Colby Amparan and Gary Ezmerlian Win Texas Four-Ball

HORSESHOE BAY – Fort Worth’s Colby Amparan and Gary Ezmerlian card a final round 7-under-par 65 to win the Texas Four-Ball by two strokes at Horseshoe Bay’s Apple Rock Course.

Amparan and Ezmerlian started the week with back-to-back rounds of 6-under 66s. The duo bested their previous two rounds on Sunday by firing a 7-under 65. Amparan and Ezmerlian teamed up to card seven birdies to post 19-under par overall for the championship.

“It was a total team effort,” Ezmerlian said. “I think that would be what it was the whole weekend. We were just a team. When one of us was out of it the other one was in it.”

Amparan and Ezmerlian played stellar golf all three rounds. They tallied 18 holes under par (17 birdies and one eagle) and never birdied the same hole.

“We didn’t make a bogey,” Ezmerlian said. “I don’t think we were ever really close to making a bogey. Just a team. Both of us the whole way.”

Amparan and Ezmerlian’s experience in playing partnership golf paid off on Sunday. Amparan, whose dad was in attendance, wanted to make a memory this week and was able to do so on the last hole with a great birdie putt.

“It went in and I yelled at him (Ezmerlian) ‘memories’,” said Amparan. “It was really cool.”

Kris Devlin of Austin and Trey Todd of Abilene tied Aaron Hickman of Tyler and Dallas’s Rob Couture for second at 17-under-par 199. Kyle Robbins of Keller and Jordan Wynn of Dallas tied for fourth with Derek Abel of Dallas and Chris Wheeler of Addison at 15-under-par 201.

In the Senior Division, San Antonio’s Ron Finnerty and Tommy Tucker ran away with victory by carding a final round 8-under 64. They won by four shots and tallied seven birdies and an eagle on Sunday.

This was Finnerty and Tucker’s first time to play in the event together, but they showed no lack of experience.

“This was my first Texas Golf Association event,” Tucker said. “So, it was pretty good. It’s a great feeling.”

Finnerty and Tucker tallied 18 birdies and an eagle as a team for the three rounds. They also recently won the senior division of the San Antonio City Four-Ball.

“Big time. Big time,” Finnerty said. “You know we’ve been working on our game and to get it to the point where it’s at now is great.”

William Shock and Scott Smith of Houston finished runner-up at 14-under-par 202. The teams of Mike Booker and Pat Youngs, Andrew Hydorn and Bill Jackson, and Don Gafner and Jim Quinn all finished tied third at 13-under-par 203.

In the Super Senior Division, Horseshoe Bay Resort members Aaron Billings and Richard Koenig took home the title following a closing 9-under-par 63. They posted an impressive 24-under-par for the championship to hold off John Grace of Fort Worth and Bill Holstead of Wichita Falls by two shots.

To win as members of the club was special for Billings and Koenig.

“I think it’s a good representation of Horseshoe Bay,” Billings said. “We’ve got some very good players here. I think we represented the super senior Texas Four-Ball well.”

James Long of Granbury and Buffalo Gap’s Danny Walters finished solo third at 12-under-par 204. Alan Dale and Bobby Haney of New Braunfels posted 9-under-par 207 to finish fourth.

The TGA extends its most sincere appreciation to Horseshoe Bay Resort, its staff and membership for their hospitality this week. Extra special thanks go out to Director of Golf Anthony Holder, Tournament Coordinator Holly Jenkins, Assistant General Manager Bobby Hagy, Food and Beverage Director Vildan Ruiz, Director of Agronomy Ken Gorzycki, Apple Rock Course Superintendent Michael Gale and the entire Horseshoe Bay Resort Apple Rock grounds crew for their preparation and tireless work during the championship. The players and TGA staff know how pivotal their efforts were in making the Texas Four-Ball a great week.

For more information on the 2021 Texas Four-Ball, click here.

Two Teams Share Lead Heading into Final Round at Texas Four-Ball

HORSESHOE BAY – Fort Worth’s Colby Amparan and Gary Ezmerlian share the lead at 12-under par with Derek Abel of Dallas and Chris Wheeler of Addison after the second round of play at Horseshoe Bay Resort’s Apple Rock Course.

Amparan and Ezmerlian carded a 6-under 66 for the second consecutive round. Abel and Wheeler fired off a second round 8-under 64 to put themselves in great position heading into Sunday’s final round.

