Adams builds lead at West Texas Amateur

Abilene – Will Adams builds on his lead in the second round finishing with a seven-under 64.  Chris Hartenstein leads the Senior Division at 4-under, while Mike Peck leads the Super Senior Division at 3-under.

Full Leaderboard 

Leaders: Will Adams maintains his lead in the Championship Division after his seven-under-par 64 on Saturday. He grows his lead after finishing bogey free in round two, carding three birdies on the front nine and four on the back nine.  Adams heads into the final round fifteen-under-par with an eight stroke lead on the next closest competitor. Adams, a product of West Texas playing for Odessa College in 2021 is looking to claim his first victory in the West Texas Amateur and his first TGA victory since the North Amateur in 2019. Chris Hartenstein of Austin is leading the Senior division by one stroke heading into the final round. Hartenstein fought for every hole in the second round today, putting up four birdies to finish with a one-over-par 72, Hartenstein is seeking his first West Texas Amateur Senior Division win. Mike Peck of Irving showed off his toughness and worked his way into the lead heading into the final round. Finishing with 68, Peck carded four birdies to only one bogey and went bogey-free on the back nine to claim the lead after 36 holes. Peck is in a familiar position as he held the 36 hole lead in 2022 before going on to win the Super Senior Division at Odessa Country Club (Old Course) last year.

In Contention: Trailing Adams in the Championship Division is Colt Tenpenny at seven-under-par. Scott Roden of Dallas is in third at six-under-par. Wheelers Gatlin Goad, San Antonios Patrick Kahanek, Celinas Rob Couture, and Snyders Jake Leatherwood share fourth place at five-under-par.

In the Senior Division, Kelly Eng of Austin and Mike Booker of Houston are tied for second at three-under-par. Booker and Kelly are the past two champions of the West Texas Amateur Senior Division and both look to take home the title again. Rick Houston of Midland and Ron Byrd of The Woodlands are tied for fourth at two-under-par.

In the Super Senior Division, Mansfield’s Doug Hopton-Jones trails Peck at two under, while Lee Sandlin of Dallas sits in third at even-par. Super Senior Division 18 hole leader Bobby J Haney of New Braunfels heads into the final round in fourth at one-over-par.

Golf Course:  An 18-hole championship golf course developed by Lytle Creek Golf Links, a company headed by Abilene resident and 1971 Masters Champion Charles Coody. Mr. Coody, Williams, Gill, and Associates designed the par 71, 7,000-yard course, which opened in November of 1999 and features bent-grass greens and hybrid Bermuda grass fairways, roughs, and tees. Lytle Creek runs throughout the site and comes into play on seven of the holes. Additional lakes were also built on the site. Naturally occurring rock outcroppings on the site and native vegetation in the rough provide the course with unique character. 

Weather: Temperatures started in the low 80s in the morning. Temperatures rose to the high 90s in the afternoon with some light humidity. There was a calm breeze around 5-10 miles per hour throughout the day with cloud cover moving in and out of Abilene.

Tournament History: The West Texas Amateur is a 144-player tournament across three divisions. This Regional Event is open to all residents of Texas and has boasted some amazing past champions such as Charles Coody, Billy Maxwell, Bob Estes, and Alex Moon. This year’s event saw more than 300 signups.

TGA Regional Series: The TGA Regional Series is made up of four events for each region of North and South Texas. There is a Regional Four-Ball, Mid-Amateur, Senior Amateur, and Amateur for both the North and South. The West Texas Amateur also serves as an event in the Regional Series and is open to any players in the state of Texas that meet eligibility.

What’s Next: The Divisions were all cut in half following the second round and the Final Round is scheduled to begin at 7:30 am off the No. 1 and 10 tees. The Championship Division will tee off No. 1, while the Super Senior and Senior Divisions will tee off the No. 10 tee. A champion will be crowned on Sunday and cement his legacy in West Texas Amateur history.

For more information on the West Texas Amateur, click here.

95th West Texas Amateur Set for July 21-23

Diamondback National Golf Club in Abilene is set to host the 95th West Texas Amateur, which will take place July 21-23.

This is the fourth TGA championship and second West Texas Amateur to be held at Diamondback National. The club previously hosted the 2002 Texas Father-Son, 2003 Texas Senior Four-Ball, and 2012 West Texas Amateur.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to return to Diamondback National Golf Club this year to stage one of our foremost championships,” said Owen Kinney, TGA Tournament Coordinator. “We are grateful to the club for their continued commitment to amateur golf and we know the members and staff are eager to provide a truly memorable experience for the players.”

Opened in 1999, Diamondback National Golf Club was designed by Abilene resident and 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody, along with Williams, Gill & Associates. Situated on 220 acres of rolling terrain, the par-71 layout, which can stretch to nearly 7,000 yards from the back tees, features dramatic rock outcroppings, extensive native areas, and Lytle Creek coming into play on nearly half the holes.

