Bret Gray Goes Wire-to-Wire to win 114th Texas Amateur

HOCKLEY – Bret Gray from San Antonio won the 114th Texas Amateur with a two-putt par on the first playoff hole Sunday at The Clubs at Houston Oaks. With a four-day total of 11-under-par 273, the Sam Houston State junior became the first wire-to-wire Texas Amateur winner in more than a decade.

“It hasn’t really set in yet. It still feels like a dream,” Gray said minutes after the playoff concluded. “I’m super excited and blessed. Just glad I could finish it off. It was a hard-fought day out there.”

Gray defeated Oklahoma sophomore Jase Summy in the extra session. The two talented competitors separated themselves from the rest of the field during Friday’s second round and dueled for most of the weekend. They finished seven shots clear of the rest of the field.

Gray held Summy at bay for much of the final round until Gray’s second shot on the par-5 16th. With a three-shot lead, he tugged a fairway wood into the thick, gnarly Bahia grass left of the green. Gray gouged out his next shot short of the green and suffered a bogey. Meanwhile, Summy walked in a 15-foot birdie. After that exchange, Gray’s lead was trimmed to one shot.

After pars on the 17th hole, Gray made another mistake on his approach into 18 green. Playing about 100 yards away in the right rough, Gray caught a flier. Instead of checking up on the green, it bounced hard and plunked into the water behind it. That led to another bogey. Summy made par to force the playoff at 11-under.

Gray’s drive on the extra hole rattled into one of the century-old oak trees in the 18th fairway. He caught a good bounce, however, and it finished harmlessly in the fairway. Summy blew his drive out to right and had a partially obstructed view on his approach shot. Gray hit his approach safely to 20 feet. Summy’s approach came up shot and left him 80 feet from the hole.

When Summy’s par putt just missed, Gray finally exhaled.

“That’s the first playoff I’ve ever won,” he said. “I’ve been in two others in my life, and one was when I was about 12 years old. I made a little bit better shot into the green the second time around.”

Gray becomes the first wire-to-wire winner since Texas Tech’s Chris Ward won the 101st edition at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas back in 2010. Also playing in that Texas Amateur were a pair of fresh-faced juniors who grew up to become Masters champions. Jordan Spieth, 16 years old at the time, finished T8. Scottie Scheffler, 14, was T14.

Now Gray has something Scheffler and Spieth don’t: a Texas Amateur victory. Gray’s name will be engraved onto the historic H.L. Edwards Memorial Trophy alongside the likes of Ben Crenshaw, Charles Coody, Scott Verplank, Mark Brooks, and Will Zalatoris.

“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “A special feeling, for sure. Hopefully I can have a great career like they all did.”

Not lost in all the drama was the fact that Gray’s victory came on Father’s Day. His dad John Gray walked the margins of the fairways all week in support of his son. Understandably, he was emotional after the win.

“I’m feeling wonderful,” he managed to say with watery eyes. “He played great golf all week. It couldn’t be a better Father’s Day than to watch him, then I get to go home and have dinner with my other sons.”

For Summy’s part, he was upbeat in defeat.

“For the week, I played all right,” he said. “All you can ask for is a chance to win, and that’s what I had. I’m thankful for that. I played pretty good, but it could’ve been a lot better.”

Travis Woolf, a mid-amateur from Fort Worth, finished in third place at 4-under 280. Plano’s Ethan Fang took fourth place at 3-under 281. Fifth place belonged to Baylor junior Luke Dossey with a 72-hole score of 2-under 282.

As it was all week, the temperatures climbed into the high 90s with triple-digit heat indexes on Sunday. The day saw some of the strongest winds of the tournament, however. There were gusts of 30 mph for most of the morning.

“The course played tough today, especially with the wind,” said Spring’s Carson Cooper, who finished T15 at 5-over 289. “Teeing it up at 8:40 in the morning, you’re not used to it gusting 25 mph on the first tee. It played tough, but it’s a championship-style golf course, and this is an elite championship. So it should play tough.”

Formerly known as Tennwood Country Club in the 1950s, Houston Oaks was reinvented into its current, majestic state after acclaimed architect Chet Williams led a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2016-17. Ranked as the No. 7 course in Texas according to the 2023 Dallas Morning News Top-100 rankings, Houston Oaks is the epitome of a championship-quality venue.

Stretched all the way back, the breathtaking par-71 course is 7,007 yards. The competitors in the 114th Texas Amateur played it at 6,914 in Sunday’s final round. The brilliant routing snakes through rolling topography that features more than 1,000 giant oak trees. Houston Oaks also offers several natural water features to avoid, as well as thick, native Bahia grass waiting to gobble up golf balls that stray too far from the fairways.

A critical element to pageantry of the Texas Amateur are the venues that play host to it. Almost all the best courses in Texas have opened their doors to this illustrious championship throughout the years. The Clubs at Houston Oaks certainly fits that description, as evidenced by the myriad compliments about the course from the players.

With that in mind, the TGA is proud to extend its most sincere appreciation to Houston Oaks, including the founding families, members, and staff, for their efforts in delivering such a memorable championship week. From the mint condition of the course and the exceptional quality of the food to the hospitality and general good vibes from all the members who attended and assisted during the championship throughout the week, we can’t thank them all enough.

Extra special gratitude goes out to General Manager Bob Gusella, Head Professional James Brown, Director of Agronomy Jason Schoonover, Superintendent Kevin Bednarik, Communications Manager Jennifer Wosnitzky, and Executive Chef Malik Riley for all their efforts in creating a successful week.

We’re also grateful for our TGA Volunteers, who gave their time and expertise to ensure the competitors in the 114th Texas Amateur received a world-class championship experience.

Next summer, the 115th Texas Amateur heads to the Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas. For more information on this year’s championship, including complete scoring, click here.