“It’s been ham and egg. Especially yesterday,” Ezmerlian said. “Today I struggled on the first nine holes and Colby played great. And then I played pretty good on the last nine holes.”

Amparan and Ezmerlian, who have played in this event together five times before, bring a plethora of experience playing together in partnership golf.

“We just play a lot of partnership golf together in general,” Amparan said. “We know when to help each other. We know when to leave each other alone. We know when each other is frustrated and if they need space so that helps a lot.”

Abel and Wheeler are lifelong friends that have competed in four-ball events across the country over the past few years.

“For us we’ve played together a lot in these four-ball events,” said Abel. “Everything from the U.S. Four-Ball to these state four-balls. We kind of feed off each other and balance each other pretty well.”

The duo flexed their experience again on Saturday as Wheeler carded five birdies of his own and Abel tallied four.

Round one leaders Aaron Hickman and Rob Couture sit in solo third after a round of 2-under 70 on Friday. They sit at 11-under overall and just one shot back of the co-leaders.

“It was a bit of a struggle today,” said Hickman. “We didn’t get off to a good start and didn’t finish very well. It was a battle out there.”

Three teams are tied for fourth at 10-under par for the championship. Andrew Grice and Wesley Hansen of Austin, Gant Bills of Dallas and Scott Maurer of Plano, and Kris Devlin of Austin and Trey Todd of Abilene all carded 7-under 65’s to move up the leaderboard on Friday. All three teams will begin the final round two shots behind the co-leaders.

Following play on Saturday, the Championship Division was cut to the top 27 teams for Sunday’s final round.

In the Senior Division, two teams also share the top spot on the leaderboard 10-under-par heading into Sunday. The teams of Scott Smith and William Shock as well as Ron Finnerty and Tommy Tucker both fired 4-under-par 68s. They’ll head into Saturday’s second round with a two-stroke advantage over two teams tied for third. Don Gafner and Jim Quinn carded a 1-under 71 while Steve Love and Mike Peck toured the course with a 6-under 66.

Sitting tied for fifth at 8-under par for the tournament is Andrew Hydorn and Bill Jackson as well as Lee Sandlin and Hollis Sullivan.

The Senior Division was cut to the top 10 teams following the second round.

In the Super Senior Division, John Grace and Bill Holstead fired a 6-under par 66 to take a one stroke lead heading into Sunday’s final round. The team of Aaron Billings and Richard Koenig sit just behind in solo second after a second round 8-under 64.

Sitting six shots back in third place is Lelan Chiles and Tom Takes at 9-under-par for the tournament.

Following the second round, the Super Senior Division was cut to the top six teams and ties.

Through the years, the Horseshoe Bay Resort has hosted the Texas Amateur, Texas Father-Son, and the Texas Junior Amateur. It’s the third time the resort has been the site for the Texas Four-Ball (2007 & 2013).

The final round of the Texas Four-Ball begins Sunday at 7:45 a.m. at Horseshoe Bay Resort’s Apple Rock Course. For more information on this championship, click here.

Round One of Texas Four-Ball Suspended, Hickman and Couture Lead

HORSESHOE BAY – Aaron Hickman of Tyler and Rob Couture of Dallas hold the clubhouse lead of the Texas Four-Ball after turning in a magnificent 9-under-par 63 at Horseshoe Bay Resort’s Apple Rock Course. Due to multiple suspensions of play during the first round there are groups that were unable to finish.

Play was suspended for a total of 2 hours and 23 minutes between two delays in the late afternoon due to lightning in the area during Friday’s first round. Play will resume at 7:45 a.m. Saturday morning.

Hickman and Couture became friends through golf many years ago and now travel the country playing together. Over the years, they have played countless rounds together including last year’s Texas Four-Ball in which they finished runner-up. Though this year is only the second time the duo has teamed up in the Texas Four-Ball, Hickman and Couture had no problem navigating the Apple Rock Course on Friday.

Hickman carded five birdies on his own ball, while Couture tallied four birdies of his own. The duo went 5-under on their last eight holes en route to their opening 9-under 63 to lead the field by two.

“We got off to a good start. I birdied number one and we kind of hung in there,” Hickman said. “It wasn’t that stressful. We just played pretty solid all day.”

Despite the weather delays Hickman and Couture were able to keep their rhythm and composure.

“It’s not easy. We didn’t hit great shots coming out of the first weather delay,” Couture said. “But after that we played well coming out of the second one.”

