Zamorano and Massa Win Back-To-Back North Four-Ball Title

Briefly: Bobby Massa and Ryan Zamorano of Dallas win the 2024 North Four-Ball after finishing with a 123 21-under for the tournament. The side had nothing but smiles after winning back-to-back championships as partners. This is Massa’s third North Four-Ball title in a row. The partners will receive an exemption into the 2024 Texas Four-Ball.

Golf Course: Opened in 2000, Whitestone Golf Course was created by Jeff Brauer and Jay Morrish and stretches to just over 7,100 yards in Benbrook, TX. Brauer is also the creator behind Cowboys Golf Club and Tangle Ridge Golf Club in the Metroplex area. The elevation changes from tee to green throughout the course is what makes the course choose your shots wisely.

Weather: Players were greeted with incredible weather for the First Round. The morning started in the mid 50’s before climbing into the high 60s in the afternoon. The clear blue skies were mixed with a light breeze throughout the day with gusts hitting just over 10 mph. The Second Round brought stronger winds with gusts reaching up to 25mph. The Second-Round weather started in the High 50s before reaching the low 80s in the afternoon to finish the tournament.

Top Finishers: Zamorano and Massa of Dallas played dominant golf to win the title for the second consecutive year. Zamorano and Massa finished with a total of 123 21-under for the tournament. Their first round 56 included three eagles and nine birdies that separated themselves from the rest of the field. “Everything was going in,” shared Massa “We were seeing the greens well and hit some quality shots that helped us cash them in.” Zamorano and Massa shot a five-under 65 in the second round to help themselves finish with a commanding lead.

Finishing in second were the duo of Sean Heidrick of McKinney and Kolton Crawford of Azle after a 14-under 130. The side finished with seven birdies on the first day to move themselves into a strong position for the Final Round. Following behind in third was the duo of Scott Winslett and William McDonald of Dallas after a total of 12-under 132.

Finishing in a tie for fourth were duos Brock Mulder of McKinney and Nicholas Loar of Rockwall, Riley Goff of Grapevine and James DeLaGarza of Haltom City, and Marcus Jones of Argyle and Jeffrey Juillerat of Fort Worth, and all finishing with a total of 11-under 133. The Top 5 finishers and ties will receive exemptions into the 2024 Texas Four-Ball at Braeburn Country Club in August.

In seventh were the duo of Gary Ezmerlian and Colby Amparan of Fort Worth with a total of 10-under par 134.

Regional POY: North Player of the Year points will be awarded to the top finishers at the 2024 North Four-Ball. The winning team will receive 400 points, followed by 250 for second, 200 for third, 150 for fourth, and 100 for fifth. Points will be awarded to both players on the team individually. For Regional POY information, click here.

What’s Next: The North Regional Series will head to the Courses at Watters Creek for the North Mid-Am. The tournament is set for March 22-24.

Registration for the 115th Texas Amateur is currently open and will close on March 27 at 5:00 PM. For more information and to register for the Texas Amateur, click here.

More Info: The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere appreciation to the staff and members of Whitestone Golf Cub as well as our volunteers for their integral part in making the North Four-Ball a memorable and successful event. For more information on the North Four-Ball, click here.

Jason Schultz and Russell Williams Win Texas Four-Ball

MONTGOMERY – Jason Schultz of Allen and Prosper’s Russell Williams card a final round 6-under-par 66 to go wire-to-wire and win the Texas Four-Ball by three strokes at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club’s Weiskopf Course.

Schultz, 47, and Williams, 46, began the week with a 12-under-par 60 on Friday and they never looked back after leading the field through Round 1. Despite a slow start on Sunday that let their lead drop to one shot at the turn, Schultz and Williams teamed up to card five birdies on their closing nine holes to post 26-under par overall for the championship.

“It was very nerve-racking,” Williams said. “I’d never been in that position. But I’ll tell you what, I had the best partner in the field. He was solid all week and I’m just glad that the two or three times a round he needed a little pick up I was able to do that and contribute.”

Schultz and Williams did balance each other well all three rounds. They tallied 27 holes under par (26 birdies and one eagle) and only birdied the same hole three times. In fact, they had five holes where one player birdied while the other made bogey. It was a true team victory.

“It means a lot,” Schultz said. “It was a fun environment from start to finish. We kind of just built from day one and kept going from there.”

Scott Loving and Brandon Destefano of Conroe tied Aaron Hickman of Tyler and Dallas’s Rob Couture for second at 23-under-par 193. Will Griffin and Coy Breen of San Antonio tied for fourth with Dru Fenimore of Dallas and Mission’s Miguel Del Angel at 22-under-par 194.

In the Senior Division, Mike Peck and Steve Love of Irving clinched the victory in extraordinary fashion. They arrived at the ninth tee (their closing hole) tied for the lead with Lewis Stephenson of Burleson and San Antonio’s John Pierce, who were in the clubhouse at 19-under par.

Needing a birdie to secure a one-shot victory, Love hit his approach shot to 12-feet above the hole. Peck lagged his birdie attempt to with three feet and set the stage for his partner. Knowing exactly what was at stake, Love gave his putt one final look. He made his stroke and his ball found the bottom of the cup.