Bret Gray Leads 114th Texas Amateur with 18 Holes to Play

HOCKLEY – Eighteen holes separate San Antonio’s Bret Gray from etching his name into Texas golf history at The Clubs at Houston Oaks. After a second consecutive 4-under-par 67 on Saturday in the third round of the 114th Texas Amateur, the Sam Houston State junior holds a two-shot lead at 13-under 200 overall.

“Today was a grind,” said Gray, the 2022-23 Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year. “On the front nine, I made nine straight pars. I didn’t really get any putts to go in, but I made some good pars. On the back nine, the putter started to heat up, and I made a few putts coming in.”

Gray made five birdies on his back nine, including four on the final six holes. He recorded six top-10s for the Bearkats last season, topped off by a victory at the Bayou City Classic in February. Gray also won the All-American Intercollege in 2022 as a freshman. He said he’ll draw on those college wins for confidence during Sunday’s final round.

“The course set up the past two days definitely has felt like a college tournament,” Gray said. “The guys I’m playing with are guys I see in college events, so it has a college feel to it, for sure. One thing I can pull from is really taking it one shot at a time and making golf almost easy. Just hit the fairway, hit the green, and two-putt. If you make a putt, awesome. But just playing simple golf, and that’s how I’ve gotten my two wins. Hopefully we can get a third.”

To make that a reality, he’ll have to fend off Oklahoma sophomore Jase Summy from Keller one more time. Summy, also a collegiate winner, shot a 3-under 68 on Saturday. Through three rounds, he sits at 11-under 202, just two shots behind Gray.

“The round today was OK,” said Summy, who drained a 20-foot birdie on 18 to inch a little closer to Gray. “It was clean, not a lot of bogeys. I’m right there. I’ll have a good day tomorrow and see what happens.”

Gray and Summy two have separated themselves from the pack with their tremendous play. The next closest chasers are Baylor junior Luke Dossey and former TCU standout Travis Woolf, who are tied for third place at 5-under 208. Dossey posted the low round of the day, a stellar 5-under 66.

“I think I’ll need a little bit of help, but another day like today with more putts dropping and hopefully I’ll put myself in a position tomorrow,” Dossey said.

With Gray and Summy respectively eight- and six-shots clear of the field, Sunday might have a match play feel to it. The operative word there is “might,” because there is a host of talented amateurs who could make things interesting before it’s over. That group includes Woolf, Dossey, and University of Houston redshirt junior Jacob Borow, who shot 2-under 69 on Saturday to climb into solo fifth place at 2-under 211.

Four more players are tied for sixth place at even-par 213, including Houston Oaks member Kade Stewart, 111th Texas Amateur champion Trey Bosco from Austin, Plano’s Ethan Fang, and Houston’s Jeffery Zatorski.

The National Weather Service’s Extreme Heat Warning remained in effect on Saturday for South Texas. A bit of cloud cover in the morning helped ease the effects of the heat, but it burned off by about 10 a.m. The heat index reached 100 degrees by noon, while the actual temperature hovering around 90 degrees.

Despite the soaring temperatures, all the players remaining in the field, as well as the Houston Oaks staff, the TGA Championships team, and the spectators enjoying the display of elite golf have been mindful to stay hydrated and soak up as much shade as possible. Thankfully, there have been no instances of anyone overheating this week.

The final round of the 114th Texas Amateur begins Sunday at 8 a.m. at Houston Oaks. For more information, including complete scoring, click here.

Gray Maintains Lead through 36 Holes at 114th Texas Amateur

HOCKLEY – Bret Gray from San Antonio fired a 4-under-par 67 on Friday at The Clubs at Houston Oaks in the second round of the 114th Texas Amateur. He maintained a one-shot lead at the halfway point of the state’s most celebrated amateur championship.

The Sam Houston State junior sits at 9-under 133 overall, one stroke in front of Keller’s Jase Summy, who lit up Houston Oaks on Friday morning for a course-record 7-under 64.

“Yeah, I saw (the 64) as I was about to tee off,” said Gray, a two-time collegiate winner and the 2022-23 Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year. “I didn’t really think about it too much, but I knew the number I needed to get to if I wanted to stay in the lead, obviously. I knew this afternoon wave was going to hard. The wind is blowing, it’s hot as heck. I had a number in my head, but I didn’t think about it too much. I just kept playing my game.”

Gray said Thursday he likes to keep things simple: fairways, greens, no three-putts. He stuck to the program again Friday. He rolled in five birdies and chipped one in from off the green for par on No. 15 after a loose tee shot. He suffered just one bogey on the day.

“It was hot out there,” he said. “I was most proud of myself for staying in it all day, taking it one shot at a time, and not letting the heat get to me or making an excuse for that. I stayed even keeled. I was proud of that.”

Summy displayed a similar approach to his round earlier in the day. He poured in nine birdies on his way to breaking the competitive course record at The Clubs at Houston Oaks with his electric 64. The University of Oklahoma sophomore birdied three of his first five holes, then four of his first five on his second nine.

Only a lipped out par putt from 4 feet on his final hole kept him from sharing the lead headed into Saturday’s third round.

“I normally make a lot of birdies, so if I can clean it up and not make any big numbers, I’ll shoot pretty good normally,” said Summy, who won the 2023 Boilermaker Invitational in April and was a Big 12 All-Conference selection last season. “I had one three-putt today – I try not to have any of those; it’s always a goal – and I just thought I played a really clean round of golf. It could’ve been better, but it was just really clean.”

Gray and Summy separated themselves a bit from the rest of the field of top amateurs in the state. Third place belongs to Austin’s Sean-Karl Dobson, who shot a 3-under 68 in the second round to get to 4-under 138 overall. The incoming Stanford freshman is five shots back of Gray.

