40th Texas Mid-Amateur Set for Sept. 29-Oct. 1

Midland Country Club will be the host site for the 40th Texas Mid-Amateur, the last of this year’s four men’s major amateur championships conducted by the TGA. The championship, which features the state’s top male amateur golfers aged 25 and older, is scheduled for Sept. 29-Oct. 1.

This will be the second Texas Mid-Amateur and 12th overall TGA championship to be held at the venerable West Texas club. In total, Midland Country Club has played host to six different TGA championships in its 96-year history, including the Texas Amateur, Women’s Texas Amateur, Texas Senior Amateur, West Texas Amateur, and Women’s Four-Ball. In addition, the club was also the site of the Web.com Tour’s (now Korn Ferry Tour) WNB Golf Classic from 2002-14.

“We are very excited to return to Midland Country Club for the 40th Texas Mid-Amateur,” said Chris Untiedt, TGA Senior Tournament Director. “To have the opportunity to conduct one of our major championships at such a great venue is truly special and we know the membership and staff will provide an outstanding experience for the players.”

Founded in 1927, Midland Country Club began as a nine-hole course with sand greens. The club moved to its current location in the mid-1950s with an 18-hole course designed by Texas Golf Hall of Fame member Ralph Plummer. The course has undergone several modifications through the years, and in 2017 the architectural firm of Weibring-Wolfard Golf Design completed a comprehensive renovation in time for the club’s 90th anniversary.

The 11-month, multimillion-dollar project included building all new tees, greens, bunkers, and water features to enhance and fortify the strategic elements of Plummer’s original design. The par-72 layout, which can stretch to 7,450 yards from the back tees, is spread out across 350 acres and presents an exacting challenge to even the most accomplished players.

“Midland Country Club has proven over time to be a formidable test of golf and we are certain it will once again provide a spectacular setting for this year’s championship,” Untiedt said.

The starting field for the 40th Texas Mid-Amateur will be comprised of 132 players who earned entry into the championship through an exemption category or successfully advanced out of 18-hole qualifying held at 14 sites statewide from July 17-Sept. 19.

Format for the championship is 54 holes individual stoke play. All contestants will play 18 holes Sept. 29-30. After 36 holes the field will be cut to the low 54 scorers and ties heading into the final round. In addition to the prize awarded to the overall champion, there also will be special recognition for the mid-master (players aged 40 and older) returning the lowest 54-hole score.

Starting times and pairings for the first and second rounds will be posted on the TGA website no later than Sept. 26. Live scoring updates and daily recaps will also be available online once the action gets underway from Midland Country Club.

The list of decorated amateurs who will assemble in West Texas is headed by Ryan O’Rear of Georgetown, who captured his second Texas Mid-Amateur title last year at Abilene Country Club’s South Course. O’Rear, whose first victory came in 2020 at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio, carded rounds of 66-69-70 to finish at 11-under-par 205 and earned a one-stroke victory over runner-up Zach Atkinson of Colleyville. Atkinson, a two-time TGA state champion (2004 Texas Amateur, 2016 Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play), also earned low mid-master honors.

Eight other past Texas Mid-Amateur champions will join O’Rear in the starting field. They are Frederick Janneck of Fort Worth (who won in 2021), Christopher Wheeler of Addison (2019), Colby Harwell of San Antonio (2017-18), Joshua Irving of Dallas (2016), Terence Begnel of Midland (2014), Clay Hodge of Tyler (2013), Rob Couture of Celina (2008), and Mike Booker of Houston (2003).

Among the other notable players competing are 2020 and 2023 Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play champion Aaron Hickman of Tyler and 2023 South Mid-Amateur champion Logan Thomason of Montgomery, as well as top finishers returning from last year’s championship including Atkinson, Colby Amparan of Fort Worth (5th), Trey Todd of Abilene (T6), Ryan Zamorano of Dallas (T6), Dan Depasquale of Austin (T8), Josh Pasco of Midland (T8), and Cole Wiederkehr of Fort Worth (T8).

