Around the Green

Davis Maintains Lead at Texas Super Senior

WHITNEY — Saginaw’s Dave Davis turned in a second round 1-over 73 on Tuesday to maintain his lead at the Texas Super Senior Amateur. Davis will take a three shot lead into Wednesday’s final round at White Bluff’s New Course. In the Legends Division, Wichita Falls’ Bill Holstead added to his lead with a second round 1-over 73. He leads by seven over the field and rolled in an impressive four birdies on Tuesday.

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Leaders: Davis rolled in three birdies on the day en route to the 1-over 73. Back-to-back birdies on the par-5 No. 16 and par-3 No. 17 holes were the highlight to a solid round. “Compared to yesterday it was a struggle,” Davis said. “I putted a little better yesterday. I had the same good swing thought in my head but I wasn’t executing it.” The Saginaw native noted he hasn’t been in contention like this in a while and will look to just play his game in Wednesday’s final round.

Legends Division leader Bill Holstead was 2-under through eight holes before suffering his first bogey of the day on the par-4 No. 9 hole. He bounced back with birdies on holes No. 10 and 17 to cap off the low round of the Legends Division thus far.

In Contention: In the Super Senior Division, Houston’s Steve Moran climbed up the leaderboard into solo second with a 2-under 70 in round two. Moran’s performance pushed himself up four places on the leaderboard. He sits three off the lead and one shot ahead of Tyler’s Jerry Hudgins, who occupies third at 1-over total. In the Legends Division, David Wagner of Fair Oaks Ranch sits in second at 12-over and seven shots back of the lead. Wagner carded a 4-over 76 in round two and sits two shots ahead of host club exemption Ben Hagins and Abilene’s J Wayne Franklin.

Course: Nestled along the shores of Lake Whitney, about 15 miles west of Hillsboro, White Bluff Resort features two 18-hole courses – the Old and the New – both of which were designed by 13-time PGA Tour winner Bruce Lietzke. Named after the two most famous courses at St Andrews Links in Scotland, the Old Course was the first to open in 1992, followed by the New Course in 1998. Both courses recently underwent major renovation projects, which included rebuilding and resurfacing all greens and bunkers, as well as upgrading drainage and irrigation systems to improve playing conditions.

The New Course, where the Texas Super Senior is being contested, features tree-lined fairways, dramatic elevation changes, and undulating green complexes. With many holes bending around strategically placed bunkers and water hazards, the par-72 layout, which measures just over 6,300 yards from the middle set of tees, provides plenty of risk-reward opportunities that will test the players’ shot-making and course management skills.

Today’s Super Senior Division was contested at 6,422 yards. The Legends Division competitors played from 5,801 yards for the second round.

Tournament History: First played in 2015, the Texas Super Senior features two age divisions: 65 and older (Super Senior) and 75 and older (Legends). Entries are open to male amateur golfers who meet the age requirements by the first round of tournament play and have a certified Handicap Index® of 12.4 or less (16.4 or less for Legends) issued through a TGA Member Club.

The format for the championship, which will be contested on the New Course, is 54 holes of individual stroke play with no cut. Each age division competes from different tees and yardages, with a separate champion recognized. Prizes are also awarded to low Net scores in both Super Senior and Legends Divisions.

POY Points Race: Super Senior Player of the Year points will be awarded to the Top 20 finishers of Texas Super Senior. The champions will each get 1,000 points towards the statewide honor, followed by 750 for runner-up; 650 for third; 600 for fourth; and 550 for fifth. A complete breakdown of the Texas Super Senior Player of the Year, including points allocation, can be found here.

What’s Next:  The final round of the Texas Super Senior will begin at 8:00 a.m. off holes No. 1 and No. 10 out at White Bluff’s New Course. Following the second round, the field is being repaired based on scores with the leaders of the Super Senior going last off hole No. 1 and the leaders of the Legends going last off hole No. 10.

About the TGA: The Texas Golf Association was established in 1906 with a mission to promote the playing and advancement of the royal and ancient game of golf in Texas. The association is one of the most respected in the country with an ongoing commitment to its members, contestants, volunteers and all who strive to preserve the great traditions of the game.

For More information about the Texas Super Senior, click here.