Fort Worth’s Travis Woolf is six shots behind in fourth place. The former TCU standout sits at 3-under 139 after his solid round of 2-under 69 on Friday. Houston’s Justin Kaplan rallied late with four birdies in his final seven holes to shoot 5-under 66 in the second round. He holds fifth place at 2-under 140.

Seven players are under par after two rounds at the sublime, par-71 Chet Williams-designed Houston Oaks course. Three more are at even-par 142, but they’re all looking up at Gray and Summy with two rounds to play.

With half the state of Texas under a Heat Advisory, it was another scorcher at Houston Oaks during the second round.

Friday’s weather unfortunately didn’t include the early morning cloud cover the field enjoyed on Thursday, which created a steamy environment almost from the start of the day. It was much breezier in the morning, too, with 15-20 mph gusts whipping through Houston Oaks by as early as 9 a.m.

At noon, the temperature at Houston Oaks was a toasty 93 degrees with a 103 index. The steady 20-25 mph winds helped ease the heat’s effects, but it also played havoc on plenty of competitors’ golf balls. The mercury topped out at 98 degrees from around 3-4:30 p.m. with “Feels Like” temperatures climbing to 108.

Hydration was a priority, and the 61 players who made the 36-hole cut at 8-over 150 or better can expect two more days of searing heat at one of the best golf courses in Texas. Among those who survived the cut were three past Texas Amateur winners.

Austin’s Trey Bosco, a senior at Baylor, won the 111th Texas Amateur in 2020 at Boot Ranch. He’s tied for 11th place currently at 1-over 143. Pottsboro’s Austyn Reily, a senior at the University of Houston, claimed the 112th Texas Amateur in 2021 at Midland Country Club. Reily shares apiece of 27th place at 4-over 146. Holden Wisener from Dallas, the defending champion who won the H.L. Edwards Memorial Trophy last summer at Willow Brook Country Club, is tied for 42nd place at 6-over 148.

The third round of the 114th Texas Amateur begins at 8 a.m. at Houston Oaks. For more information, including complete scoring, click here.

Bret Gray Leads 114th Texas Amateur after Round 1

HOCKLEY – There are numerous ways to construct a successful gameplan for elite competitive championships such as the 114th Texas Amateur. Bret Gray from San Antonio found something that works for him, and he used it to shoot a sizzling 5-under-par 66 on Thursday at The Clubs at Houston Oaks. That was good for a one-shot lead after 18 holes at the state’s oldest and most prestigious amateur championship.

“I just played simple golf,” said Gray, who poured in five birdies and an eagle against two bogeys. “I took advantage of the par 5s and the downwind holes. I didn’t hit it phenomenally, but I got up and down when I had to.”

A sophomore at Sam Houston State and the 2022-23 Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Gray understated his performance on the par 5s at Houston Oaks. More accurately, he blitzed them with three birdies and an eagle to go 5-under on those four holes. He said his affinity for the golf course only increased after Thursday.

“Houston Oaks is awesome, said Gray, a two-time collegiate winner who posted six top-10s last season. “It’s a great venue for the Texas Am. It’s in great condition; the greens are rolling great. The course is kind of penal, though. You can put yourself in some bad spots and make some big scores, but if you keep it on the right side of the hole, you’ll be OK.”

One shot behind Gray is Plano’s Ethan Fang, who shot an impressive 4-under 67. The incoming California-Berkeley freshman was the runner-up at last month’s Class 6A Individual State Championship for Plano West High School.

Fang started his round on Hole 10 and promptly birdied five of the holes on the back nine of Houston Oaks.

“I hit the ball really good today,” said Fang, who skipped his Wednesday practice round at Houston Oaks and instead qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur in Granbury. “I think I hit every fairway. Other than that, it was just a good round of ball striking. My putting was good, too. It’s a fun course to play.”

Alex Papayouanou from The Woodlands sits two shots back at 3-under 68. The incoming UCLA freshman recently won the District 13-6A individual championship for The Woodlands High School.

He started on Hole 10, and after a double bogey on the par-5 16th, Papayouanou finished his first nine holes at 2-over par.

“Once I got to the turn,” he said, “I just turned it on.”

Papayoanou rolled in a birdie on the par-4 third hole, then cashed in an eagle on the par-5 fourth hole. He added birdies on the par-3 seventh and par-5 eighth to get to 3-under overall.

“It was a grind out there today,” he said. “I’ve been hitting it well, though, and I’m really happy with how I played today.”

Five players share fourth place at 2-under 69 after the first round. That group includes Garrett Leek from Brock, Connor Adams from Dallas, Luke Dossey from Austin, Joe Stover from Dallas, and Joey Gullion from Spring.

Typical for this time of year, the heat was a factor at the 114th Texas Amateur, which is a walking-only event.

By 1 p.m., the mercury showed 93 degrees, but the heat index pushed up to 101. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for most of Southeast Texas, including Hockley and the vast Houston Oaks property.

“You’re sweating so much that you’re losing grip of the club,” said Chris Wheeler, the 2022 North Texas Player of the Year who shot a 1-under 70 on Thursday. “You’re trying to conserve your energy and stay hydrated as best you can. I’ve played in this event enough times to know the heat and the walking have a cumulative effect. By the time Day 4 rolls around, you really start to feel it.”

The temperature climbed to 97 degrees by 3 p.m., with a heat index of 108. Even as late in the afternoon as 6 p.m., it was still 95 degrees with a triple-digit heat index. The cloud cover from the morning burned away, leaving the competitors exposed to the oppressive sun for much of the afternoon. The wind kicked up a bit, too. It was a steady 10-15 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph as the day wore on.

C.J. Brock, one of the more experienced mid-amateurs in the field, said the heat took a toll on him physically and mentally.