Houston’s Durbin Wins 86th Texas Senior Amateur

AMARILLO – Gary Durbin of Houston finished at 3-under-par after 54 holes at Amarillo Country Club and won the 86^th Texas Senior Amateur. This win marks Durbin’s third in the last six years.

“It’s beyond belief, one of my goals was to match my dear friend Mike Rice, who’s name is on that trophy three times,” said Durbin reflecting on his victory.

“Today was probably the toughest day, so you really had to hit some quality shots,” said Durbin. “This golf course you have to play from the fairway as it’s very tough to play from the rough.”

Durbin started the day one stroke back and found himself two back after a bogey on the par-3 second. He made birdie on No. 7, which gave him the lead, which he wouldn’t relinquish.

“I managed my game well today and kept hanging in there by making some key birdies,” said Durbin.

Durbin made a bogey on the par-4 10^th but bounced back with a birdie on the par-3 11^th. His drive found the right bunker on No. 12 and he was able to escape and get up-and-down for a par. He made par on Nos. 13-15 before knocking in a birdie on the par-4 16^th. He found the greenside rough on No. 17 and would make double-bogey, but still had a two-stroke lead on the 18^th tee.

He laid up short of the water and then hit a shot into the heart of the 18^th green. From there he two-putted for par and sealed his victory at Amarillo Country Club.

Burleson’s Lewis Stephenson finished solo second after posting the low round on Sunday. Stephenson made five birdies on the day, including the par-5 18^th which played right into the south wind. The past champion jumped up two spots on the day to claim runner-up honors.

San Antonio’s Bobby Baugh and Houston’s Sandy Pierce finished tied for third at even-par. Baugh was the 36-hole leader and finished with rounds of 69-68-76. Pierce is the defending Texas Senior Amateur Champion and fellow Champions Golf Club member with Durbin. Pierce was 4-over on the day after seven holes but finished 2-under in his last 11 to get to even-par overall.

Tray Tyner of Kerrville shot 1-under 70 and finished tied for fifth with Terrence Miskell of New Braunfels. Amarillo’s Kyle Kelting and Texarkana’s Chuck Gardner finished tied for seventh, while reigning Texas Golf Association Senior Player of the Year Mike Booker finished ninth.

The conditions were tough for the final day of the tournament, with winds gusting up to 35 miles per hour throughout the day. The winds switched out of the south, which serves as the prevailing wind, allowing Amarillo Country Club to show its strength.

This is the first time the Texas Senior Amateur has come out to Amarillo Country Club and the course put up a strong test over three days. The scoring average was 77.55 and the field produced a total of 506 birdies and five eagles for the week. The Texas Golf Association thanks the Amarillo CC staff, membership and committees for hosting this year’s event.

The Texas Senior Amateur is the state’s premier event for male golfers age 55 and older. This year’s championship featured a 144-player field that was made up from exemptions and 18-hole qualifiers. The qualifying schedule spanned across the state and saw more than 200 players attempt to qualify.

With this win Durbin secures 1,250 points towards the Senior Player of the Year. Mike Booker entered this week leading the 2023 Texas Senior Player of the Year race and earned 450 points with his ninth-place finish.

The 87^th Texas Senior Amateur will head to Byron Nelson Sports Club in Las Colinas next September. Qualifying sites will be announced by the new year and the players will take on the former tour stop.

For more information on the 86^th Texas Senior Amateur, click here. To see all the scores click here.

Baugh Leads Texas Senior Amateur after 36 Holes

AMARILLO – Bobby Baugh of San Antonio finished with back-to-back birdies on Saturday and climbed atop the 86^th Texas Senior Amateur leaderboard after two rounds. Baugh is 5-under through 36 holes at Amarillo Country Club.

“I had a really good drive on eight to set up a pitching wedge from 137 yards, which was hit to five feet and I made it,” said Baugh regarding his finish. “The final hole I hit a drive in the left rough, then missed the green to the left. Hit a flop shot to about six feet and I made the putt.”

Baugh hit 16 of 18 fairways and greens in his second round but credited his putter for his solid play on Saturday.

