Paul C. Gomez, Hot Springs Village, AR (June 5, 2015)
Sixty Nine players from Hawaii to Florida and from Canada to Texas settled onto the Natural State for some competitive golf at the Cortez golf course in Hot Springs Village. The first event of the year that felt like summer had arrived with only a temporary visit from Spring. The warm conditions facilitated some hot competition.
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| Bob Brooks |
The Championship Flight (tour index ranging from 0 to 3.9) could have been anybody's trophy to win with all players close after 9 holes. Rick Guptil of Bella Vista, AR looked like he was going to run away with the title of champion when after 11 holes he led Bob Brooks of Bella Vista, AR by five strokes. However, after a steady streak of pars by Brooks and a series of missteps by Guptil it came down to the last hole. Brooks bogeyed the hole to give up the one stroke lead he had and a playoff ensued with a tie at 78. It took two holes, but Brooks survived the battle and won his fifth event of 2015.
The Palmer Flight (tour index ranging from 4.0 to 7.9) was on
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| Allen Huffman |
fire at the shot-making Cortez golf course with three players scoring lower than the Championship fight! In the end, a very steady back nine by Allen Huffman of Holiday Island, AR with 8 pars and one bogey gave him a one stroke victory over John Price of Whitney, TX who led by two after nine holes. Huffman's 38-37 was the best score of the day against the entire field. Ryan Cummings of Stillwater, OK came in third place only one stroke behind Price. Huffman earned his first victory of 2015 and turned in his best score since one round at the 2014 National Championship.
Six players were tied at 37 in the Hogan Flight (tour index
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| Robert Simpkiss |
ranging from 8.0 to 11.9) after nine holes. The back nine proved to be a challenge for the Hogans with none of the leaders turning a better back nine than their front. Robert Simpkiss of Palmer, MA carded one birdie and finished with three pars to shoot 76 and earn a one stroke victory over Dale Dennison of Honolulu, HI. Two strokes behind that was the third place winner, Bob Hunter of Lee's Summit, MO. This victory made the third straight first place finish by Mr. Simpkiss.
There were thirteen birdies in the field of 21 Sarazen Flight (tour index ranging from 12.0 to 15.9) players and four of
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| Stan Wilson |
them belonged to Bob Moreau of Rockwall, TX. Stan Wilson of Wichita Falls, TX had none, but his 11 par round proved to be the winning strategy. Moreau's back nine charge led to a tie on the 18th tee box with both players sitting on a 76. Wilson was in the pairing directly behind Moreau and could not have known that he needed only to par to win after Moreau's double bogey on the final hole. Mr. Wilson's steady play and par par par finish earned him his second victory in 14 tries in the 2015 season.
Lloyd C. Reid, Jr. of Dallas, TX champion of the Jones Flight (tour index
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| Lloyd C. Reid, Jr. |
ranging from 16.0 to 19.9) demonstrated that avoiding big numbers will always keep you in the competition. Six pars, eleven bogeys and one birdie produced a 41-41 score of 81 and a five stroke victory over Tony Taylor of Saint Cloud, FL. Mr. Reid earns his first victory of 2015 and his first since his last victory in 2014 also on the Arkansas tour.
It could have been a stress free victory for Tim Bray of
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| Tim Bray |
Greenwood, MO in the Snead Flight (tour index ranging from 20.0 up). After three holes, he led the flight to the end. However, after a big number on hole thirteen, he created an opening for Evan Taylor of Saint Cloud, FL who got to within three strokes as they came to the fourteenth tee together. Taylor finished the last five holes with 3 bogeys and 2 pars and trailed by only one after Bray bogeyed the final hole. This is Bray's second victory on tour and his first in 2015.
Next on the Schedule for the Arkansas AM Tour:
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