Regional Senior Amateurs Set for April 3-5

The Texas Golf Association’s 2023 men’s regional tournament series rolls on in the first week of April with the back-to-back playing of the North and South Senior Amateurs.

The North Senior Amateur will be held April 3-4 at Whitestone Golf Club in Benbrook, while the South Senior Amateur will be contested April 4-5 at Gus Wortham Park Golf Course in Houston.

Located about 12 miles southwest of Fort Worth, Whitestone Golf Club opened in 2000 and is a design collaboration between Jeff Brauer and Jay Morrish. Set on 150 acres of beautiful rolling land, the par-72 layout plays just over 6,450 yards from the middle set of tees. Gus Wortham Park Golf Course traces back over 100 years to when it opened in 1908 as the original site of Houston Country Club. The 6,388-yard, par-71 course, which has been owned by the City of Houston since 1973, was completely renovated and modernized in 2019 by the architectural firm of Finger Dye Spann, Inc.

First played in 2003, the Regional Senior Amateurs feature two age divisions: 55 and older (Senior) and 65 and older (Super Senior). Entries are open to male amateur golfers who meet the age requirements by the first round of tournament play, have an up-to-date WHS Handicap Index® not exceeding 8.4 (10.0 for Super Senior) issued through a member club of the TGA, and reside in the region relative to their respective championship. The delineation between the North and South regions is the 31st parallel in Salado.

Both championships are conducted using the same competitive format. The starting field of 84 players (60 Seniors, 24 Super Seniors) will play 36 holes of individual stroke play over two days with no cut. Each age division will compete from different tees and yardages, with separate champions recognized. Players who are 65 and older can opt to compete in the Senior Division at the time an entry form is submitted. The top 15 finishers and ties in the Senior Division, regardless of age, will earn exemptions into this year’s Texas Senior Amateur to be held Sept. 8-10 at Amarillo Country Club.

Starting times and pairings for the first round of both championships will be posted online the TGA website no later than March 31. Live scoring updates and daily recaps will also be available online once the action gets underway from Whitestone Golf Club and Gus Wortham Park Golf Course.

At the 2022 championships, Mike Booker of Houston secured his fifth overall South Senior Amateur title with a 36-hole total of 5-over-par 147 at Beaumont Country Club. Mike Vacek of Weimar finished at 8-over 150 to win the Super Senior Division for the second straight year. Neal Barfield of Dallas won the North Senior Amateur with rounds of 73-71 (+4) over 36 holes at The Golf Club of Dallas. Jim Quinn of Arlington took home the honors in the Super Senior Division with a 3-over 143 total.

Booker and Vacek Win at South Senior Amateur

Briefly: Mike Booker overcomes a four shot deficit to win the 2022 South Senior Amateur. Booker started his final round tied for 16th place and charged up the leaderboard with a final round score of even par 71. Similar to Booker, Mike Vacek also overcame a four shot deficit to win the Super Senior Division. Vacek started his final round tied for 7th.
Leaderboard:
Senior Division
1. Mike Booker +5 147
T2. Kurtis Lilley +7 149
T2. Jed Shreve +7 149
T4. Bill Shock +8 150
T4. Todd Lacoste +8 150
T4. Bobby Baugh +8 150

Super Senior Division
1. Mike Vacek +8 150
T2. Alan Fama +12 154
T2. Kent Samuel +12 154

Final Results
Golf Course: Beaumont Country Club was established in 1906 and is one of the five founding member clubs of the TGA. The course was originally designed by Alex Findlay and opened for play the following year. Baxter Spann supervised a $2 million dollar renovation of the course in 2004. The par 71 golf course tips out at 6703 yards and tests all facets of a players game. The senior division played from roughly 6,300 yards whereas the super senior division played from roughly 6,000 yards.
Weather: Wednesday’s first round started with overcast conditions and high winds as a storm swept across the state of Texas. After a two and a half hour delay and a half inch of rain the sky cleared up for an afternoon of blue skies and temperatures in the 80’s. For Thursday’s second round the wind calmed down and players saw a high of 75 degress.
Winner’s Info: Mike Booker of Houston won the 2022 South Senior Amateur Senior Division with a 36 hole total of 147. This is Booker’s 4th South Senior Amateur title previously winning in 2012, 2016, 2017 and now in 2022. Mike Vacek of Weimar won the Super Senior Division with a score of 150. Vacek defended his 2021 Super Senior division title which was won at Kissing Tree Golf Club in April of last year.
In Contention: Finishing tied for second in the Super Senior Division was round one leader Alan Fama of Houston and Kent Samuel of The Woodlands. Both players finished four strokes behind first place. In the Senior Division Kurtis Lilley of Cypress and Jed Shreve of The Woodlands finished two strokes behind Booker in a tie for second. One stroke behind second place was a three way tie for fourth. The tie included Bill Shock of Houston, Todd Lacoste of Austin, and Bobby Baugh of San Antonio.
What’s Next: Next up in the south regional series is the South Amateur which will be held at Victoria Country Club August 5-7. For more information click here.
More Info: The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere appreciation to the staff and members of Beaumont Country Club, the city of Beaumont, and our volunteers for their integral part in making the South Senior Amateur a memorable and successful event. For more information on the South Senior Amateur, CLICK HERE.

