Around the Green

TGA Regional Mid-Amateurs Set for March 18-27

The Texas Golf Association’s 2022 tournament season rolls on this month with the back-to-back playing of the Regional Mid-Amateurs.

First up is the South Regional Mid-Amateur to be held March 18-20 at Forest Creek Golf Club in Round Rock. The North Regional Mid-Amateur will be played March 25-27 at Paris Golf & Country Club in Paris.

Forest Creek Golf Club was designed by Dick Phelps and opened for play in 1992. Colligan Golf Design supervised a $5.1 million dollar renovation of the course in 2018. Paris Golf & Country Club was founded in 1916 and is one of the oldest clubs in Northeast Texas. The course was redesigned in 2000 by PGA Tour player and Paris resident John Adams.

First conducted in 2003, the Regional Mid-Amateurs are open to male amateur golfers who are 25 years of age or older by the tournament start date, belong to a TGA Member Club, have a World Handicap System Index of 8.4 or less and reside in the region relative to their respective championship. The TGA uses the 31st parallel in Salado as the delineation between the North and South regions.

Both events are contested using the same tournament format. The staring field of 84 players will play 54 holes of individual stroke play over three days with no cut. In addition to crowning an overall champion, special recognition will be given to the low Mid-Master (player aged 40 and older). The top three overall finishers and ties in each event, as well as low Mid-Master, will earn exemptions into this year’s Texas Mid-Amateur to be held Sept. 23-25 at Abilene Country Club in Abilene.

Live scoring updates and daily recaps, as well as tee times and pairings, will be available at once the action gets underway from Forest Creek Golf Club and Paris Golf & Country Club.

Paul McNamara of Dallas won the 2021 North Regional Mid-Amateur held at Twin Creeks Golf Club in Allen. McNamara’s 12-under-par 204 was good for a five-shot victory over defending champion Anthony Estorga, also of Dallas. Gary Ezmerlian of Fort Worth finished at 2-under 214 to claim low Mid-Master honors. At the 2021 South Regional Mid-Amateur, played on the Weiskopf Course at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club in Montgomery, local resident Robert Gwin captured the title with rounds of 69-70-72. His 5-under 211 was two strokes ahead of runners-up Todd Albert of Katy and Kevin Liberto of Cypress. Padden Nelson of Houston was the low Mid-Master with a three-day total of 2-under 214.