“Diamondback National is a great layout and can be very challenging, especially when the wind picks up,” Kinney said. “The course will be an excellent test for the players and will certainly make for an exciting championship.”

The 95th West Texas Amateur features three divisions: Championship, Senior (age 55 and older) and Super Senior (age 65 and older). The 144-player starting field consists of 84 players in the Championship Division, 42 in the Senior Division, and 18 in the Super Senior Division. The three divisions will compete from different sets of tees and yardages, with separate champions recognized in each division.

The championship will be contested over 54 holes of stroke play. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the low 72 scorers 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 July 18. Live scoring updates and daily recaps will also be available online once the action gets underway from Diamondback National Golf Club.

At last year’s West Texas Amateur, Casey Carnes of Schertz won the Championship Division with rounds of 68-71-67 on the Old Course at Odessa Country Club. His 10-under-par 206 total was good for a three-shot margin of victory over Nolan Otto of Big Spring. Kelly Eng of Austin finished at 5-under 211 to capture the Senior Division by one stroke over Joe Sconiers of Iraan. Mike Peck of Irving closed with a 4-under 68 in the final round (1-under 215 total) to win the Super Senior Division by five shots over Lelan Chiles of Granbury and Michael Puls, also of Irving.

First played in 1925, the West Texas Amateur is one of the oldest continuously held amateur events in the U.S. The championship has had a rich history of notable winners including Texas Golf Hall of Famers Don Cherry, Coody, John Grace, Billy Maxwell, and Hal Underwood.

Carnes, Eng and Peck Win at 94th West Texas Amateur

ODESSA – Casey Carnes of Schertz wins the 94^th West Texas Amateur at Odessa Country Club with an overall score of 10-under, 206. Kelly Eng of Austin captures the Senior Division at 5-under, while Mike Peck of Irving wins the Super Senior Division at 1-under.

Full Leaderboard 

Leaders: Casey Carnes, who was the leader after the first round, posted rounds of 68-71-67 to get to 206 overall and three strokes ahead of the field. He started the day with three straight birdies on holes two through four and added another two on Nos. 10 and 11. He made his final birdie on the par-4 14^th, dropped a bogey on the par-4 15^th, and finished at 5-under 67. Kelly Eng captured the Senior Division after shooting 3-under 69 on Sunday. The Austin native finished strong in the Final Round, making four birdies in his closing nine holes to no bogeys. His 211 total was one stroke better than the field. Mike Peck of Irving won the Super Senior Division after shooting 4-under 68. He started with birdie on four of his first six holes and was able to coast to victory. He added a final birdie on the par-4 ninth, which was his 54^th hole of the week. 

Top Finishers: Nolan Otto of Big Spring finished runner-up in the Championship Division after shooting rounds of 69-69-71. Tied for third was Midland’s Josh Pasco, Dallas’ Justin Thompson and Snyder’s Jake Leatherwood. Addison’s Christopher Wheeler finished sixth, while Houston’s Bryant Hiskey II finished seventh and three players tied for eighth. In the Senior Division Iraan’s Joe Sconiers finished runner-up to Eng at 4-under 212 followed by defending West Texas Amateur Senior Division Champion Mike Booker at 1-over 217. Lewis Stephenson finished fourth, while three players tied for fifth in the division. In the Super Senior Division, Granbury’s Lelan Chiles and Irving’s Michael Puls tied for second at 4-over 220, while Bobby Haney of New Braunfels finished fourth. Mickey Jones and Doug Hopton-Jones finished tied for fifth.

Golf Course: Odessa Country Club was founded in 1939 after the 167 acres of land was purchased for $2,500. The course was designed by John Bredemus and the layout features Bermuda grass fairways and bent grass greens. Odessa Country Club is hosting the West Texas Amateur for the third time in the tournament’s 94 years. The last West Texas Amateur to be held at OCC was in 2015, with Mark Jones Jr. capturing the title.

Weather: Temperatures started in the low 80s in the morning and crept up to the high 90s in the afternoon. There was a calm breeze around 15 miles per hour throughout the day with a clear sky over Odessa.

Tournament History: Carnes joins some amazing past champions such as Charles Coody, Billy Maxwell, Bob Estes and Alex Moon. This year’s event saw more than 300 signups and the 144-player field was cut to 73 players after Saturday’s second round.

TGA Player of the Year: Points were awarded to the top 20 finishers for the West Texas Amateur in the Men’s Regional Points Race. The champion got 1,000 points towards the statewide honor followed by 800 for runner-up, 700 for third, 650 for fourth and 600 for fifth. To see the complete breakdown of points available, click here.