TGA Regional Senior Amateurs Set for March 30-April 6

The Texas Golf Association’s 2022 Regional Championship Series continues with the back-to-back playing of the North and South Senior Amateurs.

First up is the South Senior Amateur to be held March 30-31 at Beaumont Country Club. The North Senior Amateur will be contested April 5-6 at The Golf Club of Dallas.

Beaumont Country Club was established in 1906 and is one of the five founding member clubs of the TGA. The course was originally designed by Alex Findlay and opened for play the following year. Baxter Spann supervised a $2 million dollar renovation of the course in 2004. The Golf Club of Dallas opened for play in 1953 and was designed by the father-son team of Perry and Press Maxwell. The course was renovated in 2002 by past Masters champion Charles Coody.

First played in 2003, the Regional Senior Amateurs feature two age divisions: 55 and older (Senior) and 65 and older (Super Senior). Entries are open to male amateur golfers who meet the age requirements by the first round of tournament play, belong to a TGA Member Club, have a World Handicap System Index of 8.4 or less (10.0 or less for Super Senior), and reside in the region relative to their respective championship. The TGA uses the 31st parallel in Salado as the delineation between the North and South regions.

The format for both events is 36 holes of individual stroke play. Each age division competes from different tees and yardages, with a separate champion recognized. Players who are 65 and older can opt to compete in the Senior Division at the time an entry form is submitted. The top 15 finishers and ties in the Senior Division, regardless of age, will earn exemptions into this year’s Texas Senior Amateur.

Live scoring updates, daily recaps, as well as tee-times and pairings, will be available on the website once the action gets underway from Beaumont Country Club and The Golf Club of Dallas.

At the 2021 championships, Dave Davis of Saginaw secured his third North Senior Amateur title with a victory on the second playoff hole over John Derrick of Waco. The two finished regulation play tied at 2-under-par 142 at Wildhorse Golf Club in Denton. Gary Kirwan of McKinney also won the Super Senior Division for a third time by besting two-time overall champion John Grace of Fort Worth in a three-hole playoff. Both players finished 36 holes at 147 (+3). David Ortego of Spring carded rounds of 67-70 (-7) to capture the South Senior Amateur at Kissing Tree Golf Club in San Marcos. Ortego also won the event in 2015. Mike Vacek of Weimar finished at 146 (+2) to win the Super Senior Division.

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.

TGA Regional Senior Ams Set for April 5-9

The Texas Golf Association’s 2021 tournament season rolls on in early April with the back-to-back playing of the Regional Senior Amateurs.

First up is the South Regional Senior Amateur to be held April 5-6 at Kissing Tree Golf Club in San Marcos. The North Regional Senior Amateur will be contested April 8-9 at Wildhorse Golf Club at Robson Ranch in Denton.

Designed by Texas-based architect Gary Stephenson, Kissing Tree Golf Club opened in 2018. Located on the eastern edge of Hill Country, the course is part of the Audubon International program, which preserves and highlights the native environment. Wildhorse Golf Club at Robson Ranch also was designed by Stephenson and opened in 2002.

To accommodate a wide range of players, the Regional Senior Amateurs feature two age divisions: 55 and older (Senior) and 65 and older (Super Senior). Each age division competes from different tees and yardages, with a separate champion recognized. Players who are 65 and older can opt to compete in the Senior Division at the time an entry form is submitted.

The format for both championships is 36 holes of individual stroke play. The top 15 finishers and ties in the Senior Division, regardless of age, will earn exemptions into this year’s Texas Senior Amateur, to be held Sept. 24-26 at Westwood Golf Club in Houston.