“That’s what I’ve been struggling the most with lately, the putting,” said Baugh. “I’ve hit the ball well and luckily the hole got in the way of the ball a few times today.”

Following rounds of 69-68 in the first two days, Baugh seeks the Texas Senior Amateur title and will play alongside the last two champions of the tournament.

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow and feel a lot better after having a good round of putting.”

Joining Baugh in the final pairing on Sunday, will be Round 1 co-leaders Gary Durbin and Sandy Pierce of Houston.

Durbin shot even-par 71 in the second round. He was the winner of this event in 2021 and 2019 and looks to become the sixth three-time winner of this event. Durbin’s rounds of 67-71 have him at 4-under-par.

Pierce posted a round of 2-over 73 on Saturday and is the defending champion. He is looking to become the first back-to-back winner since Don Addington won in 1997-1998. Through 36 holes he has made eight birdies and four bogeys or worse and is 2-under-par.

Tied for fourth is Texarakana’s Chuck Gardner and Burleson’s Lewis Stephenson. Gardner played 2-under in his second round, making four birdies as he moved 12 spots up the leaderboard. Stephenson, who is also a two-time winner of this event, stayed consistent with rounds of 71-72 to get to 1-over.

Terrence Miskell of New Braunfels is in sixth place at 2-over-par, while Aledo’s Wayne Wright is in seventh at 3-over. Five players are tied for eighth at 4-over, two players tied for 14^th at 5-over and six players tied for 15^th at 6-over.

The tournament was cut following the second round with 58 players finishing at 10-over or better on Saturday.

Through 36 holes, the 144-player field amassed 435 birdies and played to an average score of 77.6 at Amarillo Country Club. There were five total eagles with three of them coming on the par-5 ninth which plays 502 yards. The course played 6,622 yards in the second round.

Amarillo Country Club underwent a renovation in 2013 and features a compact par-71 layout on the northwest side of town. The routing offers a variety of left-to-right and right-to-left holes that are bordered by trees. There are only six penalty areas around the routing with the perimeter being the lone boundary to avoid.

This is the first time Amarillo CC is hosting the Texas Senior Amateur and joins an exclusive list of past host sites such as Champions Golf Club, Oak Hills Country Club, Brook Hollow Country Club and Midland Country Club. The tournament was first held at San Antonio Country Club in 1937 and was held there for the first 23 years. The Texas Senior Amateur returned to West Texas for the first time since 2010, when Odessa Country Club hosted.

Temperatures started in the low 60s on Saturday and reached the low 90s by the afternoon. Winds were steady but not as strong as the previous day as gusts were up to 20 miles per hour in the afternoon.

The Final Round is set to begin at 8:00 am off the No. 1 and 10 tees on Sunday, September 10. Pairings can be viewed by clicking here. For more information on the 86^th Texas Senior Amateur, click here. To see all the scores from the first two rounds, click here.

Pierce and Durbin Share Lead at Texas Senior Amateur

AMARILLO – Sandy Pierce and Gary Durbin of Houston each posted rounds of 4-under 67 at Amarillo Country Club and sit atop the 86^th Texas Senior Amateur field after the first round. Both players are seeking another win in the Texas Golf Association’s Senior Amateur Championship.

Pierce’s round started off hot with birdies on the par-4 first, fourth and seventh holes and finished the front nine with a four on the par-5 ninth. He added another birdie on the par-3 12^th to get to 5-under, but made bogey on the par-4 12^th.

“All-in-all I’m thrilled,” said Pierce following his round. “Sixty-seven on this course is a great score for me.”

Pierce is defending his win from last year’s championship, which was held at Champions Golf Club in Houston. He posted rounds of 72-71-68 to get to 2-under overall and won in a playoff.

“Coming back this year and just seeing how many good players there are competing helped me realize what an achievement it was,” said Pierce. “As far as this week goes I’m going to try and keep doing what I’m doing and at the end of the week we’ll see where I stand.”

Durbin played in the afternoon and made an eagle on the par-5 ninth to get to 4-under-par and match the low score posted on Friday.

