Around the Green

95th West Texas Amateur Set for July 21-23

Diamondback National Golf Club in Abilene is set to host the 95th West Texas Amateur, which will take place July 21-23.

This is the fourth TGA championship and second West Texas Amateur to be held at Diamondback National. The club previously hosted the 2002 Texas Father-Son, 2003 Texas Senior Four-Ball, and 2012 West Texas Amateur.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to return to Diamondback National Golf Club this year to stage one of our foremost championships,” said Owen Kinney, TGA Tournament Coordinator. “We are grateful to the club for their continued commitment to amateur golf and we know the members and staff are eager to provide a truly memorable experience for the players.”

Opened in 1999, Diamondback National Golf Club was designed by Abilene resident and 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody, along with Williams, Gill & Associates. Situated on 220 acres of rolling terrain, the par-71 layout, which can stretch to nearly 7,000 yards from the back tees, features dramatic rock outcroppings, extensive native areas, and Lytle Creek coming into play on nearly half the holes.

“Diamondback National is a great layout and can be very challenging, especially when the wind picks up,” Kinney said. “The course will be an excellent test for the players and will certainly make for an exciting championship.”

The 95th West Texas Amateur features three divisions: Championship, Senior (age 55 and older) and Super Senior (age 65 and older). The 144-player starting field consists of 84 players in the Championship Division, 42 in the Senior Division, and 18 in the Super Senior Division. The three divisions will compete from different sets of tees and yardages, with separate champions recognized in each division.

The championship will be contested over 54 holes of stroke play. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the low 72 scorers and ties, with a pro-rated representation from each division.

Starting times and pairings for the first and second rounds will be posted on the TGA website no later than July 18. Live scoring updates and daily recaps will also be available online once the action gets underway from Diamondback National Golf Club.

At last year’s West Texas Amateur, Casey Carnes of Schertz won the Championship Division with rounds of 68-71-67 on the Old Course at Odessa Country Club. His 10-under-par 206 total was good for a three-shot margin of victory over Nolan Otto of Big Spring. Kelly Eng of Austin finished at 5-under 211 to capture the Senior Division by one stroke over Joe Sconiers of Iraan. Mike Peck of Irving closed with a 4-under 68 in the final round (1-under 215 total) to win the Super Senior Division by five shots over Lelan Chiles of Granbury and Michael Puls, also of Irving.

First played in 1925, the West Texas Amateur is one of the oldest continuously held amateur events in the U.S. The championship has had a rich history of notable winners including Texas Golf Hall of Famers Don Cherry, Coody, John Grace, Billy Maxwell, and Hal Underwood.