“Honestly, I don’t know if it’s possible to drink enough fluids while you’re on the golf course,” said C.J. Brock, who shot a 1-over 72. “But it’s also much more of a mental challenge. You start to lose it mentally before you lose it physically. I had some shots today, like on the short par-3 fifth hole, where I just couldn’t get comfortable. It was because of the heat.”

Sitting at the center of the sprawling, nearly 1,200-acre property, the golf course is the crown jewel of Houston Oaks, a multi-faceted club that also features a shooting range, a six-court tennis club, pickleball courts, wine club, fishing club, and a swim club. There’s also a baseball field, an equestrian club, and a hen house that produces farm-fresh eggs to its world-class dining facilities.

In short, it’s an amazing club that literally has something for everyone.

Once known as Tennwood Country Club in the 1950s, the course was a private facility for the employees of Tenneco Oil & Gas. The club was bought by three Houston families in the mid-2000s and received a massive, multimillion dollar renovation in 2016-17 by acclaimed architect Chet Williams, formerly of Jack Nicklaus Design.

The result was a spectacular, 7,007-yard, par-71 masterpiece that weaves around – and sometimes through – massive, centuries-old oak trees, of which there are more than 1,000 on the property. Certain holes, such as the 16th and 17th, feature gigantic oaks in the fairway that require thoughtful planning or specific shot shapes to avoid.

In addition to several natural water features, another one of Houston Oaks’ defenses is the widespread native areas covered in Bahia grass. In the same family as the ultra-sticky Paspalum grass, the Bahia at Houston Oaks stands about knee-high length and is as thick as cold spaghetti.

“Luckily, I avoided hitting it in there today,” Wheeler said. “I did go in there for a couple ball searches, though. Good luck finding anything in there. You have to step on it or get lucky somehow. Most likely, it’s gone.”

This week marks the second time Houston Oaks has opened its door to a TGA major championship. It also welcomed the Texas Mid-Amateur in 2021. In addition, Houston Oaks hosted the 2018 Texas Shootout, 2020 Jackie Burke Cup, multiple U.S. Women’s Open qualifiers, and the 2022 and ’23 Big 12 Conference Match Play Championship.

A total of 16 players broke par for Round 1. Another 14 competitors are within six shots of Gray at 1-over 71, including Trey Bosco, who won the 111th Texas Amateur in 2020.

Award Show

During Wednesday night’s exceptional Players’ Reception at Houston Oaks, the TGA honored last season’s top players, as well as two standout volunteers.

Colleyville’s Zach Atkinson received the night’s biggest award. The longtime amateur stalwart and TGA Director picked up a beautiful bronze 2022 Texas Player of the Year trophy for his consistent, elite performances last summer. Atkinson finished second at the 2022 Texas Mid-Amateur and was a semifinalist at the Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play. He also tied for fourth place at the 113th Texas Amateur, a championship he won back in 2004.

Wheeler took home the 2022 North Texas Player of the Year award. Wheeler won the North Texas Four-Ball with his partner Bobby Massa. Wheeler finished fourth at the North Texas Mid-Amateur, tied for fifth at the North Texas Amateur, and was solo sixth at the 2022 West Texas Amateur.

Boosted by a victory at the South Texas Amateur, Austin’s Dan Depasquale won the 2022 South Texas Player of the Year. He also tied for eighth at the West Texas Amateur and shared a piece of ninth place at the South Texas Four-Ball with his partner Jermaine Rakoczy.

Ed Rapp from Houston was honored as the 2022 South Texas Volunteer of the Year, and Ken Renwick from Dallas picked up the 2022 North Texas Volunteer of the Year. The volunteers are the lifeforce that make TGA Championships possible. It’s their hard work and tireless dedication that create memorable and exciting experiences for the players. We can never thank Rapp, Renwick, and all their colleagues for their help.

By the Numbers

1 – This is the first time Houston Oaks has played host to the Texas Amateur.

4 – There are four past Texas Amateur champions in the field, including Atkinson (2004), Austin’s Trey Bosco (2020), Pottsboro’s Austyn Reily (2021), and defending 2022 champion Holden Wisener from Dallas.

4, part 2 – There are four sets of brothers playing in the 114th Texas Amateur: Aiden and Deacon Dortch, Luke and Sam Dossey, Hayes and Holden Hamilton, and Trevor and Trenton Mierl.

5 – Houston Oaks boasts five par 3s, making precise iron play crucial. The holes range in length during the 114th Texas Amateur from 115 yards to 240 yards. “The par 3s are tough out here,” said Gray, the leader after Round 1. “Even the shortest hole of the day. I bogeyed it, and it was only playing 117 yards. If you play the par 3s good this week, I feel like you have a pretty good chance.”

16 – The youngest player in the field this week is 16-year-old Finn Burkholder from The Woodlands. There are three other 16-year-olds playing this week, as well.

26.2 – The average age in this year’s championship.

54 – This year’s eldest statesman is 54-year-old Bill Skorheim from Spring. There are no senior amateurs in the field, a scenario that hasn’t happened in several years.

144 – A full field of 144 players comprises this year’s championship.

1,176 – A record number of amateur golfers registered to qualify for this year’s Texas Amateur. The 1,176 entries surpassed the 1,010 accepted at the 111th Texas Amateur in 2020 at Boot Ranch in Fredericksburg.

Next Up

Round 2 of 114th Texas Amateur begins Friday at 7:30 a.m. For more information, including complete scoring, click here.

Parel & Nguyen Win 2022 Women’s Four-Ball Championship

SUGAR LAND – Elise Parel from Porter and Jacqueline Nguyen from Houston went wire-to-wire to capture the 2022 Texas Women’s Four-Ball Championship on Tuesday at Riverbend Country Club.

The pair of Houston Baptist University teammates blitzed Riverbend in the Final Round with an 8-under-par 64. It’s the same stellar score they combined to shoot on Monday. They finished the 36-hole championship with a score of 16-under 128 to win by eight shots.