The Regional Senior Amateurs were first played in 2003. The championships are open to male amateur golfers age 55 and older (65 and older for Super Senior), belong to a TGA Member Club, have a World Handicap System Index of 8.4 or less (10.0 or less for Super Senior), and reside in the region relative to their respective championship. The TGA uses the 31st parallel in Salado as the delineation between the North and South regions.

The 2020 championships were canceled due to health concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Dave Davis of Saginaw won the 2019 North Regional Senior Amateur with a 36-hole total of 1-under 143 at Eldorado Country Club in McKinney. Local resident Gary Kirwan finished at 4-over 148 to win the Super Senior Division. At the 2019 South Regional Senior Amateur held at River Crossing Club in Spring Branch, Scott Smith of Houston captured the overall title with a final round 4-under 68 to finish at 141 (-3). Michael Arnold of Windcrest claimed the Super Senior title with a two-day total of 146 (+2).

Live scoring updates, daily recaps, as well as tee-times and pairings, will be available once the action gets underway from Kissing Tree and Wildhorse.

Smith and Arnold Finish on Top at South Senior Am

Smith and Arnold Finish on Top at South Senior Am
 
Briefly: Scott Smith won the Senior Division of the 2019 South Senior Amateur presented by Impact Precision Golf after a 4-under-par 68 in the final round at River Crossing Club in Spring Branch. Mike Arnold took the Super Senior Division title with a final round 74.
 
Leaderboard:
Senior Division                                                                            
1   Smith, Scott                 Houston               73-68-141          
2   Booker, Mike               Houston               73-70-143          
3   Bruchmiller, Boyd        Marble Falls        71-73-144                         
4   Kilby, Ron                    McAllen               71-74-145
T5 Baugh, Bobby             San Antonio        76-70-146
T5 Youngs, Pat                 San Antonio        75-71-146
 
Super Senior Division
1   Arnold, Mike                Windcrest            72-74-146
2   Samuel, Kent              The Woodlands   71-76-147
3   Marshall, Rusty           Houston               74-76-149
 
Final Results
 
Golf Course: River Crossing Club is located just north of San Antonio in Spring Branch. The club features 18 holes of championship golf nestled in the rustic Hill Country of Texas. The par-72 course reaches a max yardage of 6,838 yards. The final round of the Senior Division was contested at 6,603 yards; the Super Seniors played River Crossing Club at 6,271 yards.
 
Weather: Tuesday’s final round starting times were delayed one hour due to frost on the golf course. Temperatures were as low as 32 degrees in the morning and got up 68 degrees in the afternoon with the sun shining. Winds were observed in the late afternoon at 13 mph with gust up to 18 mph.
 
Winners’ Info: Smith, who lives in Houston, overcame a two-shot deficit to win the Senior Division title by two shots after a tournament low final round. Smith had a bogey-free final round that included four birdies on the day en route to a 4-under 68. He finished the 36-hole championship at 3-under 141.
 
Like Smith, Arnold overcame a two-shot deficit to win the Super Senior Division. Playing in the final Super Senior grouping of the day, Arnold carded a 2-over par 74 in the final round. After an opening round even par 72, he finished at 2-over 146 for the tournament. Arnold’s highlight of the round, and possibly the highlight of the tournament, came on the par-4 18th when he holed out for an eagle 2.  
 
In Contention: Mike Booker of Houston finished the tournament in second place with a 1-under 143 tournament total. Boyd Bruchmiller of Marble Falls finished in third, just one shot behind Booker at even par 144. In fourth place was McAllen’s Ron Kilby, who finished four shots back of Smith at 1-over 145. Bobby Baugh and Pat Youngs, both from San Antonio, rounded off the Senior Division top five in a tie for fifth place. The pair finished the tournament at 2-over 146.
 
Kent Samuel of The Woodlands finished in second place in the Super Senior Division, one shot back of Arnold at 3-over 147. Rusty Marshall of Houston took third place in the Super Senior Division at 5-over par 149.
 
What’s Next: The South Regional Series presented by Impact Precision Golf will continue at Sterling Country Club in Houston on August 9-11 for the South Amateur. You can view the entire Texas Golf Association calendar by clicking here.
 
More Info: The TGA extends its sincere appreciation South Regional Series sponsor Impact Precision Golf and to River Crossing Club, the welcoming membership and hard-working staff, as well as our volunteers, for all their dedication and efforts in making the 2019 South Senior Amateur a memorable event. For more information you can visit the tournament homepage by clicking here.