TGA Regional Series: The TGA Regional Series is made up of four events for each region of North and South Texas. There is a Regional Four-Ball, Mid-Amateur, Senior Amateur and Amateur for both the North and South. The West Texas Amateur also serves as an event in the Regional Series and is open to any players in the state of Texas that meet eligibility.

What’s Next: The Texas Golf Association returns to the DFW area as the Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play takes place at Denton Country Club. 84 of the state’s top Mid-Amateurs will duel it out starting Wednesday, July 21.

For more information on the West Texas Amateur, click here.

Wheeler Leads West Texas Amateur After 36 Holes

ODESSA – Christopher Wheeler of Addison leads the 94^th West Texas Amateur at Odessa Country Club’s Old Course.  Houston’s Mike Booker leads the Senior Division at 4-under, while Irving’s Michael Puls leads the Super Senior Division at 1-under.

Full Leaderboard 

Leaders: Christopher Wheeler leads the Championship Division by one stroke after his 4-under 68 on Saturday. The reigning Texas Golf Association Player of the Year made five birdies in the second round. He started with a birdie on the par-5 tenth and finished with a birdie on the par-4 ninth. His rounds of 68-69 have him at 7-under and looking for his first victory in the West Texas Amateur. Mike Booker is seeking his second straight win in the Senior Division of the West Texas Amateur and leads the division by two strokes heading into the final round. Booker’s round of 3-under 69 featured four birdies and one bogey as he climbed to the top of the leaderboard. Michael Puls continues to hold the lead in the Super Senior Division after shooting rounds of 69-74. Puls struggled on Saturday, making four bogeys and two birdies, but holds a four-stroke lead in the division.

In Contention: Trailing Wheeler in the Championship Division are Jake Leatherwood of Snyder and Nolan Otto of Big Spring. Leatherwood matched Wheeler’s 4-under 68 on Saturday with five birdies and an eagle on the par-4 fourth. Otto, who was tied with Wheeler after the first round, added another five birdies to his tally but made two bogeys en route to his consecutive 3-under 69. Both players will join Wheeler in the final group off the No. 1 tee on Sunday. Austin’s Dan Depasquale and Schertz’s Casey Carnes are tied for fourth at 5-under, while Dallas’ Justin Thompson is in sixth at 4-under. In the Senior Division, Austin’s Kelly Eng sits in second at 2-under. Joe Sconiers of Iraan is in third, followed by Midland’s Rick Houston. Three players are tied for fifth in the Senior Division. In the Super Senior Division, Irving’s Mike Peck trails Puls at 3-over, while Doug Hopton-Jones, Bobby Haney, and Lelan Chiles are tied for third at 5-over.

Golf Course: Odessa Country Club was founded in 1939 after the 167 acres of land was purchased for $2,500. The course was designed by John Bredemus and the layout features Bermuda grass fairways and bent grass greens. Odessa Country Club is hosting the West Texas Amateur for the third time in the tournament’s 94 years. The last West Texas Amateur to be held at OCC was in 2015, with Mark Jones capturing the title.

Weather: Temperatures started in the low 80s in the morning and crept up to the high 90s in the afternoon. There was a calm breeze around 10 miles per hour throughout the day with a clear sky over Odessa.

Tournament History: The West Texas Amateur is a 144-player tournament across three divisions. This Regional Event is open to all residents of Texas and has boasted some amazing past champions such as Charles Coody, Billy Maxwell, Bob Estes and Alex Moon. This year’s event saw more than 300 signups.

TGA Regional Series: The TGA Regional Series is made up of four events for each region of North and South Texas. There is a Regional Four-Ball, Mid-Amateur, Senior Amateur and Amateur for both the North and South. The West Texas Amateur also serves as an event in the Regional Series and is open to any players in the state of Texas that meet eligibility.

What’s Next: The Divisions were all cut in half following the second round and the Final Round is scheduled to begin at 7:30 am off the No. 1 and 10 tees. The Championship Division will tee off No. 1, while the Super Senior and Senior Divisions will tee off the No. 10 tee. Pairings for the Final Round are available by clicking here. A champion will be crowned on Sunday and cement his legacy in West Texas Amateur history.

For more information on the West Texas Amateur, click here.

Carnes Cards 4-under 68 to Lead West Texas Am

ODESSA – Casey Carnes leads the Championship Division of the 94^th West Texas Amateur after shooting 4-under 68 at Odessa Country Club’s Old Course. Mike Booker and Kelly Eng are tied atop the Senior Division, while Michael Puls leads the Super Senior Division at 3-under.

