Results: The Glenwood Open, Glenwood, AR

Paul C. Gomez, City, AR (October 29, 2011)  The inaugural visit of the GC AM Tour of Arkansas to the Glenwood Country Club proves a challenge for all flights!

Flight Winners:

Brian Smith

Palmer Flight (4.0-7.9) – Al Smith of Cabot, AR was the only Champ player and played with the Palmers shooting a 76. Eighty-Three (83) was the winning Palmer score by one by Brian Smith of Rogers, AR over Chuck Rummel of Hatfield, AR.  Smith's final hole bogey was enough to win him a one stroke victory after being down one going into #18.  Roy Blancaflor played as a guest local member of Glenwood Country Club.

John Hamilton

Hogan Flight (8.0-11.9) – Big numbers found their way across all Hogan scorecards and the contest proved to be one of endurance.  In the end, John Hamilton of Hot Springs Village, AR held on to win his first event with an 82.  After 15 holes, 3 of the four Hogans were one stroke apart, but #16 gave everyone trouble!  A par-bogey finish gave Hamilton a win over Robert Tillman, of Bentonville, AR, Richard Ainsworth of Maumelle, AR and Robert Taylor of Cabot, AR.  Keith Greenfield, local Glenwood member, played as a guest and would have won the Hogan flight shooting an 84.

Craig Merrill

Sarazen Flight (12.0-15.9) – A tight race among the Sarazens came down to who could avoid the "others."  Craig Merrill of Roland, AR held on to a back nine charge from Joshua Hinojosa of Rogers, AR to win with an 89.  Hinojosa couldn't overcome the rough start to the back nine.  Mike Lewis of Mena, AR was in the mix, but needed a birdie or two to catch up.  Local member Dale Adams played as a guest and shot what would have been a winning 85.

Danny Miller

Jones/Snead Flight (16.0-19.9) – Danny Miller of Mena, AR put on an impressive run of pars and posted only two double-bogeys to claim his first victory on the AM Tour after six starts.  Good shooting Danny.  Miller defeated Charles Moore of Cabot, AR who finished with a good back nine.

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Next official AM Tour event is the Payne Stewart Classic in Branson, Missouri.

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For a complete list of results and pictures visit our GCAT Facebook Page, the tournament results site, or go to our Picasa web site.

For more information about the GCAT of Arkansas:

Paul C. Gomez

Arkansas Director, Golf Channel AM Tour

917-553-3814

pgomez@GCAmTour.com

Paul's Pace of Play Pointers

I've watched hundreds of golfers play tournament golf and been driven nuts by some very bad habits which slow down play.  You don't need to play "hurry golf" to have a good pace of play.  Slow pace is usually a result of poor preparation.  A few seconds here and there add up in a hurry.  Here are some good habits to help you learn to keep a good pace of play from tee to green.  Good habits should not make you feel rushed, they should only help you feel ready!

1. TAKE A CLUB TO THE TEEBOX even when you need to check the distance. Distances devices should increase your pace, not slow you down.  Why would you walk to a tee box empty handed?
2. NO HONORS! Get ready and tee off! I say "honor the first guy to the tee."
3. KEEP UP WITH THE GROUP IN FRONT OF YOU.  Focus on keeping pace with the group in front of you. Do not be concerned with the group behind you.  "If you're not being held up, you're holding somebody up!"  Tee times are designed and scheduled so that you are a half a stroke behind the group ahead of you.  
4. PLAY READY GOLF. There is no penalty for playing out of turn in stroke play. If you are ready and your fellow players are not, make eye contact and announce your intention to hit.  I've seen guys waiting on each other for minutes, not sure who is going to hit!
5. KEEP AN EYE ON EACH OTHER’S SHOTS. Help look for lost balls AFTER you have hit your shot. If all four members are looking for the ball at the same time, the group has come to a dead, screeching halt, and you are wasting time!
6. THE CART DRIVER should drive to the first ball and drop off that player with 3 clubs (the one, one less and one more) and hit when safe and ready. (Decide then who’ll hit first).
7. THE SECOND PLAYER should immediately drive to their ball and prepare to hit when safe and ready. (Make eye contact with other players).
8. TAKE YOUR PUTTER with you if your next shot is a wedge or short iron to the green, and tell the driver to go without you. Walk!
9. KNOW WHEN IT’S YOUR TURN TO PUTT.  Somebody call out the order: “Ray, your away, Jack your next, then Gene ...” If you want to check your putt out from both sides, get a look from one side BEFORE it becomes your turn. PUTT CONTINUOUSLY when possible! Don’t mark a 2 footer.
10. NEVER RECORD SCORES AT THE GREEN. Announce your score on the green, walk to your cart, drive to the next tee box, THEN write them down. 

