regarding the North Four-Ball, please click here.