“I hit a really good drive and had 183 yards left, hit a seven iron to five feet and rolled it in,” said Durbin regarding his eagle on his last hole of the day.

Durbin is seeking his third victory in the Texas Senior Amateur after winning in 2021 at Westwood Golf Club and in 2019 at Deerwood Club. This is his first time playing Amarillo Country Club and he spoke about the importance of keeping the ball in the fairway.

“I think it’s critical at this golf course to drive the ball well,” said Durbin. “This is my first time being up at Amarillo Country Club and it’s a really good golf course.”

In third place is Terrence Miskell, who shot 3-under 68 in his opening round. The New Braunfels native was even-par through his first ten holes but made birdie on four of his next five holes. He dropped a shot on the par-4 eighth and made par on the ninth, which was his final hole, to finish at 3-under and one stroke behind the leaders.

Bobby Baugh of San Antonio made eagle on the par-5 18^th to finish at 2-under 69. Baugh was one of four players to finish in red numbers on the par-71 layout at Amarillo CC, which played to 6,685 yards in the First Round.

Amarillo’s Ralph Ellis posted a score of even-par 71 and sits tied for fifth. Burleson’s Lewis Stephenson equaled his even-par score on Friday and is a two-time champion of this event (2016 & 2018).

Five players finished tied for seventh at 1-over, while four players finished tied for 12^th at 2-over heading into Saturday’s second round.

Amarillo Country Club was established in 1919 and boasts a deep tradition of hosting amateur and professional events. The club hosted the Amarillo Open in 1990, which was won by Lindy Miller from Fort Worth. The course saw a renovation in 2013 by D.A. Weibring and Steve Wolfard before hosting the 2016 Women’s Senior Stroke Play and the 2018 West Texas Amateur, which are both conducted by the Texas Golf Association.

This year’s field features 144 of the top senior golfers in the state, including 10 past champions as well as the reigning Senior Player of the Year. Players earned their way into the tournament through exemptions or competing in one of five qualifiers around the state. This was the first year, the TGA installed 18-hole qualifying for the Texas Senior Amateur.

Temperatures started in the low 60s on Friday but crept up into the mid-90s by 2:00 pm. The winds also intensified for the afternoon wave with gusts out of the north up to 35 miles per hour.

The Second Round is set to begin at 7:45 am off the No. 1 and 10 tees on Saturday, September 9. Pairings can be viewed by clicking here. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the low 54 players and ties heading into Sunday’s Final Round.

For more information on the 86^th Texas Senior Amateur, click here. To see all the scores from the first round, click here.

86th Texas Senior Amateur Set for Sept. 8-10

Amarillo Country Club will be the host site for the 86th Texas Senior Amateur, the third of this year’s four men’s major amateur championships conducted by the Texas Golf Association (TGA). The championship, which features the state’s top amateur golfers aged 55 and older, is scheduled for Sept. 8-10.

The Texas Senior will be the third TGA championship to be held at the historic Texas Panhandle club, which previously hosted the 2016 Women’s Senior Stroke Play, won by Texas Golf Hall of Famer Carolyn Creekmore, and the 2018 West Texas Amateur, won by David Bolen.

“We are honored to be back at Amarillo Country Club and to have the opportunity to conduct one of most important championships at such a remarkable venue,” said Chris Untiedt, TGA Senior Tournament Director. “The club has been a tremendous supporter of amateur golf and it is a privilege to be working with the members and staff in providing a truly memorable experience for the players.”

Established in 1919 by banker and oilman Charles Fisk, Amarillo Country Club was the first of its kind in the region. The course was designed by William McConnell, who took advantage of the natural terrain of what was once rolling farmland to create the challenging layout. Warren Cantrell renovated the course in 1960, with additional revisions completed by Jay Morrish in 1983.

After nearly 30 years without any significant upgrades, in 2011 the membership approved an extensive modernization plan overseen by Weibring-Wolfard Golf Design. The multimillion-dollar project touched on every aspect of the course including the rerouting of several holes, regrading landing zones and approaches, repositioning tees and bunkers, and rebuilding and reshaping green complexes. To improve playing conditions, more than 350 trees were removed, a new irrigation and drainage system was installed, and the course was reseeded with cool-season grasses.

