David Ortego & Mike Vacek Win South Senior Amateur

SAN MARCOS – After taking a first round lead by one stroke, David Ortego, Spring, walked up to 18 tee in a tie with Mike Booker, Houston, for the Senior Division of the South Senior Amateur at Kissing Tree Golf Club. Ortego bridied the closing hole to finish two-under par 70 on the day, and seven-under par for the tournament. Booker climbed up the leaderboard after shooting six-under par 65 for the final round following his one-over par 73 during Monday’s first round. In the Super Senior Division, Weimar’s Mike Vacek was able to find his way atop the leaderboard with a final round even-par 72. Monday’s first round leader, Chuck Ellenwood, Fair Oaks Ranch, shot four-over par 76 on Tuesday, and four-over par for the tournament to finish in third behind Kent Samuel, The Woodlands, who finished his second round two-over par 74, and three-over par over the two-day tournament.

LEADERBOARD

Senior Division

1.) David Ortego, Spring                                       67-70 – 137

2.) Mike Booker, Houston                                     73-65 – 138

3.) John Pierce, San Antonio                               69-70 – 139

4.) Andrew Hydorn, Houston                               69-73 – 142

5.) Scott Smith, Houston                                        71-73 – 144

Super Senior Division

1.) Mike Vacek, Weimar                                        74-72 – 146

2.) Kent Samuel, The Woodlands                         73-74 – 147

3.) Chuck Ellenwood, Fair Oaks Ranch              72-76 – 148

T-4.) David Pocknall, Katy                                     74-75 – 149

T-4.) David Wagner, Fair Oaks Ranch                74-75 – 149

FULL LEADERBOARD

Top Finishers – David Ortego, who won the South Senior Amateur (Senior Division) back in 2015 Woodforest Golf Club, was able to hold off the strong, late push from two-time champion Mike Booker. San Antonio’s John Pierce played consistent, under-par golf in each round to finish at five-under par and one stroke behind Booker. Andrew Hydorn and Scott Smith, both of Houston, rounded out the top-five at two-under par and even-par for the tournament. The Super Senior Division also had a close finish with Mike Vacek besting Kent Samuel by one stroke. Round one leader, Chuck Ellenwood, ended the day in third, while David Pocknall, Katy, and David Wagner, Fair Oaks Ranch, came in at a tie for fourth, each at five over-par.

Weather: Monday’s first round started cool and with a two-hour delay due to dense fog covering the course, but by early in the afternoon, the sun shined and brought the temperate up to a high of 80 degrees. The second round began calm in the high-60s with mostly overcast skies that took a quick turn to sunny and a high of 84 degrees. Consistent wind of about 15 mph became an added challenge for the field, especially when gusts upwards of 32 mph came howling through as groups were playing their last few holes.

Host Course: Designed by local Texan, Gary Stephenson, Kissing Tree Golf Club is a semi-private 18-hole golf course set on the banks of the Texas Hill Country. The course opened in October of 2018, and each hole provides an extension of the natural landscape – blending grades of edges, slopes and contours of the landscape into its striped fairways and angulated greens.

Next Up: The South Regional Series next event will be at the South Four-Ball at Quail Valley Golf Course in Missouri City on April 22-23.

Robert Gwin Wins South Mid-Amateur

MONTGOMERY – Bentwater Yacht & Country Club’s own Robert Gwin claimed the South Mid-Amateur title after shooting even-par 72 on the final day, for a three-day score of five-under-par on the Weiskopf Course at Bentwater Yacht & Country. Entering the final round, Gwin was one stroke behind Cypress’ Kevin Liberto, who finished tied for second going three-over-par 75, for a tournament score of three-under-par. Tied with Liberto was Todd Albert, of Katy, who fired a four-under-par 68 final round. John Hunter, The Woodlands, and Padden Nelson, Houston, finished tied for fourth with three-day scores of two-under-par. With Nelson’s final round two-over-par 74, he claimed Mid-Master Award, which recognizes players in the field that are 40 years of age or older.  Clay Fullick, from Conroe finished one stroke behind Nelson, while Cypress’ Kurtis Lilley was two strokes behind Nelson in the Mid-Master Recognition.