“Especially being teammates and old friends, it means a lot,” said Parel, who will enter her senior year this fall at HBU. “Winning this tournament means our games are on point. Going into the fall season at HBU, it’s going to give us momentum to keep doing well and keep playing for one another.”

It was a bit of role reversal for Parel and Nguyen in the final round. In Monday’s opening round, Parel routinely hit laser-like approaches, which led to a bevy of looks at birdie from 15 feet and in. They made most of them.

On Tuesday, it was Nguyen’s turn.

“Jackie was on literal fire today,” Parel said of Nguyen, who starts her sophomore campaign next month.

Thanks to Nguyen’s precise iron game – and a hot putter – the dynamic duo birdied their first four holes of the final round. They turned at 6-under for the round and cruised in from there to register a second straight bogey-free round.

“We really weren’t trying to shoot another 64,” Parel said. “We just went out there and played our games. We laughed and enjoyed ourselves. At the end of the day, it’s just golf. We’re out here as teammates and friends.”

Eryn Garza from Montgomery and Brandee Fleming from Magnolia took second place in the Championship Flight with a two-day total of 8-under 136. The two Dallas Baptist University teammates combined to fire a 6-under 66 in the final round. Rylie Cerny from Kingwood and Jessica Aguirre from Colleyville finished in third place at 7-under 137.

Sidney Stramel from Allen and Simone Campise from Lewisville were the fourth-place finishers at 6-under 138. Rounding out the Top 5 were Madison Le from Arlington and Abigail Hirtzel from Waxahachie. They finished the tournament with a score of 4-under 140.

In the First Flight, Meghan Moake from Houston and Caitlyn Stanley from Katy took the title with a 36-hole score of 6-under 138 to win by three shots. Moake and Stanley combined to shoot a 5-under 67 in the final round.

Olivia Campbell from Franklin and Cherri Rapp from Austin took home the first-place hardware in the Second Flight. They finished at 15-over 159 to win by six shots.

The most tightly contested battle came in the Third Flight, where Erica McAlister from Keller and Linda Edwards from Southlake scored a one-shot victory over the Corpus Christi duo of Cathy Gibson and Alisa Kennedy. McAlister and Edwards won with a two-day total of 20-over 164.

A true shot-maker’s course, Riverbend was designed in 1956 by J. Press Maxwell, son of the legendary golf course architect Perry Maxwell. After his father passed away in 1952, J. Press began to emerge as one of America’s most-promising designers.

His work at Riverbend validates those opinions. With tight, hardwood-lined fairways, creatively positioned bodies of water, and thought-provoking green complexes, Riverbend forces players to continually think their way around the scenic course. Tricky doglegs with a few imposing trees located in directly in some fairways keep even the most seasoned players on their toes.

Several players in the field at the 2022 Texas Women’s Four-Ball remarked on how fun and challenging the Riverbend course played during the championship.

The TGA extends its warmest gratitude to Riverbend Country Club, including the members and staff. Everyone at the club went out of their way to make the players, TGA staff, and our volunteers feel welcome and appreciated. It’s this kind of buy-in from prestigious TGA Member Clubs that help us conduct world-class amateur championships.

Extra special thanks go out Director of Golf Ryan Brandt, Golf Course Superintendent George Cincotta, and Catering Director Haille Schindler for their exceptional hospitality and assistance in creating a memorable championship week.

For more information on the 2022 Women’s Four-Ball, click here.

Parel & Nguyen Sizzle with a 64 to Lead Women’s Four-Ball Championship

SUGAR LAND – Elise Parel from Porter and Jacqueline Nguyen from Houston combined for eight birdies and a bogey-free 8-under-par 64 on Monday to grab the lead after one round of the 2022 Texas Women’s Four-Ball Championship.

The two Houston Baptist University teammates were understandably all smiles when they finished their opening round at scenic Riverbend Country Club, a delightful yet challenging 1956 J. Press Maxwell design.

“We started off really good with two birdies in our first three holes,” said Nguyen, a sophomore at HBU. “Then Elise caught fire. She literally started sticking them within 5 or 6 feet.”

Outside a 25-footer on the par-4 16th, Parel said all their birdies were within 15 feet.

“If any hiccups happened on a shot, we knew we could rely on each other to stick it close or at least make par,” Parel said. “It was just really good teamwork.”

Three shots back in second place are Rylie Cerny from Kingwood and Jessica Aguirre from Colleyville. They’ll be teammates in the fall at Stephen F. Austin, but Monday at Riverbend was the first time they’ve every teamed up. After a 5-under 67, it’s safe to say they have some chemistry together.

“I think the key for us was we were really having fun and joking around out there,” Aguirre said. “We made sure we knew it was OK if we hit a bad shot; we tried not to get too emotional out there. It was a really good day out there for us.”

Abigail Hirtzel from Waxahachie and Madison Le from Arlington are in third place with a 3-under 69. Erin Garza from Montgomery and Brandee Fleming from Magnolia share fourth place at 2-under 70 with Simone Campise from Lewisville and Sidney Stramel from Allen.

Scheduled for 36 holes of four-ball stroke play, the Women’s Four-Ball feature two sets of tees for the fourth consecutive year. The TGA encourages participation from competitive golfers of all skill levels, from juniors and collegiate players to senior amateurs of all skill levels. In addition to the Championship Flight, competitors were placed into three other flights based on each team’s combined World Handicap System index.

In the First Flight, Meghan Moake from Houston and Caitlyn Stanley from Katy combined to shoot a 1-under 71 to take the lead. Cherri Rapp from Austin and Olivia Campbell from Franklin hold the Second Flight lead after their 6-over 78. Erica McAlister from Keller and Linda Edwards from Southlake will sleep on the Third Flight lead after they teamed up for a 9-over 81.