The impressive renovation produced an exacting par-71 layout, which can now stretch to nearly 7,000 yards, highlighted by twisting doglegs in both directions, deep bunkers, canted greens, and thick fescue rough around the playing perimeters.

“Amarillo has a remarkable variety of holes and is a great test of strategy and execution,” Untiedt said. “The course is going to be in fantastic condition for the championship and we are confident it will provide a tremendous arena for the talented senior amateurs to showcase their skills.”

To continue to ensure the strongest fields possible for the state’s premier senior amateur championship, an 18-hole qualifying stage has been established for all except exempt players, beginning in 2023. In addition, there are also expanded pathways into the championship through increased exemption categories, including the top players ranked in the World Amateur Golf Rankings®.

Sandy Pierce of Houston won last year’s Texas Senior Amateur in a playoff at Champions Golf Club’s Jackrabbit Course and is one of seven past champions among the 70 players who were fully exempt from having to qualify. Joining Pierce are Gary Durbin of Houston (who won in 2019 and 2021), John Derrick of Waco (2020), Lewis Stephenson of Burleson (2016, ’18), Mike Booker of Houston (2015), Mike Peck of Irving (2013), and Chuck Palmer of Dallas (2012).

Among the other exempt players are current North Senior Amateur champion John Schaefer of Plano and Texas Super Senior champion Chuck Gardner of Texarkana, as well as top finishers from the 2022 championship including Andrew Hydorn of Houston (Runner-Up), Terrence Miskell of New Braunfels (T3), Kyle Kelting of Amarillo (T3), David Ortego of Spring (T6), Lee Sandlin of Dallas (T9), and Tray Tyner of Kerrville (T9).

The remaining 74 spots in the 144-player starting field have been filled with the players who successfully advanced out of the 18-hole qualifiers held Aug. 1-22 at five sites statewide.

The format for the championship is 54 holes of individual stroke play. All contestants play 18 holes on both Sept. 8-9. After 36 holes the field will be cut to the low 54 scorers and ties heading into the final round.

Starting times and pairings for the first and second rounds will be posted on the TGA website no later than Sept. 4. Live scoring updates and daily recaps will also be available online once the action gets underway from Amarillo Country Club.

Hickman and Smith Win Texas Four-Ball 

LONGVIEW – Aaron Hickman and Rory Smith of Tyler won the 48th Texas Four-Ball on Sunday at Pinecrest Country Club. The local natives, who finished at 17-under 193 total, defeated Anthony Estorga and Jake Istnick in a three-hole playoff. This is Hickman’s fourth Texas Four-Ball title and Smith’s first. 

Hickman and Smith came into Sunday’s final round six shots back of Istnick and Estorga but vaulted up the leaderboard with a scorching 8-under 62 to force the playoff. Smith had an impressive seven birdies to pace the team. 

On the third playoff hole, the par-4 12th, Hickman threw a dart to four feet on his approach shot. It was a similar length putt to the one he had to win on the first playoff hole. This time however, Hickman calmly sank it and capped it off with a fist pump. 

“We played spectacular and made a ton of birdies all three days, especially on Saturday and Sunday,” Hickman said. “We birdied the last three holes in regulation, so it was a lot of pats on the back for Rory.” 

Of Smith’s impressive seven birdies on Sunday, three of them came on the final three holes of regulation. 

“We stayed mentally ready and knew we had a chance,” Smith said. “Aaron’s won a bunch of TGA events. This will be my first victory and I’ll forever be in the annals of the TGA as a champion so I’m pretty pleased.” 

Even after four Texas Four-Ball titles (2011, 2012, 2015), Hickman still understands what it means to win a state championship in Texas. 

“It’s always hard to win so when you do win, it’s great,” Hickman said. “I’m glad Rory got his first win. He can win a lot of these if he chooses to. Winning is hard so anytime you get to do that, it’s good.” 

The TCU product has been having a fantastic year as he recently captured the Mid-Am Match Play title back in July. 