LEADERBOARD

1. Robert Gwin, Montgomery                             69-70-72 – 211

T-2. Todd Albert, Katy                                          73-72-68 – 213

T-2. Kevin Liberto, Cypress                                  72-66-75 – 213

T-4. John Hunter, The Woodlands                     72-71-71 – 214

T-4. Padden Nelson, Houston                             70-70-74 – 214

FULL LEADERBOARD

Top Finishers – Robert Gwin finished the first round leading by one stroke, only to find Kevin Liberto one stroke ahead of him after the second round of play. Gwin’s birdie on the par four 16 on Sunday provided enough cushion to take a two-stroke lead after Liberto bogeyed that same hole. Todd Albert battled the windy conditions and was able to climb up the leaderboard to finish in a tie for second following his four-under-par 68 on the final day. John Hunter’s one-under-par 71 on Sunday allowed him to move into a tie for fourth with Padden Nelson.

Notable Moment: Michael Glisan, from ­­­­Houston, had a hole-in-one on the par three hole 3 from 197 yards during the second round play on Saturday. This was Michael’s first career hole-in-one.

Weather: The sun shined across clear skies for the first round of play on Friday as the temperature rose to around 85 degrees by mid-afternoon. Saturday morning began with overcast skies that lingered for much of the second round, with the high for the day at 82 degrees. The course wasn’t the only challenge for the field on Sunday, as wind was a big factor with gusts reaching 24 mph by noon. Light rain fell early in the afternoon while the temperature eventually got to 65 degrees as the final round finished.

Host Course: Bentwater Yacht & Country Club in Montgomery features 36-holes across the Miller and Weiskopf courses. The 18-hole Weiskopf Course at is a collaboration between Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. Rolling fairways and TifEagle greens are surrounded by thick forests of hardwood and pines. The 14th hole par three offers a picturesque setting, perched on the water’s edge from tee to green.

Next Up: The South Regional Series next event will be at the South Senior Amateur at Kissing Tree Golf Club in San Marcos on April 5-6.

Registration for the 112^th Texas Amateur at Midland Country Club is open until Wednesday, March 31. Players can register for a qualifier by following this link.

For more information on the South Regional Series and South Mid-Amateur, please visit www.TXGA.org.

Henry and Dougherty Lead 2021 Women’s Eclectic

GALVESTON – Olive Henry of Ennis and Cynthia Dougherty from Corpus Christi sit atop the Overall Gross Championship leaderboard of the 2021 Women’s Eclectic at Moody Gardens Golf Club after rounds of two-over-par 74. Henry and Dougherty lead Austin’s Anna Morales and Anna Schultz from Heath by one stroke going into the tomorrow’s final round. Patricia Walters leads the Overall Net Championship by three strokes after posting a net five-under-par 67.

GROSS LEADERBOARD:

T-1) Olive Henry, Ennis                                                74 (+2)

T-1) Cynthia Dougherty, Corpus Christi                      74 (+2)

T-3) Anna Morales, Austin                                           75 (+3)

T-3) Anna Schultz, Heath                                             75 (+3)

T-5) Caitlyn Cassity, Katy                                             77 (+5)

T-5) Meghan Moake, Houston                                     77 (+5)

NET LEADERBOARD:

1) Patricia Walters, Cat Spring                                     67 (-5)

2) Cynthia Dougherty, Corpus Christi                           70 (-2)

T-3) Patricia McKenna, Houston                                    71 (-1)

T-3) Helen Outler, Katy                                                  71 (-1)

T-5) Olive Henry, Ennis                                                  72 (E)

T-5) Anna Schultz, Heath                                               72 (E)

T-5) Olivia Campbell, Franklin                                       72 (E)

T-5) Sally Mason, Bellaire                                             72 (E)

T-5) Lea Ann Stikeleather, Corpus Christi                     72 (E)

T-5) Brenda Candelet, Humble                                      72 (E)

Complete Results | Final Round Starting Times

GOLF COURSE: Moody Gardens Golf Course is Galveston’s premier public seaside links course featuring paspalum fairways that are lined with over 500 palm trees and shorebird habitat. The attention to detail in Jacobsen Hardy’s design provides players a unique tropical feel with 18 holes meandering through upland and lowland native areas, as well as natural wetlands of beautiful Sydnor Bayou.

WEATHER: A few clouds lined the sunny sky throughout the day with winds around 12 mph, and gusts that reached 23 mph early in the afternoon. The high temperature for Monday was 68 degrees.

IN CONTENTION: Tuesday’s final round is set for a spectacular finish as both the Overall Gross and Overall Net Championship leaderboards are crowded. Anna Morales and Anna Schultz are both only one stroke back of the two leaders, while nine players are currently at even-par or better and within three shots of the lead in the Net Championship.

