The Battle at Fort Smith

Paul C. Gomez, Alma, AR (April 12, 2014)

After what seemed like the most oppressive winter for golf (read two snow cancelations), the AM Tour of Arkansas finally started the spring season.  The weather in Alma was perfect if not a bit windy.  The greens were fast and the competition was on! The results of these rounds would have been all different if there were a "triple-bogey" maximum rule.  This is why the AM Tour plays GOLF!

Flight Winners

Palmer Flight: (4.0-7.9) – It turned out to be a front nine

Scot Carter

battle between Scot Carter of Bella Vista, AR and Matt McClain of Decatur, AR.  Both players battled the fast greens and increasing winds on the back side to shoot 6 over par.  The three stroke difference between the two came down to one big hole on the front side.  Carter held on the entire back side never trailing once and shot 79. Carter said all day long he was glad to two-putt any of the fast greens with treacherous hole locations.  Carter also won the low net  Showcase Trophy and Awards  Tournament Champion competition against the entire field.



Senior Hogan Flight: (8.0-11.9) – One is not only the loneliest number, but it's the number Tom Stephens of Bella 

Tom Stephens

Vista, AR was better than Ron Stratton of Bella Vista, AR on each nine holes to secure his first victory on the Am Tour!  Golfin' buddies back home, Stratton made his first appearance on the AM Tour. "The round started great with a birdie on #1 and stayed positive all day" said Stephens.  Stephens' 41-43 was enough for a two stroke victory.  This is Stephens' first victory after only two tries!  

Senior Sarazen Flight: (12.0-15.9) –  "This is why you play

Dennis Baxter

every hole" said Dennis Baxter of Bella Vista, AR after winning the Senior Sarazen Flight by only two strokes after Kerry Greer of Oklahoma City, OK had a rough 18th hole to end his round.  Baxter, a seasoned competitor, has been there before, and not always on the winning end.  Baxter wins his first event of the 2014 season with this victory!

Jones Flight: (16.0-19.9) – It was a three man race to the finish in the Jones flight with some of it also coming down to

Michael Mortari

the last hole.  Craig Merrill of Roland, AR jumped out to an early lead by taking a 3-shot lead over the field.  His 18th hole also cost him the trophy. Brian Enos of Farmington, AR made a run for the trophy by starting the back nine with a birdie. A big number on #14 dashed his hopes.  In the end, it was Michael Mortari of Dixon, MO who took the trophy by avoiding any big numbers on the back nine.  Mortari has played twelve events since November and this makes his third victory! 

Scot Carter - Tournament Champion with a +3 net score 

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For a complete list of results and pictures visit our GCAT Facebook Page or go to the results site.  For more information about the GCAT of Arkansas:

Paul C. Gomez
Arkansas Director, Golf Channel AM Tour
917-553-3814
pgomez@GCAmTour.com

2014 Schedule Announced

2014 Schedule Announced

We are happy to announce our 2014 schedule. This season's events include four private clubs, five great public courses and five Major Championships.

• March 22: The Maumelle Spring Classic (Maumelle CC)

• April 12: The Battle at Fort Smith (Eagle Crest GC)

• April 26: The Valley View Open (Golf Club at Valley View)

• May 24: The Shootout at the Highlands (The Highlands GC)

• June 8: The River Valley Rumble (Fianna Hills CC)

• June 21: The Stonebridge Standoff (Stonebridge Meadows GC)

• July 12: The Cypress Creek Challenge (Cypress Creek GC)

• August 2: The Rivalry at River Cut (River Cut GC)

• August 16-17: The Arkansas Tour Championship (Shadow Valley CC)

The 2014 National Championship will be at Talking Stick Resort and Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona!

The season will culminate with special awards to flight winners* and an awards ceremony.

The NWA Fall Championship

Paul C. Gomez, Rogers, AR (November 16, 2013)

Rain was the original threat to competition at Shadow Valley Country Club in Rogers, but the real opponent turned out to be the wind!  Gusts up to 25 and 30 mph proved a big challenge to all players.  The golf course was in great shape. The fall leaves made golf searching a challenge as well.  

Flight Winners:

Bob Brooks

Championship Flight: (0.0-3.9) – Knowing how to hit boring knock-down shots through the wind gave Bob Brooks of Bella Vista, AR the edge he needed to climb back from a rocky start and finish even par.  After going two over after five holes, Brooks finished the last 13 holes two under par.  Brooks, the 2013 Senior National Champion, wins his first event of the 2014 season with this victory.  Congratulations, Bob.

Palmer Flight: (4.0-7.9) – Matt McClain of Decatur, AR came

Matt McClain

to defend his title in the Palmer flight.  Although he started slowly, through 15 holes he was only 8 over.  The high winds caused more strokes than he wanted, but victory is still sweet.  Even with one disaster hole, he was never in real danger of losing his place atop the flight.  Congratulations, Matt.