Finishing runner-up, it was a valiant effort from 36-hole leaders Istnick and Estorga. The duo carded a final round 2-under 68 to finish at 17-under for the tournament. They had steadily maintained their lead throughout the final round until the par-4 16th where they made bogey to drop back into a tie with Hickman and Smith. 

At 15-under 195 total for the tournament, there was a three-way tie between Casey Carnes of Shertz and Michael Carnes of New Braunfels, Addison’s Chris Wheeler and Derek Abel of Dallas, and Tyler’s Seth Murphy and Dallas’ Scott Maurer. 

Georgetown’s Doug Northcutt and Brent Barclay of Santa Fe captured the Senior Division win behind a final round 3-under 67. The team finished at 14-under 196 total and were thrilled to capture the title. 

“It’s a big deal to win a state title,” Barclay said. 

Despite starting their final round 2-over through six holes, Northcutt and Barclay knew if they hung in there, they’d have a chance.  

“We’ve been looking forward to this for ten years,” Northcutt explained. “Neither of us have ever competed in a statewide event with the TGA. It means a lot.” 

New Braunfels’ Terrence Miskell and Titus Harris of Houston earned runners-up honors after finishing at 13-under 197 total for the tournament. A final round 5-under 65 left them one shot shy of forcing a playoff. 

Pinecrest Country Club’s own Bruce Smith and his partner Rob Willbanks of Kilgore shared third place with Montgomery’s Scott Smith and William Shock of Houston. 

In the Super Senior Division, Irving’s Michael Puls and Houston’s Tom Burns repeated as Super Senior Division Champions of the Texas Four-Ball after finishing at 10-under for the tournament. The back-to-back winners won in a playoff over Wichita Falls’ Bill Holstead and John Grace of Fort Worth. 

“We had a really fun time,” Puls said. “You guys do a great job. We appreciate everything the TGA does. It makes it easy for us to just show up and play and everything’s taken care of.” 

This was the first TGA championship held at Pinecrest Country Club, which recently marked its 100th anniversary. The Texas Golf Association would like to extend a big thank you to their entire staff and membership for allowing us to host this year’s championship at their facilities.  

For more information on the 48th Texas Four-Ball, click here. 

Estorga and Istnick’s Lead Grows at Texas Four-Ball

LONGVIEW – Anthony Estorga and Jake Istnick of Dallas maintained their lead of the 48th Texas Four-Ball by carding a superb 6-under-par 64 at Pinecrest Country Club in round two. Estorga and Istnick, who sit at 15-under for the tournament, will take a four shot lead into Sunday’s final round. 

It was another shared effort from Estorga and Istnick on Saturday. Estorga, a product of UT Arlington, had four birdies on his own ball, while Istnick, a product of Kansas University, had two birdies and an eagle on the day. 

“We started out hot,” Estorga said. “That was nice to get the round going and survive the middle part of the round. We saved some good pars and minimized the damage.” 

Temperatures reached 108 degrees in Longview on Saturday and the duo certainly felt it. 

“It’s hard to stay mentally in it,” Istnick said of the heat. “We had some pep talks each way. Like ‘come on man, we need this one’. The middle of the round was tough. It was a grind.” 

The Dallas natives are four shots clear of the field and will look to cap off the wire-to-wire victory on Sunday. Plenty of other good rounds were had today as a solid contingent of teams sit behind Estorga and Istnick.  

In solo second at 11-under for the Championship is the team of Dallas’ Scott Maurer and Seth Murphy of Tyler. They matched the leaders with a 6-under 64 and are feeling confident heading into the final round. 

“It was a fun day,” Maurer said. “Hopefully tomorrow we can avoid the two bogeys we had.” 

In a tie for third at 10-under and five shots back of the lead is Fort Worth’s Colby Amparan and Gary Ezmerlian, and Chris Wheeler of Addison and Dallas’ Derek Abel. 

Amparan and Ezmerlian fired their second consecutive round of 5-under 65. Wheeler and Abel got in on the 64 party by matching them with a 6-under round as well. Wheeler had six birdies on his own ball on Saturday. 

