Around the Green

98th Women's Texas Amateur Set for July 16-19

The 98th Women’s Texas Amateur is set to return to Bent Tree Country Club for the third time in its decorated history. The best collegiate players in Texas, the most skilled juniors and proven mid-amateurs and seniors will all put themselves to the test at the most prominent championship in the state from July 16-19.
 
“To be a part of the longest-running women’s amateur championship in the state is an honor and privilege that Bent Tree Country Club is extremely proud of,” Head Golf Professional Daniel Coughlan said. “We are proud of our club and golf course and feel it will be a fitting match to host an event of this magnitude.”
 
The Women’s Texas Amateur is conducted over four days, with six rounds of golf. The championship begins with an 18-hole, stroke play qualifier. The top-32 players advance to the Championship Match Play Bracket. The rest of the field is divided into match play flights.
 
From there, the tournament takes on a virtual March Madness-like feel. In match play, it’s one-on-one competition. And, just like the NCAA Tournament, success in the Women’s Texas Amateur carries the same “win or go-home” mentality. It doesn’t matter how a player wins or what total score she shoots. The only thing that counts is beating her opponent and moving on to the next round.
 
It takes five match play victories over three days to win the Women’s Texas Amateur.  
 
Amber Park of Allen won last year’s Women’s Texas Amateur at San Antonio Country Club. The rising junior at Texas A&M displayed brilliant ball-striking and unwavering nerves on her way to a 4-and-3 Championship Match victory against Plano’s Julia Gregg. Park won all four matches comfortably, and only had to play the par-5 18^th once. She won 2&1, 5&4, 4&3 and 3&2 before reaching the Championship Match.
 
Among this year’s elite field is Julia Gregg, who lost to Park in the finals last year. The rising freshman at the University of Arkansas comes into the 98th Women’s Texas Amateur with more experience and a slight advantage. Gregg’s high school team practices at Bent Tree Country Club. She hopes to use her local knowledge throughout this year’s championship.
 
“It’s a good driving golf course,” Gregg said. “It sets up well for me. It’s a good fit for my game. The greens are pretty big, and it’s always in really good condition. It’ll be a really fun course for match play.”
 
Since it opened for play in 1974, Bent Tree always has had a championship pedigree. The north Dallas club hosted the LPGA Mary Kay Classic from 1979-82. Among the winners during that stretch were World Golf Hall of Famers Nancy Lopez (1979) and Jan Stephenson (1982). In 1999-2000, Bent Tree also hosted the Bank One Championship, which at the time was a flagship event on the PGA Senior Tour (now PGA Tour Champions). Two more World Golf Hall of Fame inductees, Tom Watson and Larry Nelson, respectively, captured titles at Bent Tree.
 
Championship golf and champion golfers go hand-in-hand at Bent Tree, and that applies to the elite amateur class as well. Over the years, Bent Tree has welcomed some of the highest profile events on the TGA annual schedule. Most recently, the club hosted the 93rd Women’s Texas Amateur in 2014 and the 106th Texas Amateur in 2015. It was only the 11th time in more than a century, and the first time in 40 years, that a club staged back-to-back men’s and women’s state amateur championships in consecutive years.
 
“Bent Tree Country Club is a perfect venue to host such a championship,” Coughlan said. “The winner of this event will have to have all facets of their game in order to overcome the test that Bent Tree provides.”
 
Admission to the 98th Women’s Texas Amateur is free and spectators are encouraged to attend.
 
Once the action gets under way from the Bent Tree Country Club, log on to www.txga.org for live scoring updates and daily recaps, as well as starting times and pairings. Facebook and Twitter users will see daily player interviews and updates.
 

2019 WOMEN’S TEXAS AMATEUR STARTING FIELD NOTES

 
PAR AND YARDAGE: For the championship, the Bent Tree Country Club will play approximately 6,200 yards with a par of 35-36 – 71.
 
ARCHITECT: Bent Tree Country Club was originally built in 1972 by renowned golf course architect Desmond Muirhead and opened for play in 1974. Thirty years later, in 2002, the Club’s Board of Directors brought in Keith Foster to rework the original layout and create a more traditional and timeless par 71 course. It is highlighted by water features on 14 of the 18 holes, 62 bunkers and exquisite Bentgrass putting surfaces.
 
PREVIOUS WOMEN'S TEXAS AMATEURS HELD AT BENT TREE CC: Bent Tree Country Club hosted the 1993 Women’s Texas Amateur, won by Toni Wiesner of Fort Worth, and the 2014 Women’s Texas Amateur, won by Portland Rosen of Sugarland.
 
TOP FINISHERS FROM 2018 WOMEN’S TEXAS AMATEUR: Julia Gregg of Farmers Branch (Finals); Reid Isaac of Montgomery (Round of 16); Ariana Saenz of Porter (Round of 16); Kenzie Wright of Frisco (Semifinals).
 
2018-2019 POSTSEASON COLLEGIATE HONORS: Hanna Alberto, Sam Houston State University, Southland Conference Women’s Golfer of the Year, First Team All-Conference; Camille Enright, University of Denver, WGCA All-American Scholar, All-Summit League First Team; Isaac Reid, Kansas State University, First Team Academic All-Big 12; Faith Summers, Southern Methodist University, All-American Athletic Conference.

SPRING LAKE CUP: On June 3, 1924 the Texas Golf Association Board of Trustees voted to accept the Spring Lake Cup. It was a gift from Henry Pratt Smith and dedicated to become the Women’s Texas Amateur Champion’s Trophy. Today, the Spring Lake Cup wears 95 years of history and is awarded to the winner of the Women’s Texas Amateur.
 
WOMEN’S TEXAS AMATEUR CHAMPIONS SUCCESSFUL ON TOUR: Three former Women’s Texas Amateur champions have combined for 87 wins on the LPGA Tour: Sandra Palmer (1963) – 19; Betsy Rawls (1949 & 1950) – 55; Betty Jameson (1936, 1937, 1938 & 1939) – 13.
 

SCHEDULE OF PLAY:

Tuesday, July 16

Qualifying Round, stroke play (18 holes). *Tee times begin at 8 a.m.

 

Wednesday, July 17

Championship, Round of 32, match play. Tee times begin at 8 a.m.

Flights 1-7, Round of 8, match play. Tee times begin at 10:08 a.m.

Championship, Round of 16, match play. Tee times begin at 2 p.m.

 

Thursday, July 18

Championship, Quarterfinals, match play. Tee times begin at 8 a.m.

Flights 1-7, Semifinals, match play. Tee times begin at 10:16 a.m.

Flights 1-7 Consolation, Semifinals, match play. Tee times begin at 10:24 a.m.

Championship Consolation, Medal Play, match play. Tee times begin at 12:16 p.m.

Championship, Semifinals, match play. Tee times begin at 1:30 p.m.

 

Friday, July 19

Flights 1-7 Consolation, Finals, match play. Tee time begins at 8 a.m.
Flights 1-7, Finals, match play. Tee time begins at 9:10 a.m.
Championship, Finals, match play. Tee time begins at 10:20 a.m.
 
* – All rounds begin on No. 1 tee.

 
FOLLOW THE WOMEN’S TEXAS AMATEUR: Once the action gets underway from the Bent Tree Country Club, log on to txga.org for up-to-date Women’s Texas Amateur news and information including live scoring and daily recaps, as well as starting times and pairings. Also visit the TGA’s feeds on Facebook and Twitter.
 
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS: TGA Communications Department – (214) 468-8942, ext. 153. On-site: Mark Button, Senior Director of Communications – (713) 823-5750.