One of the crown jewels of the Sugar Land area, the tree-lined Riverbend course sports narrow fairways, perfectly conditioned greens, and surprising elevation changes. In 2010, Texas architect Jeff Blume led a $1.4 million renovation project that added more topography in the fairways, as well as additional bunkers. The par-72 layout the course tips out at a little less than 7,000 yards, but the Championship Division of the 2022 Women’s Four-Ball Championship played it from 6,005 yards.

The inaugural Women’s Four-Ball was held in 2007 at the Golf Club of Houston, which recently hosted the 101st Women’s Texas Amateur. Now in its 16th edition, the Women’s Four-Ball continues to attract some of the state’s most elite female amateur golfers.

For more information on the 2022 Women’s Four-Ball, click here.

Emma McMyler Repeats as Women’s Texas Amateur Champion

HUMBLE – Prior to this week, Xavier University junior Emma McMyler was already part of Texas golf history. On Friday at the Golf Club of Houston’s Tournament Course, she elevated herself to a new level entirely: two-time Women’s Texas Amateur champion.

With a 3&2 victory in the Final Match against Kansas State University sophomore Remington Isaac of Montgomery, McMyler won the 101st edition of the prestigious amateur championship. It was a successful title defense, as the San Antonio native also won the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur last summer at River Crest Country Club in Fort Worth.

“It means a lot. To be able to do it twice is a cool thing to do,” said McMyler, who also won the 2021 Women’s Stroke Play Championship. “Doing it at this course is pretty special with it being a PGA Tour course. The field was pretty strong this week, and I had a lot of tough matches. But I played really well and was able to pull out the win. It’s pretty special.”

McMyler is the first to win consecutive Women’s Texas Amateurs since Texas Golf Hall of Famer Mina Hardin did it 1999-2000. Hardin, the 2010 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion, was the Senior Medalist this week at the Tournament Course during the Qualifying Round and advanced the Championship Bracket. A veteran of more than 50 USGA national championships, Hardin also won back-to-back Women’s Texas Amateur titles in 1996-97.

The Final Match was tight throughout the front nine. Both players held leads at one point, but they were tied as they reached the 10th tee box. Over the next 40 minutes or so, McMyler ripped off three straight birdies to take a commanding 3-up lead. Long off the tee and precise with her irons, she put herself in position to capitalize again and again. McMyler poured in a 12-footer on the 10th, then made 25-foot bomb on the 11th, and capped off the string with a 6-foot birdie on No. 12.

With her father Brian on the bag as caddie, McMyler also birdied the par-3 14th to go 4 up.

“I was kind of feeling it with the putter,” she said.

For her part, Isaac never backed down and continued the fight until both players bogeyed the par-3 16th, which ended things. The former Montgomery High School standout made four birdies on the front nine, but McMyler’s birdies kept besting Isaac’s pars early on the inward loop.

“I have definitely gotten mentally stronger because of this week,” said Isaac, who won seven of her 10 events during her high school senior and led her team to a runner-up finish at the 2021 UIL state championships.

Isaac employed her good friend and mentor Hailee Cooper as her caddie in the Final Match. The two were high school teammates for a year – Isaac was a freshman during Cooper’s senior year – and Isaac defeated Cooper in the Thursday’s Semifinals at the Tournament Course. Despite the tension of the match and what was at stake, Isaac and Cooper smiled and joked with each other throughout the round. The good friends clearly enjoyed the experience, regardless of the final outcome.

McMyler, a two-time Big East Golfer of the Year who won twice for Xavier last season, earned 21st seed in the Championship Match Play Bracket after recording 3-over-par 75 in Tuesday’s Qualifying Round. In the Round of 32, she defeated No. 12 seed Lauren Nguyen of Katy, 3&2. McMyler then took down 28th-seed Ellie Rippee of McKinney, 2&1, in the Round of 16.

In the Quarterfinals, McMyler beat No. 29 seed Hunter Nugent of Irving, 3&2. The Xavier standout then toppled No. 1-seeded Camryn Carreon of San Antonio in the Semis, 1 up.

“The week being so long, it’s really challenging,” said McMyler, who recently finished T26 playing as an amateur at the Epson Tour’s Ann Arbor’s Road to the LPGA powered by the A2 Sports Commission. “It was super-hot out here, so staying hydrated and staying fresh for the entire week was important.”

In addition to the McMyler-Isaac showdown, six other flights in the tournament held their final matches Friday.

In the First Flight, Paige Wood of McKinney defeated Chelsea Romas of Coppell, 5&4. In the Second Flight, Elina Sinz of Katy beat Faith Kilgore of Wimberley, 3&2. In the Third Flight, Trinity King of Arlington took down Federica Tavelli-Westerlund of San Marcos in 19 holes. In the Fourth Flight, Maria Jose Martinez Almeida of Houston defeated Brooke Morales of McKinney, 7&6. In the Fifth Flight, Simone Campise of Lewisville scored a 1-up victory against EG Messenger of Montgomery. In the Sixth Flight, Molly Murray of McKinney defeated Aidan McLachlan of Dallas, 4&3.

The Texas Golf Association extends its gratitude to the Golf Club of Houston, including its staff and membership, for their support, hospitality, and generosity during the 101st Women’s Texas Amateur. We greatly appreciate the efforts from the club, as well as the TGA volunteers, for helping us create a memorable championship week. For more information on the 101st Women’s Texas Amateur, click here.

McMyler, Isaac to Play for 101st Women’s Texas Amateur Championship

HUMBLE – After winning their third and fourth grueling matches of the week on Thursday, defending champion Emma McMyler from San Antonio will face Montgomery’s Remington Isaac on Friday for the 101st Women’s Texas Amateur title on the Tournament Course at the Golf Club of Houston.