Another four teams are tied for fifth at 9-under par and six back of the lead. It’s shaping up to be a riveting final round in Longview. 

In the Senior Division, William Shock of Houston and Montgomery’s Scott Smith have taken the lead at 13-under overall. A second round 7-under 63 has them sitting two shots clear of the rest of the division.  

“We’ve not made a bogey yet, which is pretty good,” Smith said. “We plan on doing more of the same tomorrow. Not changing anything.” 

Doug Northcutt of Georgetown and Brent Barclay of Santa Fe sit one shot back at 11-under for the Championship. Richmond’s Mike Padilla and Andy Hydorn of Houston are tied with three-time champions Chris Goodspeed of Farmers Branch and Frisco’s Bill Steen at 10-under. 

In the Super Senior Division, Irving’s Michael Puls and Houston’s Tom Burns will take the lead into Sunday’s final round. The duo put together a second round 3-under 67 and sit at 7-under total. Sitting one shot behind in second at 6-under for the tournament is Fort Worth’s John Grace and Bill Holstead of Wichita Falls. 

The 48th Texas Four-Ball features three divisions: Championship, Senior (age 55 and older), and Super Senior (age 65 and older). The three divisions are competing from different sets of tees and yardages, with separate champions recognized in each division. 

The format for the championship is 54 holes of four-ball stroke play. After Saturday’s second round, the field was cut to the lowest 40 team scores and ties. 

This is the first TGA championship held at the historic East Texas club, which recently marked its 100th anniversary. 

Founded in 1921, Pinecrest Country Club began as a nine-hole course with sand greens. The club expanded to 18 holes in 1958 and was designed by Press Maxwell, son of famed golf course architect Perry Maxwell. Although not long by today’s standards, the 6,541-yard, par-70 layout offers up plenty of challenges with narrow fairways lined by towering pine trees, contoured greens guarded by deep bunkers, and water coming into play on many holes. 

The final round of the Texas Four-Ball will begin Sunday at 7:30 a.m. For more information, click here. 

Estorga and Istnick Lead at Texas Four-Ball 

LONGVIEW – Anthony Estorga and Jake Istnick of Dallas lead the 48th Texas Four-Ball after turning in a magnificent 9-under-par 61 at Pinecrest Country Club in round one. The mid-amateur duo, teeing it up in this event for the third time, will take a three shot lead into Saturday’s second round. 

It was an equal effort from Estorga and Istnick on Friday. Estorga who played collegiately at UT Arlington, had three birdies and an eagle on his own ball, while Istnick, who played for the Kansas Jayhawks, had five birdies as well.  

“We got a lot of looks early,” Istnick said. “And then we played steady and both of us started to play really well the last ten holes.” 

The Dallas natives were 6-under on their back nine to cap off the superb opening round. Outside of playing nine holes during the practice round, neither Estorga nor Istnick had played Pinecrest before. You wouldn’t have known it by their play in Friday’s first round though.  

“I holed out on our second hole of the day (par-4 No. 11) for eagle,” Estorga said. “It kind of caught us off guard a little bit but then we just got comfortable into the round after six or seven holes.”  

Sitting three shots back of the lead in solo second is the team of Jess Bonneau of Houston and Robinson’s Chase Chapman. Another equal effort was key to success as Bonneau and Chapman each had three birdies of their own in route to 6-under 64.  

In a log jam tied for third there are five teams who carded rounds of 5-under 65. Included in the bunch is Dallas’ Rhett Anderson and Paul McNamara, Fort Worth’s Colby Amparan and Gary Ezmerlian, Casey Carnes of Schertz and Michael Carnes of New Braunfels, Dallas’ Scott Maurer and Seth Murphy of Tyler, and Austin’s Hudson Ross and Josh Swanson.  

Another four teams are tied for eighth at 4-under par and five back of the lead. It’s a tightly stacked leaderboard heading into the weekend in Longview. 

In the Senior Division, three-time Texas Four-Ball Champions (1996, 1997, 2002), Chris Goodspeed of Farmers Branch and Frisco’s Bill Steen lead by one after an opening 7-under 63.  