Brady Jones of Royse City and Matt Neyra of Rockwall sit two shots back of Hickman and Couture in sole second place. Fort Worth’s Colby Amparan and Gary Ezmerlian sit in third after an opening round of 6-under 66.
Three teams are tied for fourth at 5-under par. They include Jess Bonneau and Chase Chapman, Will Glanville and Jeff Howard as well as Greg Smith and Josh Swanson.

In the Senior Division, Don Gafner and Jim Quinn sit atop the leaderboard after firing an opening round 8-under par 64. The teams of Scott Smith and William Shock, Dan Cook and Steve Miles as well as Ron Finnerty and Tommy Tucker fired 6-under-par 66s. They’ll head into Saturday’s second round with a one-stroke advantage over Dan Howard and Craig Rumora. Mike Booker and Pat Youngs are tied for sixth with Lee Sandlin and Hollis Sullivan after rounds of 4-under-par 68.

In the Super Senior Division, John Grace and Bill Holstead fired a 10-under par 62 to take a commanding three stroke lead into Saturday’s second round. The team of Aaron Billings and Richard Koenig sit behind in solo second after a first round 7-under 65.

With its spectacular setting on the shores of Horseshoe Bay, the Apple Rock resort course is one of the state’s most scenic championship golf courses in Texas. The Horseshoe Bay Resort – Apple Rock Course opened in 1985 and was designed by the highly touted Robert Trent Jones, Sr.

Jones, Sr. took full advantage of the hill country land – rolling hills, water features, and rocky terrain – to create a course that is challenging, exciting and picturesque. The course offers plenty of risk-reward shots for players of all skill levels.

Round one of the Texas Four-Ball resumes Saturday at 7:45 a.m. Once play of the second round concludes the field will be cut to the low 24 teams and ties in the Championship Division, low 10 teams and ties in the Senior Division and low six teams and ties in the Super Senior Division. For more information, click here.

Garrett Leek Wins 93rd West Texas Amateur

Briefly: Garrett Leek of Brock won the 93rd West Texas Amateur after a final round 3-under-par 69 at Abilene Country Club (South Course). The Midwestern State junior finished at 11-under overall and one stroke ahead of San Angelo’s Jansen Smith. Mike Booker of Houston won the Senior Division by one stroke after firing a 1-under 71 in the final round. Craig Urban of Abilene won the Super Senior Division by three strokes after rounds of 77-69-72.

Leaderboard:
1) Garrett Leek Brock 69-67-69 | 205
2) Jansen Smith San Angelo 71-65-70 | 206
3) David Bolen Lubbock 72-69 -67 | 208
4) Paul McNamara Dallas 74-70-65 | 209
5) Andy McCabe Dallas 71-70-70 | 211
Final Results

Golf Course: Established in 1921, Abilene Country Club features 36 holes of world-class golf that is both beautiful and challenging. The courses feature wide tree-lined fairways and superb greens that provide a great experience to all who play. The Par 72 South Course, which is being used for the championship, is regarded as one of the top golf courses in Texas by the Dallas Morning News and held PGA tour events from 1979 to 1990. It’s a championship layout that weaves its way through some of Abilene’s most unique residences. This gorgeous area is graced by over 6,000 luscious trees.

Weather: The temperature reached 90 degrees with steady winds at 6 mph.

Winner’s Info: Leek fired a final round 3-under 69 to win the 93rd West Texas Amateur. He joins an elite list of past champions. The Midwestern State junior lead or co-lead through all three rounds in route to a wire-to-wire victory.

“Coming in it’s been a rough past couple weeks,” Leek said. “I’ve been trying to focus a lot mentally. The physical part is there. I didn’t come into this week trying to win. I came into this week just trying to learn and improve. That was my main goal and I think I achieved that.”

Leek chipped in on the 17th hole to enter the final hole tied with Jansen Smith. Leek was able to birdie the par-4 18th and Smith made par.

Mike Booker won the Senior Division after two rounds in red figures. Booker took control after shooting a tournament low 8-under 64 in the second round. He capped off his final round with four birdies in route to a 1-under 71. This was Booker’s first West Texas Amateur title.

Craig Urban won the Super-Senior Division by three strokes by finishing the week at 2-over 218. Urban is a member of Abilene Country Club.

In Contention: Jansen Smith of San Angelo posted a 10-under 206 for the championship and finished solo second. David Bolen of Lubbock finished at 8-under 208 to take third. Paul McNamara made a final round push by firing a 7-under 65 to take fourth place.

What’s Next: The 2021 season continues with the Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas July 22-25. You can view the entire Texas Golf Association calendar here.

