Around the Green

Texas Shootout Set for Oct. 29-30

HOUSTON – The Cypress Creek Couse at Champions Golf Club will host the 2016 Texas Shootout from Oct. 29-30.
 
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, located in Salado.
 
Of the eight mid-amateurs 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 are chosen based on the Statewide Senior Player of the Year point standings.
 
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 36½ points is the winner.
 
Designed by Ralph Plummer, the Cypress Creek Course opened for play in 1959. With more than 70,000 trees, wide fairways and enormous greens, it remains one of America's premier tournament sites. Among the many elite championships that have been contested on Cypress Creek over the years include the 1967 Ryder Cup, 1969 U.S. Open, 1993 U.S. Amateur and 1998 U.S. Women’s Amateur, and five PGA Tour Championships.
 
Skippered by playing captain Mike Peck of Irving, the North team bested the South team, 38-34, at the 2015 Texas Shootout at Dallas National Golf Club. The South leads the overall series 7-6.

2016 TEXAS SHOOTOUT NOTES:
 
North Team: Zach Atkinson, CJ Brock, Rob Couture, *Dave Davis, Gary Ezmerlian, Brad Gibson, *John Grace, Aaron Hickman, *Mike Peck (Playing Captain), Rick Sulzer, Chris Wheeler, and *Wayne Wright.
 
South Team: *Bobby Baugh, *Mike Booker (Playing Captain), Nicholas Cristea, Patrick Datz, John Dowdall, *Gary Durbin, Robert Evans, John Hunter, *John Pierce, Jay Reynolds, Danny Simmerman, and Seth Stuart.
 
*Indicates senior player representative
 
Schedule of Events:
 
Friday, October 28
12:30 – 12:50 p.m. – Practice Rounds – South
1:00 – 1:20 p.m. – Practice Rounds – North
6:30 p.m. – Cocktail Reception & Match Draw
 
Saturday, October 29
8:00 – 8:50 a.m. – Foursome Matches
12:30 – 1:20 p.m. – Four-Ball Matches
6:30 p.m. – Player Dinner
 
Sunday, October 30
8:00 – 9:28 a.m. – Singles Matches; Awards Presentation following conclusion of play.