Sarazen Flight: (12.0-15.9) –   It cold have been anyone's

Charles Dickerson

title in the Sarazen flight.  After 9 holes, 5 players were less than two strokes apart.  That's when Charles Dickerson's prototype irons on loan from his buddy kicked into gear.  Dickerson, of Columbia, MO fired off 4 birdies to shoot even par on the back 9.  The victory was good enough not only for his flight, but also for the Showcase Trophy and Awards Tournament Champion and his first victory of the 2014 season!  Congratulations, Charles. 

Jones Flight: (16.0-19.9) – Perhaps the best battle of the day was in the Jones flight.  With an impressive start

Steve Rutherford

including two birdies through 8 holes, Mike Calhoun of Rogers, AR led his flight by 3 strokes over Carl Imhof of Rogers, AR.  Steve Rutherford of Centeron, AR looked to be out of it completely with one rather disastrous par 5.  Calhoun stumbled on the 9th hole and couldn't catch up.  Imhof led by four going into the last hole and problems on the green let Rutherford in with a final hole birdie after going only 5 over on the last 10 holes! Rutherford said that after the disaster hole he decided to just have fun!  Way to focus and not give up, Steve!

Snead Flight: (20.0+) – Perseverance paid off for Brandon

Brandon Walters

Walters of Springdale, AR.  It took twelve tries, but Walters wins his first event on the AM Tour with this victory.  A steady front nine kept him in the game even after a stumble on the 11th hole.  A nice come-back par on #12 put him back on the path to a strong finish and a comfortable victory.  Congratulations, Brandon!

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For a complete list of results and pictures visit our GCAT Facebook Page or go to the results site.  For more information about the GCAT of Arkansas:

Paul C. Gomez
Arkansas Director, Golf Channel AM Tour
917-553-3814
pgomez@GCAmTour.com

The Payne Stewart Classic

Paul C. Gomez, Branson, MO (November 2, 2013)

The leaves were turning and the setting was perfect.  The colors were as stunning as one would expect in the Fall in the Ozarks.  Payne Stewart Golf Course was as challenging as it was scenic.  Preceded by days of rain and a turn in the weather put all carts on the path and all players on notice - the day was going to be a test of perseverance as much as a test of skill.

Flight Winners:

Chas Goines

Championship Flight: (0.0-3.9) – Chas Goines of Rogers, AR came out on fire going two under par through four holes.  A small stumble after the hot opening gave Mark Lutgen of Blue Springs, MO a chance to make up some ground.  The four stroke lead Goines gained after the front nine, however, proved to be insurmountable even though Lutgen made a go for it on the back nine.  Goines finished with an 8 over par 78 to win the flight and his first AM Tour event. 

Palmer Flight: (4.0-7.9) – There were only two birdies in the entire Palmer flight and Gary Penna of Little Rock, AR started with one on the first hole.  Had he finished with a

par on the last hole, he could have avoided a playoff.  However, Don Karl of Lees Summit

Don Karl

Mo., came to defend his title as the 2013 Palmer Champion.  Two strokes down after nine holes, Karl survived a quad to get into a playoff with Penna.  Both shot an 88.  On the second hole, Karl birdied the challenging 180 yard par 3 to repeat as champion!


Hogan Flight: (8.0-11.9) – Close races to the end defined the Hogan flight.  Kirby Rogers of Muldrow, OK led the field after nine, although not by much.  However, Steve Moorehead of Overland Park, KS got hot quickly on the

Steve Moorehead

back nine going one under after five holes.  That was what he needed to pull ahead of the crowd and win with and 84 by two strokes.  Moorehead launches a strong 2014 season with this win, another first place and a second place win!  

Sarazen Flight: (12.0-15.9) –   Stanley Emerson of Topeka, KS started with a bang by birdieing the difficult first hole with a laser iron to the green and finishing only one hold behind after 9.  Randy Miller of Wentzville, MO finished the

Randy Miller

front nine one ahead with a 42.  It was his one under par through the last six holes that that propelled him to a fourteen stroke win over the field and to the low net round of the day.  The round earned was also a net par to his USGA index and earned him the title of Showcase Trophy and Awards Tournament Champion and his first victory of the 2014 season! Congratulations, Randy!

Jones Flight: (16.0-19.9) – It was a back and forth battle all day between Louis Ralph of Olive Branch, MS and Carl Imhof  of Rogers, AR.  After nine holes, Imhof led Ralph by a

Louis Ralph

stroke.  Imhof started the back nine with some big scores and through 15 holes Ralph had pulled ahead by two.  A rough finish by Ralph resulted in a tie that led to the second playoff of the day.  It only took one hole for the long trip from Mississippi to result in a victory for the 65 year old.  Congratulations, Louis!