WHAT’S NEXT: Tuesday’s final round will begin at 9:00 AM with tee times going off #1 and #10. Following play, there will be a brief awards presentation for the Overall and Flight Winners.

MORE INFO: Visit our website for complete coverage of the 2021 Women’s Eclectic.

Watts, Nguyen and Shwartz Win at Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational

Mont Belvieu – Kevin Watts wins the Boys 15-18 Division of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational at Eagle Pointe Golf Club. Lauren Nguyen wins the Girls 12-18 Division, while Jason Shwartz wins the Boys 14 & Under Division.

Leaderboard:

Boys 15-18

1. Kevin Watts 140
2. Shoichiro Kato 141
3. Matthew Spaulding 141
4. Tyler Gardner 143
5. Will Jordan 145

Girls 12-18

1. Lauren Nguyen 142
2. Jiyu Han 150
3. Julia Vollmer 150
4. Maelynn Kim 152
5. Sydney Williams 152

Boys 14 & Under

1. Jason Shwartz 142
2. Blake Burt 145
3. Brooks Harper 145
4. Charlie Wylie 151
5. Finn Burkholder 151

Full Leaderboard

Champions: Colleyville’s Watts wins the Boys 15-18 Division by one stroke after posting rounds of 68-72 to get to 2-under overall. This is Watts’ first victory with the Legends Junior Tour as he improved on his runner-up finish at this event in 2019. Katy’s Nguyen won the Girls 12-18 Division after shooting consecutive rounds of even-par 71 at Eagle Pointe Golf Club. She added three more birdies in the final round bringing her total up to six for 36 holes. This is her second victory on the Legends Junior Tour in 2020. Bellaire’s Shwartz picks up his first victory with the LJT after shooting 3-under 68 in the final round. He accumulated seven birdies on Sunday to bring his total up to nine and finished three shots ahead of the field.

Top Finishers: Austin’s Shoichiro Kato and Spring’s Matthew Spaulding finished runner-up in the Boys 15-18 Division. Houston’s Tyler Gardner finished fourth, followed by The Woodlands’ Will Jordan in fifth and Beach City’s Grant Doggett in sixth. Jake Maggert and Preston Rouse tied for seventh in the division. Cedar Park’s Jiyu Han and San Antonio’s Julia Vollmer tied for second in the Girls 12-18 Division, while Katy’s Maelynn Kim and Frisco’s Sydney Williams tied for fourth.  Austin’s Blake Burke and Dallas’ Brooks Harper tied for second in the Boys 14 & Under Division, while Houston’s Charlie Wylie and The Woodlands’ Finn Burkholder finished tied for fourth.

About the Texas Junior Golf Alliance: The Texas Junior Golf Alliance was formed in 2012 and offers junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. The alliance is made up of the Legends Junior Tour, the Southern Texas PGA, the Northern Texas PGA and the Houston Golf Association. The alliance allows players a chance to compete at all levels and to grow their games as they progress.

Weather: Temperatures started in the 60s but stayed in the low 70s throughout the afternoon in Mont Belvieu. The wind picked up on Sunday, staying around 10 miles per hour consistently and gusting upwards of 20 m.p.h.

Golf Course: Eagle Pointe Golf Club opened for play in 1999 and was designed by Rick Forester. The rolling hills and elevation changes make Eagle Pointe very different from most Houston area course. The fairways are surrounded by towering pine trees and the Cherry Point Gully weaves its way through the course, while the Old River is the boundary on several holes. The course stretches out to almost 7,000 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division, 6,500 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and 5,900 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division.

What’s next: The Legends Junior Tour season finishes up with the Jackie Burke Cup matches at The Clubs at Houston Oaks on Nov. 14-15. The Jackie Burke Cup features the top players from the LJT Player of the Year Standings competing against each other in 12-player teams based on their locations. The North Team looks to win its seventh straight this year and leads the overall series 8-7 over the South Team.

For more information on the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.

Watts, Nguyen and Burkholder Lead Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational

Mont Belvieu – Kevin Watts shoots 3-under 68 at Eagle Pointe Golf Club and leads the Boys 15-18 Division of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational. Lauren Nguyen leads the Girls 12-18 Division at even-par, while Finn Burkholder leads the Boys 14 & Under Division at 1-under.