More Info: The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere appreciation to the staff and members of Abilene Country Club as well as our volunteers for their help in making the 93rd West Texas Amateur a successful event. For more information on the West Texas Amateur, click here.

Leek, Smith Share Lead at the 93rd West Texas Amateur

Briefly: Garrett Leek of Brock and Jansen Smith of San Angelo co-lead the 93rd West Texas Amateur through 36 holes. Leek fired a 5-under 67 and Smith carded a 7-under 65 in the second round. They lead the field by five strokes at 8-under 136 overall. Mike Booker of Burleson carded an 8-under 64 to take hold of the Senior Division by three strokes. Russell Cox of Waco and Craig Urban of Abilene lead the Super Senior Division by two at 146 total.

Leaderboard:
T1) Jansen Smith San Angelo 71-65 | 136
T1) Garrett Leek Brock 69-67 | 136
T3) Kellen Young Midland 71-70 | 141
T3) Andy McCabe Dallas 71-70 | 141
T3) David Bolen Lubbock 72-69 | 141
T3) Rob Couture Dallas 71-70 | 141
T7) Kevin Liberto Cypress 74-69 | 142
T7) Jason Pittman Monahans 72-70 | 142
T7) Caden Conrad Amarillo 70-72 | 142

Round 2 Results | Round 3 Pairings

Golf Course: Established in 1921, Abilene Country Club features 36 holes of world-class golf that is both beautiful and challenging. The courses feature wide tree-lined fairways and superb greens that provide a great experience to all who play. The Par 72 South Course, which is being used for the championship, is regarded as one of the top golf courses in Texas by the Dallas Morning News and held PGA tour events from 1979 to 1990. It’s a championship layout that weaves its way through some of Abilene’s most unique residences. This gorgeous area is graced by over 6,000 luscious trees.

Weather: The temperature reached 93 degrees with steady winds at 10 mph out of the southeast reaching gusts of 15 mph.

In Contention: Garrett Leek followed his 3-under 69 with a second round 5-under 67 to hold a share of the lead heading into Sunday’s final round. Leek’s round included 7 birdies on the scorecard.

“I just tried getting off with a birdie before I had any issues,” said Leek. “I got into a good rhythm early… made some putts. I only hit two bad shots really.”

Jansen Smith fired the low round of the Championship Division thus far by carding a 7-under 65 to grab a share of the lead with 18 holes remaining.

“I kind of got off to a little bit of a slow start. My ball striking wasn’t great at first but I hung in there,” said Smith. “I’ve hit it really well off the tee. I just need to keep the wedges dialed in.”

Smith who started on hole 10 made the turn at 1-under par before scorching his back nine with a 6-under 30 that included a hole-out eagle on the par-4 seventh hole.

“I just couldn’t miss for a little bit,” said Smith.

David Bolen of Lubbock shot a 3-under 69 to grab a share of third place alongside three others at 3-under 141 overall. Kellen Young of Midland, Andy McCabe of Dallas, and Rob Couture of Dallas all sit at 3-under par as well. Three players in the Championship Division sit tied for seventh at 2-under par.

In the Senior Division, Mike Booker of Houston took control by firing a tournament low round 8-under 64 that included seven birdies and an eagle.

In The Super Senior Division, Russell Cox of Waco and Craig Urban of Abilene sit atop the leaderboard at 146 total and two shots clear of the field.

Following Saturday’s second round the Championship Division is cut to the low 42 players and ties. The Senior Division is cut to the low 21 players and ties. The Super Senior is cut to the low 9 players and ties.

What’s Next: Final Round tee times start Sunday at 7:30 a.m. off No. 1 & 10 tees at Abilene Country Club (South Course.)

More Info: For more information on the 93rd West Texas Amateur, click here.

Garrett Leek Leads 93rd West Texas Amateur

Briefly: Garrett Leek of Brock leads the 93rd West Texas Amateur after an opening round 3-under-par 69. Kip Estep of Rockwall leads the Senior Division following his 3-under 69, and Russell Cox of Waco leads the Super Senior Division after a 1-over 73.

Leaderboard:
1) Garrett Leek Brock 69
T2) JT Pittman Monahans 70
T2) Colton Hilburn Brownwood 70
T2) Caden Conrad Odessa 70
T5) 8 Players Tied 71

Round 1 Results | Round 2 Pairings

Golf Course: Established in 1921, Abilene Country Club features 36 holes of world-class golf that is both beautiful and challenging. The courses feature wide tree-lined fairways and superb greens that provide a great experience to all who play. The Par 72 South Course, which is being used for the championship, is regarded as one of the top golf courses in Texas by the Dallas Morning News and held PGA tour events from 1979 to 1990. It’s a championship layout that weaves its way through some of Abilene’s most unique residences. This gorgeous area is graced by over 6,000 luscious trees.

