Scott R Chilcutt, Austin, TX (November 2, 2018)  Onion Creek Golf Club, just south of Downtown Austin, played host to the Prelude of the Austin Open Major Championship to be played over the weekend at WolfDancer Golf Club in Bastrop, TX.  Slated to play the Original Course, the rain in the weeks leading up to the event had the greens maintenance inconsistent with the holes along the Onion Creek, so the play was moved to the North Course.  The North Course, using holes, 1-4 and 14-18 of the Original, add a more recent 9 holes that Ben Crenshaw lent a hand in designing. 

Tiny greens and thick rough put the players through a test that over half the field would use as a warm-up session for the weekend. 


RESULTS:


Championship:  West Lafayette, IN, player Tanner Skiles, made the most of birdies on the par 3 - 7th and par 4 - 10th to pick up the championship with four strokes to spare.  With two birdies of his own on the day, Jack Carlile of Lewisville, TX, took six strokes off his front nine scores on the back to jump into the runner-up spot.  Four strokes back, Aaron Means of Belton, TX, carded three birdies on the day to round out the top three.





Palmer:  In this combined, Open/Senior flight, it would be a local Senior that would take the top spot.  Playing in his first event on tour, Rob Ormand of Austin, TX, fired the low flight round for the win.  Crawford, TX, member Keven Vansau, finished six strokes back, with two birdies on the back nine, with Stephen Labay, of Austin, TX, taking the final podium spot with the help of a birdie on the par 3 - 11th.




Hogan:  Oklahoma Tour traveler, Paul Stanton of Broken Arrow, OK, carded low flight scores on the front and back to win the championship wire to wire.  Stanton, with a pair of birdies on par 3's, finished three strokes clear of Carrollton, TX, member Ken Johnson.  Six back of Johnson, was another DFW Tour member, Craig Vanderlaan, of Dallas, TX, with a birdie on the par 3 - 11th.





Senior Hogan:  David Anthony of Cypress, TX, made the turn with a one-stroke advantage over Sugar Grove, IL, member Tom Joy.  The pair would flop scores on the 10th - 12th, when Joy would bring it to even, then match each other over the final six to force extra holes.  Back to the course, starting on the par 4 - 1st, it would take two, for Anthony to prevail with a par on the overwater par 3 - 2nd.  Five strokes back, Colorado Tour traveler Tony Solano, of Denver and Missouri City, TX, player Dale Fuhr, would share the third place honors.





Sarazen:  In the largest flight of the day, in another combined group of Open/Senior players, Indiana Tour member, John Wendt of Indianapolis, IN, with a birdie on the par 5 - 5th, would take home the championship.  Three strokes back, Mackie Crossan of Abilene, TX, and Midland, TX, resident Joe Luman, would split the runner-up honors, both with birdies of there own.





Jones:  Blake Barnes of Houston, TX, led wire to wire, to pick up the win, three strokes clear of New Braunfels, TX, player David Garcia.  Garcia, with two birdies on the round, finished five strokes ahead of a trio of players knotted up in third.  Charles Watson of Llano, TX, Lloyd C Reid, JR of Dallas, TX, and Prescott, AZ, player Andrew Foutz, would split the third-place finish.





Snead:  A First-time winner a few weeks prior at Teravista on the north side of Austin, Gene Hanley, of San Antonio, TX, clearly has found a secret to success.  Hanely, one stroke back at the turn, birdied the par 4 - 10th and breezed to a three-stroke victory.  San Antonio, TX, member Bill Russell, with a birdie on the par 3 - 2nd, has had to settle for the runner-up spot for both of Hanley's victories but is finding his way around the top.  Two strokes back of Russell, Dan O'Shea of Copperas Cove, TX, rounded out the top three.






SKINS:


Giant Skins:  ($160/each)  Stanton, Paul. Broken Arrow, OK - 1 - Birdie on 17.  Hanley, Gene, Saint Kitts and Nevis - 1 - Birdie on 10.  Garcia, David, New Braunfels, TX - 1 - Birdie on 9.


Championship/Palmer:  ($40/each)  Harkins, Mike, Cedar Park, TX - 2 - Birdie on 1, Birdie on 5.  Labay, Stephen, Austin, TX - 1 - Birdie on 11. Carlile, Jack, Lewisville, TX - 1 - Birdie on 6.  Ormand, Rob, Austin, TX - 1 Par on 8.

Hogan/Senior Hogan:  (60/each)  Paquette, Shaun, Pflugerville, TX - 1 - Birdie on 11.  Stanton, Paul, Broken Arrow, OK - 1 - Birdie on 17.  Aldredge, Glynn, Fairview, TX - 1 - Birdie on 16. Fuhr, Dale, Missouri City, TX - 1 - Birdie on 6.

Sarazen:  ($106/each)  Luman, Joe, Midland, TX - 2 - Par on 3, Birdie on 16.  Latham, Zane, Valley View, TX - 1 Birdie on 1.

Jones:  ($50/each)  Don, Dennis. Houston, TX - 1 - Birdie on 11,  Barnes, Blake, Houston, TX - 1 - Par on 13.  Watson, Charles, Llano, TX - 1 - Par on 8.  Garcia, David, New Braunfels, TX - 1 - Birdie on 9.


Snead:  ($16/each)  Price, Jim, San Antonio, TX - 3 - Par on 12, Par on 16, Bogey on 18. Hanley, Gene, Saint Kitts and Nevis - 3 - Bogey on 3, Birdie on 10, Par on 11.  O'Shea, Dan, Copperas Cove, TX - 2 - Par on 4, Bogey on 15.  Sater, Stephen, Sugar Land, TX - 1 - Par on 14.  Schram, Richard, Bryan, TX - 1 Par on 1.  Ray, Paul, Midland, TX - 1 - Birdie on 7.


CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$125/each:

#2 - David Garcia - 2' 11".  #7 - Kendall Hisey - 9' 11".  #11 - Dennis Don - 3'.  #13 - Tom Joy - 7'.  





NEXT UP:

FALL TEXAS TOURS SCHEDULE - click on the title to register


11/11/2018 - Veterans Day Championship - Hawks Creek - Closed and sold out.

11/17/2018 - Fall Open - Canyon Springs - Closes Friday, November 9th.
11/18/2018 - Fall Challenge - Humble - Tour 18 - Closes Friday, November 9th.
11/24/2018 - Lakes Open - Squaw Valley - Closes Friday, November 16th.
11/25/2018 - North Texas Winter Championship - Apache Links - Closes Friday, November 16th.


For More Information:


Director - Texas Tours
Dallas  Tour - Hill Country Tour  - Houston Tour
GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467
schilcutt@gcamtour.com
www.gcamtour.com