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