A junior at Xavier University, the 21st-seeded McMyler held off No. 1 seed Camryn Carreon, also from San Antonio, in a back-and-forth Semifinals match that came down the final hole. Up 1 in the match, McMyler laced a long iron from the fairway bunker on the par-4 18th that found a piece of the left side of the green. Carreon, a senior at the University of Texas at San Antonio, missed the green from the fairway. She nearly holed her chip shot, but her ball bounced past the cup.

Carreon conceded her opponent’s short par putt to give McMyler the 1-up victory.

“Camryn’s been playing well all year,” said McMyler, who won twice for XU last season. “It was a great match, a hard-fought match. It was fun to play against someone who is also from San Antonio. I’ve known her for a while. It was a lot of fun, and a really great match.”

The other Semifinal match featured two talented players who also knew each other well. Both No. 31 seed Remington Isaac and 30th-seeded Hailee Cooper are from Montgomery. They played on the same Montgomery High School golf team; Isaac was a freshman when Cooper was a senior. Together, they led a talented team to the UIL Class 6A Regionals in 2018.

Thursday at the Tournament Course, Isaac came out on top with a 1-up victory. The two longtime friends both shot even-par 36 on the front nine, then proceeded to match each other – par for par – from the 10th to the 17th hole. Isaac poured in an 11-foot birdie on No. 18 to capture the win and advance to the Final Match.

“We were pretty much all square the whole round,” said Isaac, a sophomore at Kansas State. “My putt on 18 was downhill, breaking hard left. I didn’t want to run it too far by because then I needed to make the par putt if I missed the birdie. It just barely dribbled in. It was a pretty good putt.”

Earlier Thursday morning, in a Quarterfinals battle of two participants in the upcoming 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay in August, Carreon outlasted University of Illinois sophomore Alise Knudson from Dallas in 19 holes. Carreon took a 1-up lead on the 17th hole and had a ticklish 4-footer for par to end the match on the par-4 18th.

She pushed it.

Carreon didn’t have to wait long to exact revenge. She drilled a 10-footer for birdie to win the match on the first extra hole.

“Honestly, I was upset after I missed that little putt on 18,” she said. “On the first playoff hole, I said to myself, ‘It’s all or nothing.’ I really crunched my drive. I didn’t hold anything back. My putts weren’t falling all round, but I finally got one when I needed it.”

In other Quarterfinals action from the Championship Bracket, McMyler took care of 20th-seeded Hunter Nugent, a UTSA senior from Irving, 3&2. Isaac defeated University of Houston senior Annie Park from Houston, 3&2. Cooper beat last year’s runner-up at the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur Megan Winans, an Oklahoma freshman from Richardson, 2&1.

In addition to the Final Match in the Championship Match Play Bracket, Friday also brings the Finals in six lower flights. All the competitors who finished 33rd or worse in Tuesday’s Qualifying Round were seeded into flights based on their scores.

For more information on the 101st Women’s Texas Amateur, click here.  

Top-Seeded Carreon Advances to Quarterfinals at 101st Women’s Texas Amateur

HUMBLE – University of Texas at San Antonio senior Camryn Carreon survived a birdie barrage, an ace, two talented opponents, and 99-degree weather on Wednesday on the Tournament Course at the Golf Club of Houston to advance to the Quarterfinals at the 101st Women’s Texas Amateur.

After dispatching No. 32 seed Leah Alberto of Kingwood 4&3 in the morning’s Round of 32, Carreon found herself 1 up through 11 holes in the Round of 16 against Houston’s Sarah Kmiecik, a junior at Mary Hardin-Baylor. Then Kmiecik birdied the 12th, 13th, and 14th holes to flip the match and go 1 up.

Carreon and Kmiecik traded pars on the par-15 15th hole, then the fireworks show began.

The par-3 16th played 168 yards into a right-to-left wind. Kmiecik pulled out a 4-hybrid with 25 degrees of loft. She flushed it and called after it, “Be the right number!”

Spoiler alert: It was the right number.

Her ball landed just right of the hole, spun left, hopped twice, and disappeared. It was Kmiecik’s fourth career ace and third in the past six months. Suddenly, she was 2 up with two to play. A lot of opponents might’ve packed it in after that, but not Carreon. All she did was drain a 15-foot birdie on No. 17, and then a 25-footer for another one on the 18th to draw the match to even.

Carreon ended it when she stuffed a wedge to 4 inches on the 20th hole.

“I was just trying to give myself a chance towards the end,” said Carreon, who recently qualified for the 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur in August. “On the greens, I was just freeing myself up. They weren’t falling earlier today in the round like they’ve been, but they did at the end. It was the right time.”

The second, third, fourth, and fifth seeds all were eliminated from the Championship Match Play Bracket in the morning’s Round of 32. Such is the nature of match play. Anything can happen. Kyle Fraser from Fort Worth, the No. 2 seed, lost to 31st-seeded Isaac Remington of Montgomery in 19 holes. No. 3 seed Haley Vargas was defeated by 30th-seeded Hailee Cooper from Montgomery, 1 down. The No. 4 seed, Delaney Martin from Boerne, fell to Irving’s Hunter Nugent, 3&2. The fifth seed, Gabriela McNelly from Mico, lost to McKinney’s Ellie Rippee, 3&1.

Meagan Winans, runner-up at last summer’s 100th Women’s Texas Amateur, was one of the few top seeds to survive Wednesday’s Rounds of 32 and 16. The University of Oklahoma freshman from Richardson needed 19 holes to get past Hankamer’s Cari Denson in the morning. It wasn’t any easier in the afternoon; Fort Worth’s Megan Tang pushed Winans to 23 holes before the young Sooner notched the victory.