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For a complete list of results and pictures visit our GCAT Facebook Page or go to the results site.  For more information about the GCAT of Arkansas:

Paul C. Gomez
Arkansas Director, Golf Channel AM Tour
917-553-3814
pgomez@GCAmTour.com

Four State Championship Results

Paul C. Gomez, Jopin, MO (October 19, 2013)

The Four State Championship brings together players from five states for competition at the Downstream Casino's Eagle Creek Golf Course.

Flight Winners:

William Wirtz

Hogan Flight: (8.0-11.9) – It took a four hole playoff to settle a three-way tie in the Hogan Flight.  Michael Quesenberry (Wentzville, MO),  David Price (Pawhuska, OK) and William Wirtz (Maryland Heights, MO) all finished with an 84 to force the sudden death playoff.  Wirtz finished with a par on 18 while Quesenberry and Price both could have parred for the all out win.  In the end, Wirtz persevered over Price with a par on #4 to win.

Sarazen Flight: (12.0-15.9) – Les Edwards (Eureka, MO)

Gary Schuessler

and Gary Schuessler (Wichita, KS) were neck and neck all day and only two strokes apart after 9 holes.  Edwards bogeyed the 18th hole and Schuessler parred the hole to force the playoff.  Schuessler took the trophy with a birdie on the par 5 second hole.  
  

Jones Flight: (16.0-19.9) – Through 16 holes it could have

Patrick Emerson

gone either way.  Only one stroke separated Patrick Emerson (Olathe, KS) and Carl Imhof (Rogers, AR) and they both parred the par 3 #16.  The last two holes were a slug fest with Emerson holding on to win bettering his score from last year by 11 strokes! 

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For a complete list of results and pictures visit our GCAT Facebook Page or go to the results site.  For more information about the GCAT of Arkansas:

Paul C. Gomez
Arkansas Director, Golf Channel AM Tour
917-553-3814
pgomez@GCAmTour.com

Maumelle Championship

Paul C. Gomez, Maumelle, AR (August 3, 2013)

While most of the rest of the state was under water or getting rained on, in Maumelle the water held off and play went on!

Flight Winners:

Palmer Flight: (4.0-7.9)– Home course advantage proved to be a big deal for Nick Holder of Maumelle, Ar.  His final score 81 is somewhat misrepresentative of his stellar play.  A 'big number' on #2 was the difference between 81 and a mid 70's score.  This makes Holder's first victory of 2013.  Congratulations Nick.

Jones Flight: (16.0-19.9) – It took a playoff for Craig Merrill of Roland, AR to edge out Steve Rutherford of Bella Vista, AR.  Rutherford bettered his back nine by 9 strokes over his front nine to catch Merrill.  Merrill won the playoff on the second hole.  This makes Merrill's fourth Jones Flight victory in a row - all just by playing to his handicap.  Congratulations, Craig!
  

Merrill and Rutherford are both bound for the Jones Flight National Championship in LaQuinta, CA.  

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For a complete list of results and pictures visit our GCAT Facebook Page or 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

Red River Shootout Results

The AM Tour went to the Winstar Golf course in Thackerville, OK last weekend for a 180 player battle for ten trophies in The Red River Shootout.  The Arkansas Tour represented well by winning two of the ten first place trophies.

The weather was refreshingly not-hot for the two days and the wind didn't howl for most of the weekend as typical for an open Oklahoma course.  This made it possible for some great rounds in all flights.  Six open flights and four senior flights competed over the two day event.  


Sarazen Flight (12.1-15.9)  It was going to take either a spectacular second day round or some real help from the first round leader for Kirby Rogers of Muldrow, OK to come back from behind.  Rogers was back four strokes and tied for third with a good score for his flight - an 82.  Instead, Rogers proved that steady wins the race as he shot a second 82 and edged out the first round leader by one stroke.  His first place victory came with no birdies or eagles, 4 double bogeys, and 12 bogies.  However, he made 20 pars.  Rogers said he had some great “up and downs” all weekend to save par.  Congratulations, Kirby! 

 Senior Jones Flight (16.0-19.9)  Sleeping with a five stroke lead might make some players nervous.  But for Dennis Baxter of Bella Vista, AR, it proved to not be his demise.  A first round 79 was spectacular for his flight and included three birdies!  But he would not run away with the event.  He was thrust into a playoff when someone shot a 78 on the second day to force while Baxter finished bogey-bogey.  On the second hole of the playoff, Baxter for the first time all weekend parred hole #2 to win the flight.  Baxter said he kept his driver in the bag and played conservatively.  He played the par 3's at 2 over par for both days!  Baxter said it helps that he loves playing the AM Tour and the people he gets to play with.  Congratulations, Dennis!