Red River Rout With A Different Ending - Border War at Rock Creek

Scott R Chilcutt, Gordonville, TX (October 14, 2012)  Just a day after the annual Red River Rivalry, OU / Texas football game where media outlets from Austin to Norman were calling it the "Red River Rout" after a 63-21 bashing by the Sooners the tables turned.  On Sunday during the Border War at Rock Creek, players from Oklahoma and Texas went head to head, FINAL - Dallas Tour - 6, Houston Tour - 1, Oklahoma Tour - 0.

Rock Creek Resort on Texoma is a Double Diamond Resort property located just south of Lake Texoma on the Texas side of the Oklahoma / Texas border, due north of the DFW Metroplex.  The Nicklaus Design Course is nestled through the rolling hills of the area, with difficult blind shots, strategically placed fairway bunkers and native trees in landing areas make it a visually daunting task that proved to be arguably the toughest course on the schedule.  Beautiful weather, sunny skies, light winds followed up heavy overnight rains in the area that may have slowed the course down somewhat, but the greens were still treacherous.  Directions for the superintendent to give 1/3 easy, 1/3 moderate and 1/3 difficult pin placements were followed to a tee!



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 With the tale of two nines, it was clear that those that could navigate the back nine would end up victors on this day.  Of the 10 most difficult holes, only two came from the front side, with #10 playing almost two strokes over par.  In all the 10th and 12th holes, without birdies, would only give way to 10 total pars in 62 rounds and 70 double bogie's or higher.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:   Tony Peppler from Dallas, TX came to the ninth hole three under par on three birdies and flew the green on the downwind par three to record his first bogey.  Coming in he would fend off the big numbers to end up two strokes clear of Edmond, OK member Al Swanson.  Swanson ran into barb wire troubles on the eleventh hole, finished out the final seven in one over par to secure the runner up spot five strokes clear of Andrew Braun from Trophy Club, TX rounding out the top three.

Palmer Flight: The second win on tour for Randy Sellers came at the Austin - Nicklaus Open in 2012 on another Nicklaus design. Flint Rock Falls at The Hills Country Club with similar characteristics proved to be to the 49 year old from Lewisville's liking.  After a triple on the fourteenth, Sellers patience would follow with a birdie on the seventeenth to pick up his third win on tour by a single stroke over Sean Fenton from Fort Worth.  Fenton made the turn with three problem holes, but finished out with six straight par's to remain three strokes ahead of first time player Keith Childress from Diana, TX finishing in the show position.

Hogan Flight:  Mark Taylor of Lewisville, TX started out his day on the tough back nine with the rest of the Hogan flight and after going +8 on the back, made the turn and didn't look back, carding eight pars coming to the club house to win his first event on tour by three strokes.  Catoosa, OK newcomer Joe Deere managed three birdies on the day to edge out a pair of players tied in the third spot by two strokes.  James Surber from Edmond, OK would play his back nine in four over par with a birdie to tie up the third place finish with Sanger, TX member Steve Killion.                      

Sarazen Flight:  Keller, TX player Nick Easen picked up his eighth win on tour when he finished the final hole with a bogey, solidifying a one stroke advantage over Wichita, KS traveler Gary Schuessler.  Easen had one bump in his first nine holes at the short par four, fourth but stayed away from the big numbers over the final nine holes.  Scott Lane of Plano, TX was one of only a few players to take strokes off the back nine, finishing one stroke behind Schuessler to equal his best finish on tour.

Senior Sarazen Flight:   Bruce Beakley traveling from Houston commanded his second win in as many Saturdays by five strokes over Jones, OK member Stan Wilson.  Beakley carded seven pars on the day with four straight over the difficult 14th through 17th holes.  Wilson birdied the par five - 15th, one of only three on the day, and finished steady to edge out Bob Moreau of Plano, TX by two strokes after Moreau struggled on the final hole.

Jones Flight:  Local Gordonville, TX player Keith Bruce finally got a scheduled event without long drives and made use of the extra sleep running away from the field for his first win on tour.  Bruce, a second place finisher at the 2012 Texas Masters at Barton Creek, took advantage of birdies at the fourth and fourteenth to finish five strokes ahead of first time Allen, TX player Shawn Privat.  Privat started a little shaky on his first few holes but bounded back with seven mid round pars to maintain a two stroke advantage over Garrett Tidman of Little Elm, TX.

Snead Flight:  Doyle Fleming from Haslet, TX picked up his fourth win on tour and first of the points year.  Fleming didn't let a triple on his opening hole get him down, recorded two birdies on the back and left the field behind.  Saginaw, TX resident Mike Adcock carded one of only five pars on his first hole of the day at the tenth hole and keeps knocking on the winners door, but just couldn't match the consistent finish by Fleming.  Two strokes back of Adcock, Larry Tolson of McKinney, TX birdied the par four- 7th to round out the top three. 
      



SKINS:

Championship:  3 -- Andrew Braun, Trophy Club, TX.  2 -- John Bohling, Highland Village, TX; Tony Peppler, Dallas, TX; Al Swanson, Edmond, OK.  1 -- Tim Williams, McKinney, TX.

Palmer:  1 -- John Anderson, Lake Worth, TX; Brandon McCool, Edmond, OK; Randy Sellers, Lewisville, TX.

Hogan:  2 -- Joe Deere, Catoosa, OK.  1 -- Jeffrey Banner, Lawton, OK; Hyon Shin, Lawton, OK; Gary Hayes, Chickasha, OK; Art Wiles, Oklahoma City, OK; Tim Mathis, Edmond, OK.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:  2 -- Joseph Roy, Rockwall, TX.  1 -- Stan Wilson, Jones, OK; Patrick Gutridge, Hurst, TX.

Jones / Snead:  2 -- Keith Bruce, Gordonville, TX.  1 -- Rob Battenfield, Dallas, TX; Mike Adcock, Saginaw, TX; Larry Tolson, McKinney, TX; Doyle Fleming, Haslet, TX.

Next Up:   Dallas Tour makes a stop at Champions Circle one week after the Nascar stars hit the track at Texas Motor Speedway for the Fall Championship on November 11th.  Entry deadline is Friday, November 2nd.  The Oklahoma Tour takes on another Tour Challenge for the Four-State Championship in Joplin, MO on Saturday, October 20th.  Registration has closed for this event, but limited spots may still be available.

For More Information:

Scott R Chilcutt
Tour Director
Dallas / Hill Country / Oklahoma Tours
405.513.1467
schilcutt@gcamtour.com