Hopefully these tips will make your next round of golf enjoyable and flow smoothly!

The 2012 Fall Launch at Fianna Hills

The Fall Launch!

The 2012 Season Begins

Paul C. Gomez, Ft. Smith, AR (October 9, 2011)  The Oklahoma Tour joined the Arkansas tour for the 2012 season launching event at Ft. Smith's Fianna Hills Country Club.  The wind blew and nobody avoided big numbers, so it took perseverance to fight through the winding neighborhood to produce a winner in each flight.

Flight Winners:

Douglas Duke

Palmer Flight (4.0-7.9) – It took birdies to win the Palmer flight, and not just one or two.  Douglas Duke of Tulsa, OK carded six birdies and won the Palmer flight by four strokes over Roland Lewis also of Tulsa.  After a quad, triple combination, Duke finished with three birdies and a par to secure the first victory of 2012.   

Kelly Smith

Hogan Flight (8.0-11.9) – A one over par front nine gave Kelly Smith of Sentinel, OK all the cushion he needed to secure the first Hogan victory of 2012 by five strokes over Brian Buchanan of Cabot, AR.  Buchanan's back nine was just good enough to keep him three stokes ahead of Dan Nieman of Bella Vista, AR and Chris Blankenship of Stigler, OK who tied for third place.

Josh Hinojosa

Sarazen Flight (12.0-15.9) – It was a tale of two nines for Josh Hinojosa of Rogers, AR whose 11 over front nine was not the way he had hoped to play his first AM Tour event.  His back nine one over par, however, was good enough to catch David Price  of Pawhustaka, OK.  Price had a steady round of +5 and +7 but with no birdies, Price went to a playoff with Hinojosa.  THe momentum   Hinojosa had established, however, carried him through a one hole playoff and for his first AM Tour victory!  

Dale Stringer

Senior Sarazen Flight (12.0-15.9) – Only three strokes separated 1st from 2nd place in the Senior Sarazen flight.  Dale Stringer of Russellville, AR and Craig Merrill of Roland, AR both struggled with the tight design of the golf course, and both had one birdie apiece.  Stringer's four stroke lead after nine proved to be a sufficient lead to hold off the one stroke advance Merrill made on the back nine.  Stringer's 88 gives him his first victory of the 2012 season and his second on tour.

Lloyd Welch

Jones Flight (16.0-19.9) – Lloyd Welch of McAlester, OK, Danny Miller from Mena, AR, and  Sam Reeves from Bentonville, AR had a great three way battle going all day.  In the end, Welch's performance on the par 4's (six better than his competitors) and his back nine three birdies gave earned him his first victory of the 2012 season.  All 3 players had 5 pars, but Welch's 3 birdies gave him a comfortable victory.

  

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For a complete list of results and pictures visit our GCAT Facebook Page, go to the results site, or go to our  Picasa web site . 

For more information about the GCAT of Arkansas:

Paul C. Gomez

Arkansas Director, Golf Channel AM Tour

917-553-3814

pgomez@GCAmTour.com