“We’ve played in this event pretty much every year since 1990,” Goodspeed said. “We love playing golf together. Whether we play bad or good, we enjoy playing together.” 

Three teams sit one shot back in a tie for second including Richmond’s Mike Padilla and Andy Hydorn of Houston, Irving’s Mike Peck and Mike Lohner of Southlake, and William Shock of Houston and Montgomery’s Scott Smith. 

In the Super Senior Division, Odessa’s Luke Groves and Mark Jones share the lead with Irving’s Michael Puls and Houston’s Tom Burns. Both teams carded rounds of 4-under 66.  

“We’re comfortable playing together,” Jones said. “We know we’re both trying as hard as we can. We’re each other’s caddies so it works really well. It does help to have somebody say ‘hey, that’s a good club’.” 

The 48th Texas Four-Ball features three divisions: Championship, Senior (age 55 and older), and Super Senior (age 65 and older). The three divisions are competing from different sets of tees and yardages, with separate champions recognized in each division. 

The format for the championship is 54 holes of four-ball stroke play. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the lowest 40 team scores and ties. 

This is the first TGA championship held at the historic East Texas club, which recently marked its 100th anniversary. 

Founded in 1921, Pinecrest Country Club began as a nine-hole course with sand greens. The club expanded to 18 holes in 1958 and was designed by Press Maxwell, son of famed golf course architect Perry Maxwell. Although not long by today’s standards, the 6,541-yard, par-70 layout offers up plenty of challenges with narrow fairways lined by towering pine trees, contoured greens guarded by deep bunkers, and water coming into play on many holes. 

Round two of the Texas Four-Ball will begin Saturday at 7:30 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. 

48th Texas Four-Ball Set for Aug. 18-20

The 48th Texas Four-Ball, the second of this year’s four men’s major amateur championships, will be played Aug. 18-20 at Pinecrest Country Club in Longview.

This will be the first TGA championship held at the historic East Texas club, which recently marked its 100th anniversary.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to conduct one of our premier championships at Pinecrest Country Club,” said Chris Untiedt, TGA Senior Tournament Director. “We know the membership and staff will provide a fantastic championship experience and the players will enjoy competing on this wonderful course.”

Founded in 1921, Pinecrest Country Club began as a nine-hole course with sand greens. The club expanded to 18 holes in 1958 and was designed by Press Maxwell, son of famed golf course architect Perry Maxwell. Although not long by today’s standards, the 6,541-yard, par-70 layout offers up plenty of challenges with narrow fairways lined by towering pine trees, contoured greens guarded by deep bunkers, and water coming into play on many holes.

“Pinecrest is a very strategic course with numerous risk-reward opportunities throughout the round,” Untiedt said. “It encourages teams to play aggressively and is certain to make for an exciting championship.”

The 48th Texas Four-Ball will feature three divisions: Championship, Senior (age 55 and older), and Super Senior (age 65 and older). The starting field limit is 80 teams, with 48 spots allotted to the Championship Division, 20 to the Senior Division, and 12 to the Super Senior Division. The three divisions compete from different sets of tees and yardages, with separate champions recognized in each division.

The format for the championship is 54 holes of four-ball stroke play. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the lowest 40 team scores 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 Aug. 16. Live scoring updates and daily recaps will also be available online once the action gets underway from Pinecrest Country Club.

At the 2022 championship held at Comanche Trace in Kerrville, the San Antonio team of Chase Clayton and Josh Logan posted a 54-hole total of 21-under-par 195 to win the Championship Division by three shots over Chris Donahoe of Austin and Will Dusenbury of Bulverde. Mike Booker of Houston and Pat Youngs of San Antonio finished at 23-under 193 to claim a two-stroke victory in the Senior Division over Chris Goodspeed of Farmers Branch and Bill Steen of Frisco. Tom Burns of Houston and Michael Puls of Irving also carded a three-day total of 23-under 193 to win the Super Senior Division by seven over Hollis Sullivan of Westworth Village and Steve Whiteside of Midland.