Tuesday, June 9, 2015

The Arkansas Major Championship at Hot Springs Village

Paul C. Gomez, Hot Springs Village, AR (June 6-7, 2015)

One hundred ninety players came from all over the country to compete in the regional major in Hot Springs Village -  The Arkansas Championship.  The Arkansas Tour had home field advantage and didn't disappoint, dominating the field and bringing home four crystal vase trophies.  Every winner and players tied for third qualify for the 2015 National Championship tournament in La Quinta, CA. in September.


Bob Brooks
Bob Brooks of Bella Vista, AR fired five birdies on his opening round on the Ponce De Leon golf course with only one bogey to end the first day of the two round competition at four under par 68.  He led the Senior Championship flight by five after day one.  That lead was never really threatened even though he didn't perform as he would have liked on the Granada golf course shooting a two over par 75.  The 68-75 (143) total score is his best two-day total on the AM Tour since joining in 2013.  Brooks, the 2013 Senior National Champion, had just won the one-day local event on the Cortez golf course.  Bella Vista resident Rick Guptil placed third in the Senior Championship flight.


Tom Stephens
The Senior Sarazen flight is for players with a tournament index from 12.0 to 15.9.  Tom Stephens, of Bella Vista, AR fought his way to a day one tie during a tough first round at Ponce De Leon.  Four players were only two strokes apart at the end of day one.  It came down to the last nine holes on Granada and Stephens had to hold on to the lead he had established after 27 holes.  He finished the last four holes at even par with one bogey and one birdie to win the flight by five strokes and a two day score of 81-82 (163).   This victory earns him his second victory in the 2015 season.


Steve Rutherford
The Jones flight is for players with a tournament index from 16.0 to 19.9.  After day one at Ponce De Leon, Steve Rutherford of Bentonville, AR was in fifth place and seven strokes behind the leader.  He would have to make a charge to challenge the leader.  He opened the second round at Granada with a seven pars to shoot a thirty-nine!  When he finished the last two holes five over par he just knew he had shot himself out of the championship.  He didn't know that he was only three back after 13 holes and that his two closest competitors would have even higher finishes.  Rutherford's 95-85 scores totaling 180 earned him a one stroke victory and his first victory at a major championship.


Dennis Baxter
Dennis Baxter of Bella Vista, AR plays in the Senior Jones flight for players from 16.0 to 19.9.  He finished day one on Granada two strokes behind the leader after a two over par 38 on the back nine for a total of 85.  Duplicating the 8 par-one birdie performance would be difficult on day two on the Ponce De Leon course.  Day two would see only one par and one birdie and Baxter slid into a playoff with a round two score of 94 totaling 179 for the event.  No stranger to playoffs, Baxter outlasted his opponent to earn his first major championship since his last playoff victory in 2013 at the Winstar casino major.  


The Hot Springs Classic at Cortez

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.

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  
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
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
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
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 
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.  

Sunday, May 24, 2015

The Stonebridge Standoff

Paul C. Gomez, Bella Vista, AR (May 23, 2015)

Wet and windy conditions made the already difficult to manage Stonebridge Meadows golf course even more demanding.  Carts on path meant a lot of walking and long approach shots.  Still, the AM Tour of Arkansas played and produced new winners!

The Hogan Flight (tour index ranging from 8.0 to 11.9) was a battle of buddies to the finish.  Marvin Light of Farmington,
Jeff Loafman
Hogan Flight Champion
AR and Jeff Loafman of Rogers, AR
 tied the front nine at 43. Rex Clarkson of Edmond, OK actually had the low front nine at 40.  Loafman trailed Light for most of the back nine catching up only to fall back again.  The turning point was the intimidating par 3 #17 over water.  The watery grave was unfriendly to Light while Loafman parred the hole to flip the lead and go two up over Light.  Mr. Loafman went on to win by one on the final hole and wins his first event in three tries!