Weather: The temperature reached 93 degrees with steady winds at 10 mph out of the southeast reaching gusts of 15 mph.

In Contention: Leek, a Midwestern State University junior from Brock, carded seven birdies for his tournament-leading 69. He credited his success to getting off to a hot start during today’s round.

“I played solid all around today,” Leek said. “I just tried to stay positive throughout the round.”

Leek birdied three of his first five holes to make the turn at 2-under par. He rolled in four more on the backside to finish at 3-under.

“At first glance the course isn’t too bad. The rough is what holds the scores. The plan is to stay in the process and take it one shot at a time,” said Leek.

A host of players sit just behind. JT Pittman of Monahans, Colton Hilburn of Brownwood, and Caden Conrad of Amarillo all sit tied for second after rounds of 2-under 70. Eight players carded rounds of 1-under 71 to collectively sit at tied for fifth (Kellen Young, Gant Bills, Cole Grossl, Andy McCabe, Parker McGlamery, Rob Couture, Gatlin Goad, Jansen Smith).

What’s Next: Round 2 starts Saturday at 7:30 a.m. off No. 1 & 10 tees at Abilene Country Club (South Course).

More Info: For more information on the 93rd West Texas Amateur, click here.

Kelting’s Defend their Crown at the Texas Father-Son

Briefly: Kyle and Derick Kelting of Amarillo were crowned Texas Father-Son champions at Crown Colony Country Club in Lufkin after winning on the first playoff hole over Matt and Will Griffin of San Antonio. The teams finished the 54-hole tournament tied at 3-under-par 285. The Keltings, who were playing in just their second Texas Father-Son, defended their title from last year when they were declared co-champions with the Griffin’s.

Leaderboard: Championship Flight
1) Kelting, Derick / Kelting, Kyle Amarillo, Amarillo 64-69-152—285 *
2) Griffin, Matt / Griffin, Will San Antonio, San Antonio 65-73-147—285
3) Reynolds, Jay / Reynolds, Peach Austin, Austin 69-71-149—289
*Won in Playoff
Final Results

Championship Flight Update: For the final round, the top-half of the Championship Flight played combined score. This format puts more dependency on each player of the team.

The Kelting’s won the Father-Son Championship Flight on the par-5 first playoff hole after combining for a 9 shot total to best the Griffin team’s 10 shot total.

Derick made birdie and Kyle made par to clinch the playoff for the Kelting’s. Will made birdie and Matt made bogey for the Griffin’s.

Both the Kelting’s and Griffin’s were crowned co-champions last year. Due to COVID-19, there was no playoff. This year, however, the teams were able to settle the score.

“We really didn’t play well today” Derick said. “But we grinded it out and were able to hit the shots we needed.”

It’s the duo’s second time to play in the event, but no youth has been shown. Two appearances and two wins.

“It’s definitely a tricky course and demands your full attention on every hole”, said Kyle.

Peach and Jay Reynolds of Austin finished the week in third at 1-over 289 total. Coming in just behind was Ryan and Watson Hill of Longview tied for fourth along with Charles and Brandon Rougeau of Brenham/Round Rock at 3-over 291 total.

Presidents Flight Update: Following Round 2, the Championship Flight was cut to the top-18 and ties. The remaining 15 teams made up the Presidents Flight for the final round. The Championship Flight played combined score and the Presidents Flight continued playing four-ball.

The Presidents Flight was competitive to the very end much like the Championship flight was.

Three teams were crowned as co-champions at the end of Sunday’s final round. Mike and Andy Campen of Austin/The Hills, Brannon and Cullen Smith of Midland/Angleton, and Niko and James Nebout of League City all finished at 5-over 221 totals for the week. With a victory in the Presidents Flight, the teams earn an automatic exemption into next year’s Texas Father-Son.

Net Flights Update: The Hogan Flight was won by Charles and Nick Archer of Rockwall/Rowlett after firing a final round 7-under 65. Host club team John and Jack Kennedy of Lufkin finished in second place.

Diana’s Jackson and Ken Sampson topped the Nelson Flight with a final round 4-under 68. Finishing runner-up was Dallas’s Benjamin and Lloyd Hughes.

