Around the Green

Matt and Will Griffin Lead Texas Father-Son

Briefly:  Matt and Will Griffin of San Antonio lead the Texas Father-Son after an opening round 9-under-par 63 at Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa’s Fazio Foothills. The defending Texas Father-Son champions carded seven birdies and an eagle and lead the field by three strokes through Round 1.

Leaderboard: Championship Flight  
1) Griffin, Matt / Griffin, Will                  San Antonio, San Antonio                   63
2) Kelting, Derrick / Kelting, Kyle          Amarilo, Amarillo                                 66
T3) Diamond, John / Diamond, Jack    Houston, Houston                                67
T3) Salcedo, Juan / Salcedo, Juan          The Woodlands, The Woodlands      67
T3) Dodd, Bill / Dodd, Nicko                   Sugar Land, Atascocita                        67

Complete Round 1 Results | Round 2 Pairings

In Contention: The Griffin’s, who seek their third Texas Father-Son title, demonstrated once again their confidence as teammates at Fazio Foothills. The duo won in 2011 at Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco and again last year at Comanche Trace in Kerrville. On Friday, Matt (father) and Will (son) pieced together another solid four-ball round of golf.

“We both play better when we’re playing together,” Matt said. “But, it was all Will today.”

Will, who won the 2005 Texas Junior Amateur at Fazio Foothills, was comfortable from the start. He carded birdies on the par-5 fifth and par-4 seventh followed by an eagle on the par-5 eighth to shoot an opening nine 4-under-par 32 with his own ball. The former Texas Tech University standout didn’t slow down on the back nine. He birdied five of their next six holes to reach 9-under on the day.

“I feel really comfortable off the tee because it sets up really well for my fade,” Will said. “Once the ball started to find the hole, the hole started to look a lot bigger. I know if I am going to make a mistake he’s (Matt) always got my back, so it takes a little pressure off me.”

Will didn’t make many mistakes in Round 1. In fact, he carded eight straight threes between the par-4 seventh and par-3 14th.

“I just started watching and enjoying,” Matt said. “I am getting used to it, so I’m hoping he can keep it up this weekend.”

The Griffin’s hold a three-shot advantage over Derick and Kyle Kelting of Amarillo. Despite a dropped shot on the par-3 14th, Derrick carded four birdies and Kyle carded three birdies en route to a 6-under-par 66.

John and Jack Diamond of Houston, Juan and Juan Salcedo Jr. of The Woodlands, and Bill and Nicko Dodd of Sugar Land/Atascocita are tied third at 5-under par. Four teams sit at 4-under par and tied sixth heading into Round 2.

Net Flights Update: In the Hogan Flight, Joe and Joey Quirk of Richardson fired a 7-under-par 65 to lead by one stroke. Garon and Chris Goodspeed of Austin/Farmers Branch are tied second with Marc and Mason Nelson of Rockwall after rounds of 6-under 66.

Two teams sit atop the leaderboard in the Nelson Flight. Trey Rowe and Randy Mattingley of Argyle/Flower Mound as well as Michael and Jon Olszewski of Granbury/Fort Worth carded 5-under-par 67s to lead the flight by one stroke.

In the Crenshaw Flight, Aaron and Jamey Freisleben of Spring/Montgomery carded an opening round 7-under-par 65. They lead Coppell’s Frank and Frank Gerome Jr. by one stroke.

The low rounds of the day in the net divisions came in the Kite Flight. Greg and Don Taylor of Georgetown/Beaumont as well as Jacob and Ashley Hunter of Coppell fired rounds of 9-under-par 63. The Taylor’s, who finished runner-up in the Kite Flight last year, carded four net eagles in Round 1. They’ll begin the second round sharing a one stroke lead.

Golf Course: Originally opened in 1987, Fazio Foothills is the signature track at the recently renovated Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa. It was designed by renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio and is one of four championship courses at the resort. The 7,125-yard layout was renovated in 2004 and again in 2017, as part of Omni Hotels and Resort’s $150 million renovation of its Austin, Texas property. The two-year project included a second hotel tower, a new conference center, outdoor event pavilion, new dining venues, a spa and renovations on all four championship golf courses. Fazio Foothills offers dramatic elevation change and spectacular views. The fairways and greens are protected by cliffs, creeks and waterfalls which showcase the best of the Texas Hill Country. Known for its demanding tee shots and small greens, Fazio Foothills was recently named the No. 3 course you can play in Texas by Golf Magazine and 37th overall in the state by the Dallas Morning News. The pure test of golf has played host to various elite events over the years including the 2019 PGA Cup and the Champions Tour Legends of Golf tournament from 1990-1994.

Weather: The temperature reached 97 degrees with a light breeze around 7 mph out of the south.

What’s Next: Round 2 tee times start Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. off No. 1 & 10 tees at Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa’s Fazio Foothills.

More Info: For more information on the Texas Father-Son, click here.