“It’s exciting for me because I don’t get to do this as much as Mike,” Love said. “Mike held us together the whole back nine. It was amazing the putts he was making for par. We kind of teamed it up and got through it, so it was really exciting.”

Peck and Love, who have been good friends for years, tallied 23 birdies as a team for the three rounds and add this victory to their decorated amateur golf resumes.

“Anytime you win one of the TGA’s major tournaments it’s truly an honor,” Peck said.
“It’s fantastic to do it with a great friend. It was a team victory and couldn’t have been any better.”

David Ortego of Spring and Sugar Land’s Gordon Wagner tied Stephenson and Pierce for second with a closing birdie of their own to post 19-under-par 197 . Kenneth Coutant of Dallas and McKinney’s Bill Jackson finished fourth at 18-under-par 198, while Lee Sandlin of Dallas and Westworth Village’s Hollis Sullivan tied for fifth with Larry Corson of Dallas and Southlake’s Mike Lohner at 17-under 197.

In the Super Senior Division, John Kennedy and Ford Cartwright of Lufkin claimed their first title as a four-ball team following a closing 4-under-par 68. They posted 16-under-par for the championship to hold off Charles Reeve of Houston and Montgomery’s Tom McGraw by three strokes.

“It’s great because it’s been a while,” Kennedy said. “This guy (Ford) is the best partner in the world. He’s always positive and it really helps me and I think we really pair up well together.”

Richard Hageman of Garden Ridge and Spring’s Dan Alpha finished solo third at 13-under-par 203. Sam Boyd of Horseshoe Bay and League City’s Gary Noto posted 8-under-par 208 to finish fourth, while Fred Brown and Kent Samuel of The Woodlands rounded out the top five at 6-under-par 210.

The TGA extends its most sincere appreciation to Bentwater Yacht & CC, its staff and membership for their hospitality this week. Extra special thanks go out to Director of Golf Mark Steinbauer, Head Golf Professional David Brock, Catering & Events Coordinator Chelsea Bledsoe, Director of Agronomy Donny Latham and the entire Bentwater Yacht & CC grounds crew for their preparation and tireless work during the championship. All the players and TGA staff know how crucial their role was in making the Texas Four-Ball a memorable week.

For more information on the 2020 Texas Four-Ball, click here.

Schultz, Williams Extend Lead at Texas Four-Ball

MONTGOMERY – Russell Williams of Prosper and Jason Schultz of Allen extend their lead at the Texas Four-Ball after carding an 8-under-par 64 in the second round at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club’s Weiskopf Course.

Following their brilliant 12-under-par 60 in Round 1, Williams and Schultz begin Saturday afternoon right where they left off as Schultz birdied four of his opening six holes.

He carded another birdie on the par-4 18th to turn in 5-under 31 on his own ball. On the back nine, Schultz and Williams teamed up for three more birdies to post 20-under par through two rounds and lead the field by three strokes.

“My partner played really well today,” Williams said. “He was striping the ball. I picked him up on about three holes, other than that, it was a Jason Schultz show.”

Though Williams and Schultz have played together for many years, they are teeing it up in the Texas Four-Ball as a team for the first time. The duo finds themselves atop the leaderboard with 18 holes to play; however, they plan to keep the same mentality for Sunday’s final round.

“We just look forward to having some fun,” Schultz said. “I got a good partner and that’s all you can ask for. We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing.”

Chris Goodspeed of Dallas and Frisco’s Bell Steen sit three shots back of Williams and Schultz. The three-time Texas Four-Ball champions (1996, 1997, 2002) carded nine birdies and an eagle en route to a 10-under-par 62, tying the low-round of the day.

Goodpseed, 54, and Steen, 54, have been friends since the first grade. They played collegiate golf together at Abiliene Christian University and on Sunday, they’ll look to add a fourth Texas Four-Ball title to their amateur golf careers.

“He’s my best friend and I love getting to play golf with him,” Steen said.

Three teams are tied for third at 16-under par for the championship. Scott Loving and Brandon Destefano of Conroe matched their opening 64 with another round at 8-under. Rob Couture of Dallas and Tyler’s Aaron Hickman carded a bogey-free 7-under-par 65 on Friday, while Will Griffin and Coy Breen of San Antonio birdied their final hole to shoot 6-under 66. All three teams will begin the final round four shots behind Williams and Schultz.

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

In the Senior Division, two teams are tied atop the leaderboard. David Ortego of Spring and Sugar Land’s Gordan Wagner followed their opening 63 with a 4-under-par 68. They are tied with Mike Peck and Steve Love of Irving who carded a 6-under-par 66 on Saturday. Kenneth Coutant of Dallas and McKinney’s Bill Jackson are solo third after consecutive rounds of 66.

John Pierce of San Antonio and Burleson’s Lewis Stephenson are tied for fourth with Kip Estep of Rockwall and Houston’s Scott Smith. They are at 12-under-par 133 overall and will begin Sunday’s final round two strokes behind the leaders. The Senior Division was cut to the top 10 teams following the second round.