The heat was a major factor yet again, with the mercury tipping out at nearly 100 degrees. By 1:30 p.m., the heat index was 105 degrees. Shade umbrellas, lots of bottled water, and iced towels were omnipresent at the Golf Club of Houston.

Four of the 16 matches in the morning’s Round of 32 went to extra holes, highlighted by a 24-hole marathon between Texas Golf Hall of Famer Mina Hardin from Fort Worth and University of Illinois sophomore Alise Knudson from Dallas. Knudson ultimately prevailed after trailing 3 down through nine holes.

Hardin was still 1 up by the time they reached the 18th tee box, but she pushed her drive into the right rough. After a punchout back to the fairway, Hardin clipped a wedge to 4 feet. Knudson was in for par; Hardin needed to convert the knee-knocker to win the match.

“I misread it,” she said.

After trading pars on the first extra hole, Hardin said she thought she was cooked when Knudson poured in a 20-footer for birdie. Hardin, the 2010 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion, answered by draining a 15-foot birdie of her own.

“We were both hitting really good shots,” said Hardin, a five-time Women’s Texas Amateur champion. “It’s not like we were dogging it around out there. We were both 1-under through the first five extra holes.”

The match concluded on the Tournament Course’s par-4 sixth hole when Hardin yanked an approach shot into the water.

“That’s golf,” she said. “Sometimes you’re the bug. Sometimes you’re the windshield. Alise is a heck of a player.”

The Championship Match Play Bracket’s Quarterfinals begin Thursday at 8 a.m. The Semifinals follow in the afternoon, setting the stage for the Final Match on Friday morning. For more information on the 101st Women’s Texas Amateur, click here.

Holden Wisener Wins the 113th Texas Amateur

TYLER – SMU junior Holden Wisener poured in a 16-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to win the 113th Texas Amateur at historic Willow Brook Country Club on Sunday. As the ball dove into the cup, Wisener gave an emphatic fist pump and yelled, “Let’s go!”

The Dallas native finished at 14-under-par 270 for the 72-hole championship. That was good for a tie with Bobby Massa from Dallas and Jake Doggett from Hutto. The big-hitting Massa, who led for the first three days, just missed his birdie try from 18 feet on the extra hole. Doggett missed his attempt at a chip in from about 25 feet. The Midwestern State senior took runner-up honors for the second straight year.

For Wisener, the Father’s Day victory tripped a flood of emotions. His grandfather, who taught him the game, passed away earlier this year. His mom and dad were greenside for the win, and the three shared a big, sweaty family hug.

“It’s tough, but to be able to celebrate this with my dad is really special,” Wisener said, fighting through tears. “This is the biggest win of my career, and I’m just so honored that it was a TGA event. I grew up coming out to TGA events and caddied in a Texas Am for one of my best friends when I was 14 years old. I’ve always been around the TGA, and I grew up on the Legends Junior Tour. This means so much to me.”

On the 72nd hole, Holden missed a putt from about 4 feet. In the playoff, his birdie putt to win was on almost the same line, just longer.

“It was about 4 feet, same line, and I left it low,” said Wisener, who went 68-66-68-68 for the week. “In the playoff, some sort of clarity came over me. I rolled it really well and it found the bottom thankfully.”

And now Wisener goes into Texas golf history, and his name will go onto the H.L. Edwards Memorial Trophy.

“It feels amazing,” he said. “I’ve never been more nervous on a golf course. To come out on top, it feels insane. It’s awesome. When I got to the playoff, all I did was pray. And it paid off.”

Former Texas Amateur champion Zach Atkinson from Colleyville, Hayes Hamilton from Kingwood, and Francois Jacobs from League City shared fourth place at 12-under 272. Atkinson, who won the 95th Texas Amateur at the Club at Carlton Woods, fired a final round 65 to climb up the leaderboard.

“I was just trying to hang on,” Atkinson said. “I got everything out of my round I could. I don’t get to play a ton, so to get to come out here and walk four rounds in this heat, and finish like this is an accomplishment for me.”

Making the 113th Texas Amateur extra special, this year is the 100th anniversary of Willow Brook Country Club. Founded in 1922 as a nine-hole course, the tricky, shot-maker’s course has gone through many renovations, including mostly recently in 2016-18 when Tripp Davis & Associates modernized the thrilling track with rebuilt and reshaped tee boxes, greens, and bunkers.

The rolling, tree-lined fairways dogleg both left and right, which puts a premium on strategy and accuracy off the tee. The well-guarded, thoughtfully contoured green complexes demand precise irons shots to find the optimal sections of the putting surfaces.

PGA Tour winner and longtime Texas-based instructor Marty Fleckman attended the final round. Fleckman won the 1964 Texas Amateur, which was the last time the prestigious championship was contested at Willow Brook. The proud club also played host to the 1967 and ’96 Women’s Texas Amateur, the 1993, 2003, and ’13 Texas Senior Amateur, the 2019 Texas Shootout, and the 2020 Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play.

The TGA extends its warmest appreciation to Willow Brook Country Club, including its members and staff, for their hard work in delivering such an enjoyable championship week. From the primo condition of the golf course and the quality of the food to the hospitality and general good vibes from all the members who attended and assisted during the championship throughout the week, we can’t thank them all enough.

Extra special gratitude goes out to General Manager Lana Adams, Head Golf Professional Chris Hudson, Superintendent Ken Bowman, Executive Chef Melvin Guevara, Director of Events Niki Self, Assistant Golf Professional Katelyn Sepmoree, and Club President Clay Cavender for all their efforts in creating a successful week.

We’re also grateful for our TGA Volunteers, who give their time and expertise to ensure the competitors in the Texas Amateur receive a world-class championship experience.

Next summer, the 114th Texas Amateur heads to the Clubs at Houston Oaks in Hockley. For more information on this year’s championship, including complete scoring, click here.