Leaderboard:

Boys 15-18

1. Kevin Watts 68
2. Bryant Hiskey 69
3. Preston Rouse 69
4. Shoichiro Kato 70
5. Two tied 71

Girls 12-18

1. Lauren Nguyen 71
2. Maelynn Kim 76
3. Emily Mu 77
4. Avery Thompson 77
5. Chaemin Kim 77

Boys 14 & Under

1. Finn Burkholder 70
2. Brooks Harper 71
3. Blake Burt 72
4. Jason Schwartz 74
5. Two Tied 75

Full Leaderboard

Leaders: Watts is looking to win his first LJT event after finishing second at the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational in 2019. The Dallas native made three birdies and zero bogeys on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead in the Boys 15-18 Division. Nguyen, who is the reigning LJT Girls Player of the Year leads the Girls 12-18 Division after making three birdies and three bogeys in the first round. She finished sixth in last year’s Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational. The Woodlands’ Burkholder started his first round with a double-bogey 7 on No. 1, but settled down making four birdies in his final 17 holes including a bogey-free final nine holes.

In Contention: Trailing Watts in the Boys 15-18 Division are Houston’s Preston Rouse and Bryant Hiskey, who both sit at 2-under 69. Austin’s Shoichiro Kato sits alone in fourth at 1-under, while Van Miller of Katy and Matthew Spaulding of Spring are tied for fifth at even-par. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Katy’s Maelynn Kim trails Nguyen by five strokes after shooting 5-over 76 on Saturday. Five players are tied for third in the division at 6-over. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Dallas’ Brooks Harper is in second at even-par, followed by Austin’s Blake Burt at 1-over and Bellaire’s Jason Schwartz at 3-over.

Event Format: The Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is a 36-hole stroke play event with players competing in three divisions: Boys 15-18, Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under. The field was selected using exemptions from Texas Junior Golf Alliance Events throughout the year and through the LJT Player of the Year Standings which players earn points in by competing in Alliance events.

About the Texas Junior Golf Alliance: The Texas Junior Golf Alliance was formed in 2012 and offers junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. The alliance is made up of the Legends Junior Tour, the South Texas PGA, the North Texas PGA and the Houston Golf Association. The alliance allows players a chance to compete at all levels and to grow their games as they progress.

Weather: Temperatures stayed in the mid-60s throughout the day and crept up to 70 degrees on Saturday. Players faced little to no wind in the first round and enjoyed sunshine throughout the afternoon.

Golf Course: Eagle Pointe Golf Club opened for play in 1999 and was designed by Rick Forester. The rolling hills and elevation changes make Eagle Pointe very different from most Houston area course. The fairways are surrounded by towering pine trees and the Cherry Point Gully weaves its way through the course, while the Old River is the boundary on several holes. The course stretches out to almost 7,000 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division, 6,500 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and 5,900 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division.

What’s next: The Final Round of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is scheduled for an 8:00 am start on Sunday, Nov. 1 with tee times going until 12:00 pm off the No. 1 tee. At the conclusion of play on Sunday, the top finishers will be awarded.

What’s at Stake: The event is ranked by Golfweek as well as Junior Golf Scoreboard and players are competing for points towards the LJT Player of the Year Award and a spot on their respective Jackie Burke Cup teams. The Legends Junior Tour Players of the Year will be determined following this weekend.

For more information on the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.

Rome Wins Playoff to Claim TGA Fall Series – Houston Title

Briefly: Austin’s Michael Rome birdied the first playoff hole to finish atop the leaderboard of the Men’s Division after separating himself from three others that all began the day at even-par following the first two rounds of play. In the Women’s Division, Lisa Andrzejewski of Houston claimed the title with a tournament score of 276.

In Contention: Following the one-hole playoff, Declan Kenny from Dallas finished second with a 1-under-par total of 215. Matthew Griggs of Carrollton finished third with a 1-over-par total of 217, while Conroe’s Chad Sewell finished fourth with a ­­­­7-over-par total of 223. Levi Valadez of Alamo Heights finished fifth with a 10-over-par total of 226.

Golf Course: Designed by Bruce Litell, and featuring Tiff Dwarf greens, the Marsh Course at the Clubs of Kingwood provides a challenge on each hole to the field while playing at around 6,700 yards for the Men’s Division and around 6,100 yards for the Women’s Division.

Tournament Format: The TGA Fall Series is a 54-hole stroke play event counting towards the WAGR, with 15 players across two divisions: Men’s and Women’s.

Weather: An early morning haze was cleared away by sunny skies as temperatures reached 83 degrees by noon, with wind blowing 10 mph from the east.

What’s Next: The TGA Fall Series heads to Vaaler Creek Golf Club in the Hill Country on November 10-12. For more information on that tournament, click here.