Around the Green

DeCordova Bend Country Club Wins Texas League Play Playoffs

DeCordova Bend Country Club Wins Texas League Play Playoffs

Horseshoe Bay, TX – De Cordova Bend Country Club came from behind to clinch the 2018 Texas League Play Playoffs over Odessa Country Club. De Cordova Bend trailed 3 points to 1 after all matches completed nine holes. The League Play Playoff victory was their 2^nd in the 14 year history with the last one coming in 2008.

De Cordova Bend Country Club’s title run began with a bit of fortune when their Round of 16 opponent Dallas Athletic Club could not attend the Playoffs. The number six overall seed De Cordova Bend was granted a bye and had a matchup with Ridglea Country Club in the Quarterfinals.

That match was tied six to six after all matches completed 18 holes and a sudden death playoff was needed to determine who would advance. De Cordova Bend’s first player hit his tee shot out of bounds and they were left with one player competing against two of Ridglea’s. That player was Dustin Nelson, the Professional from De Cordova Bned, and his birdie on the par-five, tenth at the Slick Rock course secured their semi-final berth.

Playing on Horseshoe Bay Resort’s Apple Rock Course, De Cordova Bend handled their opponent Colonial Country Club with a final score of nine to three. There was redemption on the line for De Cordova Bend as they were eliminated from the Playoffs in 2017 in the semi-final round by Tierra Verde Golf Club.

In the Championship Match, Odessa Country Club got off to a fast start with three points from the front nine of an available four.  However, except for the match in which De Cordova Bend got one point on the front nine all the other matches were within a 2-up lead. 

Sid Vincent and John Booth lost the front nine point by being one down but earned the next two points as the pair won the 16^th and 17^th hole switching it from being 1 down to 1-up overall and 2-up on the back nine.

Odessa answered when Jeff Munden and Jim Bob McNeil claimed all three points. Their match concluded on the 17^th hole when Munden and McNeil won the back nine 2-up.

In the match in which De Cordova Bend won their lone point on the front nine, Jeffrey Frye and Colby Ditto capture the remaining two points. Ditto and Frye’s sweep brought the Overall Score of the match to five points for De Cordova Bend and five points for Odessa.

The last match of the day were the best players on the course for both teams and De Cordova Bend’s Chase Johnson and Dustin Nelson proved that by making four birdies in their last six holes as they approached the 17^th tee.

Johnson and Nelson had a 1-up lead overall and the honor on the tee on the 17^th hole. All four players in the group had found the green and no one was closer than Dustin Nelson who had a 15 foot downhill putt.

Playing first was Odessa’s Brian Scherer whose 35 foot effort carried a lot of pace and struck the hole but wouldn’t drop. His next putt was conceded and it was time for Nelson to shine.

In what must have felt like an eternity to him, Nelson’s downhill putt slowly tracked to the hole and found the bottom of the club securing at very worst for De Cordova Bend, another sudden death playoff.

Blake Parks had a birdie putt for Odessa but when putt didn’t break as much as he had thought, De Cordova Bend Country Club had won the overall match as well and were 2018 Texas League Play Playoff Champions.

De Cordova Bend Country Club was captained by both Chase Johnson and Kevin Grimes throughout the regular season as well as the Playoffs. For De Cordova Bend and Grimes, this was their second Texas League Play Playoff Victory.

 The Texas Golf Association would like to thank everyone at Horseshoe Bay Resort for their outside staff that made the event a true success. The event featured two golf courses and multiple tees which made it a challenge for everyone but the hard working staff performed perfectly to execute the tournament. For complete results from the Texas League Play Playoffs, click here