In the Super Senior Division, John Kennedy and Ford Cartwright of Lufkin continued to play solid golf on Saturday. They carded three birdies and an eagle en route to a 4-under-par 68. Kennedy and Cartwright hold a three-shot lead over Tom McGraw of Montgomery and Houston’s Charles Reeve who are 9-under through two rounds.

Richard Hageman of Garden Ridge and Spring’s Dan Alpha are third at 8-under-par 135 overall. Following the second round, the Super Senior Division was cut to the top six teams and ties.

For Bentwater Yacht & Country Club, this is the fifth time it has played host to a TGA major championship. Through the years, the club has hosted the Texas Mid-Amateur, Texas Senior Amateur, Club Team and Texas Father-Son. It’s the first time Bentwater Yacht & CC has been the site for the Texas Four-Ball.

The final round of the Texas Four-Ball begins Sunday at 8 a.m. at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club’s Weiskopf Course. For more information on this championship, click here

Williams and Schultz Grab First Round Lead at Texas Four-Ball

MONTGOMERY – Russell Williams of Prosper and Jason Schultz of Allen hold the first round lead of the Texas Four-Ball after turning in a brilliant 12-under-par 60 at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club’s Weiskopf Course.

Williams, 46, and Schultz, 47, have known each other since competing as collegiate golfers in the ‘90s. Over the years, they have played countless rounds together as well as various four-ball events. Though this year is the first time the duo has teamed up in the Texas Four-Ball, Williams and Schultz had no problem navigating the Weiskopf Course on Friday.

Williams carded five birdies and an eagle on his own ball, while Schultz tallied seven birdies of his own. They both bogeyed the par-3 eighth en route to their opening 12-under 60 to lead the field by two.

“We both stayed patient, and when one person was down the other person just kind of picked it up and we just kind of kept the momentum going,” Williams said. “We had a little slip up on eight, but we bounced right back and made a couple birdies and got it going on the back.”

Two teams sit two shots back of Williams and Schultz. John Hunter and Shane Heise of The Woodlands and Will Grifiin and Coy Breen of San Antonio fired opening rounds of 10-under-par 62.

Hunter and Heise set the tone early in Round 1. As the third group off the tenth tee Friday morning, they carded four birdies and an eagle to jump to 6-under through nine. The duo didn’t slow down on their closing loop. Hunter carded birdies on the par-5 second, par-4 fifth and par-3 eight to complement Heise’s birdie on the par-4 sixth.

“Round 1 was a good bit of ham and egg for both of us,” Hunter said. “We kind of got some momentum, made some putts, had some balls go in that probably surprised us a little bit and got about as much out of it as we could. We can’t look back and say we did anything wrong. It was a good day.”

Griffin and Breen, who have been friends since 2002, started slow on Friday. They turned in 2-under 34 and were eight shots off the clubhouse lead.

“I saw some teams were going low and knew we needed to get it going,” Griffin said.

Coy carded a bogey-free 4-under 32, while Griffin carded six birdies en route to a closing nine 6-under 30. Their 10 birdies combined for an 8-under-par 28 as a team. The 2020 Greater San Antonio Four-Ball Championship runner-ups climbed the leaderboard and will begin Saturday just two shots off the lead.

“We knew we didn’t play well on our first nine,” Griffin said. “Coy made a really good putt on 17 (their eighth hole) that kept us bogey free which was huge. Then we made the turn and played awesome on the front nine like we know we can.”

Michael Samp and Chris Headon as well as Aaron Hickman and Rob Couture carded rounds of 9-under-par 63 and are tied fourth. Three teams are tied for sixth at 8-under par. They include Josh Ketter and Bryan Mitchell, Scott Loving and Brandon Destefano as well as Grant Bills and Scott Maurer.

In the Senior Division, two teams are tied atop the leaderboard. David Ortego and Gordan Wagner as well as Mike Lohner and Larry Corson fired 9-under-par 63s. They’ll head into Saturday’s second round with a one-stroke advantage over Dave Davis and Jim Quinn. Mike Peck and Steve Love are tied for fourth with Scott Smith and Kip Estep after rounds of 7-under-par 65.

In the Super Senior Division, John Kennedy and Ford Cartwright of Lufkin carded eight birdies en route to an 8-under-par 64. Dan Alpha and Richard Hageman are solo second at 5-under par, while Tom McGraw and Charles Reeve share third at 4-under par with Bud Bartels and Richard Baker.

With its spectacular setting on the western shores of Lake Conroe and three award-winning courses, Bentwater Yacht & Country Club is one of the state’s premier golf communities. The Weiskopf Course, the first built at Bentwater, made its stunning debut in 1989 and was designed by PGA Tour legend Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish.

The architectural duo took full advantage of the site’s natural beauty – stately hardwoods and towering pine trees, rolling topography, elevation changes and numerous water features – to create a course that is all together enjoyable, challenging and visually sensational. With options to play shots over inlets or carry corners of tree-lined doglegs, the Weiskopf Course provides plenty of exciting risk-reward moments.

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