Jamey and Aaron Freisleben of Montgomery/Spring fired a final round 9-under 63 to capture the Crenshaw Flight. They won the flight by 12 strokes over Corbin and Robert Janssen of Houston/Sugarland.

In the Kite Flight, Dallas’s Chris and Paul Divis won by carding a final round 3-under 69. They finished one shot ahead of two teams tied at 3-under par for the week.

Golf Course: Crown Colony was founded in 1979 on 750 acres of timberland in East Texas, in the middle of the piney woods. Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin designed the championship course. Golf, tennis, swimming and a host of other activities are offered at Crown Colony. For any golf fanatic, it’s a great course to play. Settled in the tall pine trees of East Texas Crown Colony is known for its small green complexes, strategic bunkering, and demanding tee shots. The par-72 course is consistently classed as one of the “Top 10” by the Dallas Morning News since 1995. Additionally, it has been rated by Golfweek as one of the top destinations in the State of Texas since 2004. Today’s total yardage was 6,467 yards for the Championship division and 5,988 yards for the Net division.

Weather: The temperature reached 90 degrees with scattered showers in the morning.

What’s Next: The 2021 season continues with the 93rd West Texas Amateur at Abilene Country Club in Abilene from July 16-18. The 2022 Texas Father-Son will be at Wichita Falls Country Club in Wichita Falls.

More Info: For more information on the Texas Father-Son, click here.

Kelting’s Retain Lead at Texas Father-Son

Briefly: Kyle and Derick Kelting of Amarillo followed an opening round 8-under 64 with a 3-under par 69. The defending Texas Father-Son co-champions have a one-stroke lead heading into Sunday’s final round at Crown Colony Country Club in Lufkin.

Leaderboard: Championship Flight
1) Kelting, Derick / Kelting, Kyle Amarillo, Amarillo 64-69–133
2) Rougeau, Brandon / Rougeau, Charles Round Rock, Brenham 65-69–134
3) Hill, Ryan / Hill, Watson Longview, Longview 69-66–135
4) Griffin, Matt / Griffin, Will San Antonio, San Antonio 65-73–138

Complete Round 2 Results | Round 3 Pairings

In Contention: The Kelting’s retained their round one lead by putting together another solid round. Kyle (father) and Derick (son) put themselves in great position to repeat as Father-Son champions.

The team started the second round off with a double bogey but rolled in five birdies the rest of the way. Derick rolled in each of the five birdies at the third, eighth, thirteenth, sixteenth and eighteenth holes.

With one round remaining the Kelting’s hold a one-shot lead over Brandon and Charles Rougeau of Round Rock/Brenham. The Rougeau’s also carded a 3-under 69 in the second round.

“We’ve never played this course before prior to this week” Brandon said. “It’s a short course. Just keeping the ball in play is pretty much our main strategy.”

It’s also the duo’s first time to play in the event, but that hasn’t stopped them from climbing the leaderboard to solo second place heading into Sunday’s final round.

“If we hit the ball like we have been tomorrow then we should compete”, said Charles.

Sitting in third place after a 6-under 66 is Ryan and Watson Hill of Longview. The Hill’s sit at 9-under overall and two shots back of the lead. Just behind in fourth are the co-defending champions Matt and Will Griffin of San Antonio at 6-under. Rounding out the top five is Daniel and Nick Shapiro of The Colony/Plano at 5-under par.

The Championship Flight will be divided into two flights for the final round. The top 18 and ties after two rounds will play combined score. The remaining reams will play in the President’s Flight a third round of gross four-ball stroke play.

Net Flights Update: The Hogan Flight, will be a showdown between two Crown Colony teams. Justin Blackledge and Wes Welch of Midland/Lufkin lead after another round of 4-under 68. Just behind are John and Jack Kennedy of Lufkin.

Lloyd and Benjamin Hughes of Dallas continue to lead the Nelson flight after carding a 2-under 70. The duo leads the flight by 2 strokes over Diana’s Jackson and Ken Sampson.

The low round of the day came from the Crenshaw Flight. Jamey and Aaron Freisleben fired a 7-under 65 to vault into second place. Chris and Hudson Henrattie of Arlington lead by one after a second round 3-under 69.

Steve and Marshall Kerns of Houston/Fort Worth sit tied atop the leaderboard at 4-under in the Kite Flight alongside David and David Cash of Cottonwood Shores/Spicewood.