Full Leaderboard

Leaders: Casey Carnes of Schertz made five birdies en route to his 4-under 68 on Friday. Carnes started with a birdie on the par-5 10^th and added another on the par-4 14^th before dropping a stroke on the par-4 18^th. He made three birdies coming home to build his one-stroke lead. In the Senior Division, Mike Booker of Houston and Kelly Eng of Austin lead at 1-under. Booker made an eagle on the par-5 sixth and made the turn at 3-under. He made two bogeys coming home to fall back to 1-under. Eng made four birdies in his final nine holes, including the par-4 14^th and the par-3 17^th to shoot 71. In the Super Senior Division Irving’s Michael Puls posted 3-under 69 on Friday and leads by four strokes. Puls tallied six birdies on the day, including three in a row on holes 12-14.

In Contention: Trailing Carnes in the Championship Division are Christopher Wheeler of Addison, Nolan Otto of Big Spring and Dan Depasquale of Austin. Wheeler, who is the reigning TGA Player of the Year, got off to a slow start but made birdie on three of his final eight holes to get to 3-under. Otto’s card was busy in the opening round, with seven birdies, two bogeys and double-bogey. Depasquale finished with two birdies in his final three holes and made four in his final nine holes to get to 2-under. Jake Leatherwood, Andrew Lawson and Logan Diomede are all tied for fifth at 2-under, while four players are tied for seventh at 1-under. In the Senior Division, Koy Stribling of Odessa and Terrence Ray Miskell of New Braunfels are tied for third at even-par, while five players are tied for fifth and six players are tied for 10^th. In the Super Senior Division Marshall Morgan of Fort Worth and Doug Hopton-Jones of Mansfield are tied for second at 1-over, while Mike Peck, Bobby Haney and Lelan Chiles are tied for fourth.

Golf Course: Odessa Country Club was founded in 1939 after the 167 acres of land was purchased for $2,500. The course was designed by John Bredemus and the layout features Bermuda grass fairways and bent grass greens. Odessa Country Club is hosting the West Texas Amateur for the third time in the tournament’s 94 years. The last West Texas Amateur to be held at OCC was in 2015, with Mark Jones capturing the title.

Weather: Temperatures started in the low 80s in the morning and crept up to the high 90s in the afternoon. There was a calm breeze around 10 miles per hour throughout the day with a clear sky over Odessa.

Tournament History: The West Texas Amateur is a 144-player tournament across three divisions. This Regional Event is open to all residents of Texas and has boasted some amazing past champions such as Charles Coody, Billy Maxwell, Bob Estes and Alex Moon. This year’s event saw more than 300 signups.

TGA Regional Series: The TGA Regional Series is made up of four events for each region of North and South Texas. There is a Regional Four-Ball, Mid-Amateur, Senior Amateur and Amateur for both the North and South. The West Texas Amateur also serves as an event in the Regional Series and is open to any players in the state of Texas that meet eligibility.

What’s Next: The second round of the West Texas Amateur is set to begin at 7:30 am on Saturday, July 16. The Championship Division will go off in the morning wave, while the Senior and Super Senior Divisions switch to the afternoon wave. Following the second round, each division will be cut in half before Sunday’s Final Round.

For more information on the West Texas Amateur, click here.

94th West Texas Amateur Set for July 15-17

The Old Course at Odessa Country Club will be the host site for the 94th West Texas Amateur, which will be played July 15-17.

Odessa Country Club has a long-standing tradition of supporting the amateur game and has been the venue for numerous TGA championships over the years. The club most recently hosted the 87th West Texas Amateur in 2015, won by Mark Jones Jr., and the 73rd Texas Senior Amateur in 2010, won by John Grace.

“We are thrilled to return to Odessa Country Club, which has been such an integral part of TGA and West Texas Amateur history,” said Chris Untiedt, TGA Senior Tournament Director. “We look forward to working with the club once again and conducting another exciting championship for the best amateur players from around the state.”

The Old Course at Odessa Country Club was built in 1939 by Texas Golf Hall of Fame architect John Bredemus. The par-72 layout, which measures 6,898 yards from the back tees, features an artful mix of left and right doglegs, strategic bunkering, and well-contoured green complexes. When the wind blows, as it frequently does in the High Plains region, Bredemus’ classic design provides a challenging test that places a premium on steady course management and confident shot-making.

The West Texas Amateur features three divisions: Championship, Senior (age 55 and older) and Super Senior (age 65 and older). The starting field limit is 144 players, with 84 spots allotted to the Championship Division, 42 in the Senior Division and 18 for 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-hole individual stroke play. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the lowest 72 scores and ties, with a pro-rated representation from each division.

At last year’s championship, played on the South Course at Abilene Country Club, Garrett Leek of Brock finished at 11-under-par 205 to win the Championship Division by one stroke over Jansen Smith of San Angelo. Mike Booker of Houston carded a blistering 8-under 64 in the second round on his way to winning the Senior Division at 9-under 207. Craig Urban of Abilene ended at 2-over 218 to capture the title in the Super Senior Division.

Live scoring updates and daily recaps from the 94th West Texas Amateur will be available on the TGA website once the action gets underway from Odessa Country Club.

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.