Around the Green

Texas Shootout Set for Oct. 29-30

Grand Pines Golf Club at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club in Montgomery will be the host site of the 20th Texas Shootout. The 12-man team competition between top-ranked amateur golfers from North and South Texas will take place Oct. 29-30. This will be the club’s first time hosting a Texas Golf Association championship.

“We are thrilled to be able to conduct this year’s Texas Shootout at Grand Pines Golf Club,” said Justin Guthrie, TGA Tournament Director. “We know the club and its membership will provide an exceptional experience for the players, and the strategic course, with its many risk-reward options, will be the perfect stage for the exciting team match-play format.”

Grand Pines Golf Club, which made its debut in 2005, is the newest of the three courses at Bentwater, joining the Weiskopf Course (opened in 1989) and the Miller Course (1992). Designed by Jeffrey Blume, Grand Pines is situated on a pristine 182-acre site highlighted by dramatic elevation changes, natural water features, and densely wooded areas. The 7,100-yard, par-72 course is acclaimed for its distinctive mounding and bunkers that complement the topography and impact shot values, along with large, undulating greens and collection areas.

First conducted in 2003, the season-ending Texas Shootout is by invitation-only and features the top 12 players (eight mid-amateurs and four seniors) from North Texas squaring off against their counterparts from South Texas in a Ryder Cup-style competition.

Players earn their way onto their respective teams by accumulating points throughout the year in designated TGA regional and statewide tournaments, as well as USGA national championships. North and South regions are defined as either being above or below the 31’ parallel. (The city of Salado, which is located approximately halfway between Austin and Waco, sits on the dividing line.)

Of the eight mid-amateurs (age 25 and older) selected from each region, four come from the TGA Statewide Player of the Year point standings and four from the Regional Player of the Year point standings. The top four North and South senior players (age 55 and older) are chosen based on the Statewide Senior Player of the Year point standings.

The player roster for the 2022 North and South Texas Teams is listed below. Lewis Stephenson of Burleson and Pat Youngs of San Antonio will serve as playing captains for the North and South sides, respectively.

The format for the Shootout includes foursome, four-ball and singles matches. A total of 24 matches will be played over the two days. Each match is worth three points – one point each for front nine, back nine and 18 – making for 72 available points. The first team to accumulate 36.5 points is the winner.

At the 2021 Texas Shootout, hosted by Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas, the North Texas Team defeated the South Texas Team, 38.5-33.5. It was the second win in a row for North Texas which now leads the overall series, 10-9.

Once the action gets underway from the 20th Texas Shootout at Grand Pines Golf Club, log on to the TGA website for match play pairings, starting times, live scoring updates and daily recaps.

2022 TEXAS SHOOTOUT NOTES:

North Texas Team: Colby Amparan (Fort Worth), *Neal Barfield (Dallas), Rob Couture (Celina), *John Derrick (Waco), Kevin Doskocil (Benbrook), *Chuck Gardner (Texarkana), Scott Maurer (Dallas), Seth Murphy (Flint), Josh Pasco (Midland), Jason Schultz (Allen), *Lewis Stephenson (Burleson), Team Captain, and Trey Todd (Abilene).

South Texas Team: Casey Carnes (Schertz), Dan Depasquale (Austin), Clay Fullick (Conroe), Austen Fulmer (Cedar Park), Andrew Grice (Austin), Joey Gullion (Spring), *Andy Hydorn (Houston), Randy Lance (Spring), Padden Nelson (Houston), *Sandy Pierce (Houston), *Jed Shreve (The Woodlands), and *Pat Youngs (San Antonio), Team Captain.

*Indicates senior player representative

Schedule of Events:

Friday, October 28

11:30 a.m. – Registration
12:00 – 12:30 p.m. – Practice Rounds (South)
12:40 – 1:10 p.m. – Practice Rounds (North)
6:00 p.m. – Cocktail Reception & Match Draw

Saturday, October 29

7:30 – 8:15 a.m. – Foursome Matches

12:00 – 12:50 p.m. – Four-Ball Matches
6:30 p.m. – Player’s Dinner

Sunday, October 30

7:30 – 8:58 a.m. – Singles Matches; Awards presentation following conclusion of play.