Shot of the Day: Robert Gwin aced the par-3 seventh hole in Saturday’s second round. He used a 50-degree wedge from 140-yards. This was his seventh career hole-in-one.

Golf Course: Crown Colony was founded in 1979 on 750 acres of timberland in East Texas, in the middle of the piney woods. Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin designed the championship course. Golf, tennis, swimming and a host of other activities are offered at Crown Colony. For any golf fanatic, it’s a great course to play. Settled in the tall pine trees of East Texas Crown Colony is known for its small green complexes, strategic bunkering, and demanding tee shots. The par-72 course is consistently classed as one of the “Top 10” by the Dallas Morning News since 1995. Additionally, it has been rated by Golfweek as one of the top destinations in the State of Texas since 2004. Today’s total yardage was 6,470 yards for the Championship division and 5,969 yards for the Net division.

Weather: The temperature reached 93 degrees and 9 mph winds from the south.

What’s Next: Final round tee times start Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. off No. 1 & 10 tees at Crown Colony Country Club.

More Info: For more information on the Texas Father-Son, click here.

Kelting’s Lead Father-Son After Round One

Briefly: Kyle and Derick Kelting of Amarillo lead the Texas Father-Son after an opening round 8-under-par 64 at Crown Colony Country Club in Lufkin. The defending Texas Father-Son co-champions carded six birdies and an eagle to lead the field by one stroke through Round 1.

Leaderboard: Championship Flight
1) Kelting, Derick / Kelting, Kyle Amarillo, Amarillo 64
T2) Rougeau, Brandon / Rougeau, Charles Round Rock, Brenham 65
T2) Griffin, Matt / Griffin, Will San Antonio, San Antonio 65
4) Salcedo, Juan / Salcedo, Juan The Woodlands, The Woodlands 67

In Contention: The Kelting’s, co-defending champions, showcased their abilities as teammates once again. The team earned co-champion last year at Omni Barton Creek’s – Fazio Foothills. Kyle (father) and Derick (son) put together another great round on Friday to put themselves in great position heading into the weekend.

“Derick played really well today,” Kyle said. “But, I helped on a few holes.”

Derick got off to a hot start by going 3-under through the first three holes in Friday’s first round. Kyle added a birdie on the par-3 seventh and Derick rolled one in on the par-4 ninth to make the turn at 5-under par. On the backside, Kyle carded birdies on the 11th and 14th holes to go along with Derick’s birdie on the par-5 13th hole.

“Staying out of the tress, iron play and putting really helped us out today,” Kyle said. “Definitely iron play, wedge play, and we putted it well. It wasn’t like we made a lot of putts, but we made the ones we were supposed to.”

The duo had never played the course prior to this week but were able to card a bogey-free round amidst a scattered shower day in Lufkin.

“The course is pretty tricky and a little tight,” Derick said. “Being from Amarillo we’re used to playing on bent grass greens not bermuda greens, but these roll really good”.

The Kelting’s hold a one-shot advantage over two other teams. Will and Matt Griffin of San Antonio, who were crowned co-champions alongside the Kelting’s last year, fired an opening round 7-under 65 to sit tied for second. Also coming in at 7-under was Brandon and Charles Rougeau of Round Rock/Brenham.

The Woodlands’ Juan and Juan Salcedo Jr. sit alone in fourth place after carding a 5-under 67 in round one. Two teams sit tied in fifth place at 3-under par.

Net Flights Update: In the Hogan Flight, Joe and Joey Quirk of Richardson share the lead with the host club exemption team Justin Blackledge and Wes Welch of Midland/Lufkin after rounds of 4-under 68. They lead the flight by two strokes over Charles and Nick Archer of Rockwall/Rowlett.

The low round of the day for the net divisions came in the Nelson Flight. Lloyd and Benjamin Hughes of Dallas fired a 7-under 65. The duo leads the flight by 4 strokes over Diana’s Jackson and Ken Sampson.

In the Crenshaw Flight, Chris and Hudson Henrattie of Arlington carded an opening round 5-under-par 67. They lead Corbin and Robert Janssen of Houston/Sugarland by one stroke.

Steve and Marshall Kerns of Houston/Fort Worth shot an opening round of 2-under par 70 to grab the lead in the Kite flight over three teams tied at 1-under.

Golf Course: Crown Colony was founded in 1979 on 750 acres of timberland in East Texas, in the middle of the piney woods. Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin designed the championship course. Golf, tennis, swimming and a host of other activities are offered at Crown Colony. For any golf fanatic, it’s a great course to play. Settled in the tall pine trees of East Texas Crown Colony is known for its small green complexes, strategic bunkering, and demanding tee shots. The par-72 course is consistently classed as one of the “Top 10” by the Dallas Morning News since 1995. Additionally, it has been rated by Golfweek as one of the top destinations in the State of Texas since 2004. Today’s total yardage was 6,490 yards for the Championship division and 6,003 yards for the Net division.

Weather: The temperature reached 82 degrees with scattered showers throughout the day. There was a 45-minute rain delay in the morning that pushed back afternoon starting times.

What’s Next: Round 2 tee times start Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. off No. 1 & 10 tees at Crown Colony Country Club.

Texas Girls’ Invitational Set for Feb. 13-15

MONTGOMERY – The Texas Girls’ Invitational returns to Bentwater Yacht & Country Club from Feb. 13-15 with the girls-only event set to take on the Weiskopf Course.

Conducted by the Legends Junior Tour, the Texas Girls’ Invitational was modeled after the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship and the Texas Cup Invitational. The tournament has taken on its own identity and has become one of the top events in the state.

The championship was originally 36 holes and ranked by Golfweek and Junior Golf Scoreboard and was held in the fall. In 2019, the event was moved to February and became a 54-hole championship with World Amateur Golf Ranking points up for grabs. The tournament also offers numerous AJGA Performance Stars to the top finishers including 12 for the champion.

Bentwater Yacht & Country Club is hosting the Texas Girls’ Invitational for the seventh time in the championship’s history. The dedicated TGA member club was originally built in 1993 by two renowned golf course architects, Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. Their efforts created broad, rolling fairways and TiffDwarf greens that wind through the signature forests of hardwood and pines along Lake Conroe. The Texas Girls’ Invitational was played at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club from 2012-2016 and in 2020.

“We are very excited to host the Texas Girls’ Invitational again and welcome some of the best junior girls back to Montgomery,” Bentwater Yacht & Country Club Head Golf Professional Cord Roberson said. “The camaraderie among the juniors is great and hosting this event has had a positive impact on our community as well.”

The 2021 starting field boasts some of the best junior girls in the country.

Lauren Nguyen of Katy is in the field. The two-time LJT Girls 12-18 Player of the Year (2019-20) and 94th Texas Junior Amateur champion will look to improve on her T6 finish from last year. Nguyen recently committed to play collegiate golf for Texas A&M University and will make her first start of the season in Montgomery.

Other notables competing at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club include the 94th Texas Junior Amateur Girls 14 & Under champion Sidney Robertson of Chandler, the 2021 Winter Classic champion Maggie Ni of Cypress, the 2020 James A. Ragan Memorial champion Darrelyn Webster of Austin and the 2020 Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship champion Farah O’Keefe of Austin.

Last year’s Texas Girls’ Invitational was conducted over two days. The field played 36 holes on Sunday and finished the 54-hole championship on Monday. Ashley Yen of Houston carded rounds of 72-69-73 to finish at 2-under par overall and win by three strokes. Yen, the 2020 USGA-AJGA Leadership Award recipient, recently committed to the admissions process at Yale University and plans to play collegiately.

The Texas Girls’ Invitational champion will have her name engraved on the ‘Nez Muhleman Trophy. Inez “Nez” Muhleman of Houston was known for her dedication to junior golf. Muhleman never missed a girls’ national championship until she retired in 2010. In 2011, she received the USGA Joe Dey Award, which is the organization’s highest honor for volunteerism, for her service to the game and for establishing the Junior Girls’ Travel Fund to help young Texans afford travel expenses to the U.S. Girls’ Junior.

Past champions of this girls-only championship include Kaci McCartan, Lakareber Abe, Maddie McCrary, Vanessa Ha, Jaravee Boonchant, Anne Chen, Makenzie Niblett and Hailey Jones. This is the first Major Championship for the girls of the 2021 LJT season.

“This is one of the best events for girls to compete in each year, “LJT Tournament Director Kevin Porter said. “The Texas Girls’ Invitational is always competitive and this year’s field will be tested.”

For more information on the Texas Girls’ Invitational, please click here.

About the LJT: The Legends Junior Tour is part of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance, which is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern and Southern PGA and Houston Golf Association. The tour operates as part of the Texas Golf Association and its foundation. Since its inception in 2005, the tour has provided funds to promote junior golf initiatives while conducting some of the state’s top junior championships including the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship, Texas Junior Amateur and the Texas Girls’ Invitational as well as