The Jones Flight (tour index ranging from 16.0 to 19.9)
Brandon Walters
Jones Flight Champion
continues to have tough competition with players used to fights to the finish! Only four strokes separated 5 of the 6 competitors after 9 holes. Craig Merrill of Roland, AR and Brandon Walters 
of Springdale, AR started separating themselves from the field on the back nine and found themselves tied after 13 holes.  Then Walters took advantage of a couple of missteps by Merrill and added a birdie to boot to come to the 18th hole five strokes up!  Even a birdie by Merril and a triple by Walters was not enough to steal the victory.  With this victory, Walters wins his first event of 2015 after playing well enough to finish second in two prior events this year.

David Dildy
Snead Flight Champion
The Snead Flight (tour index ranging from 20.0 up) also saw three players play very closely to the end.  David Dildy, formerly of Fayetteville, AR but now living in Sulphur Springs, TX came home to play a course very familiar to him.  Not long hitting, but rarely in trouble to the left or right, Dildy plodded his way to victory by three strokes over Scott Bundrick of Little Rock, AR.  


Saturday, April 18, 2015

The Bella Vista Championship

Paul C. Gomez, Bella Vista, AR (April 18, 2015)

Overnight flooding closed two of the six Bella Vista courses.  Morning thunderstorms and more rain threatened to close Dogwood Hills golf course and cancel yet another Arkansas AM Tour event.  Somehow, the skies cleared and players went off as scheduled and play went on.  The course drained amazingly well and good scores were going to follow!

\
\The Palmer Flight (tour index ranging from 4.0 to 7.9): Four players finished one stroke apart from first to fourth in the
Palmer flight.  After 14 holes two Palmers were tied at 56 and two tied at 58.  The closing holes challenged all of them and it could have been anyone's day.  In the end, Kent Busch of Shawnee, KS finished with only two bogeys and held on for a one stroke victory over Wayne Baldwin of Russellville, AR.  

The Hogan Flight (tour index ranging from 8.0 to 11.9) had
two players have stellar rounds going out with a one over par 37.  They remained tied through 15 holes.  New tour member Marvin Light of Farmington, AR played the second nine also one over par and earned his first tour victory with a two over par 73. Light played conservatively off the tee all day and also chipped and putted well given the course conditions.  Chad Schuchmann of Springfield, MO also had a great round shooting a five over par 75.

The Sarazen Flight (tour index ranging from 12.0 to 15.9) saw  some great scoring on a day with wet fairways and soft
greens.  Michael Martori of Newburg, MO and Chris Johnson of Wind Lake, WI both had record from nines shooting even par and two over par.  Just when it looked like Johnson was going to make a move, Martori finished the last 5 holes one over par, recorded his best round not the AM Tour, and secured his third victory in the 2015 season!

The Jones Flight (tour index ranging from 16.0 to 19.9) has
had its share of close competitions and playoffs.  This round was no different.  It took 21 holes to produce a winner in the flight.  Carl Imhof of Rogers, AR turned in his lowest 9 hole score on the AM Tour with a 3 over par 39, four ahead of Bobby Deaton of Holiday Hills, AR.  But, after 14 holes, they were tied with four to go.  They both parred the treacherous par 3 #18 to find themselves in a playoff.  So they played it again. And again!  Finally, they had to go to the #1 hole for Deaton to secure his first victory on the AM Tour since his last victory on the same course!  Deaton said that although he didn't get off the tee well, his iron play and putting was good enough to earn the victory!

Saturday, March 28, 2015

The Farmington Open

Paul C. Gomez, Farmington, AR (March 28, 2014)

Even though the calendar says it's spring, "old man winter" has held on for as long as possible in Northwest Arkansas.  The final group of the morning teed off at 40º with a 35º real feel.  The course was wet from a morning rain, and the blowing wind made the bones brittle.  Still, players from across the state came to compete at the Golf Club of Valley View.

The Palmer Flight (tour index ranging from 4.0 to 7.9): Allen Huffman of Holiday Island, AR had a 3 footer to win on the final  
hole, but it just wouldn't drop.  So, Huffman and Wayne Baldwin of Russellville, AR went off for a playoff on the treacherous 18th hole.  And then they had to do it again.  Finally, Baldwin's persistence paid off and he prevailed on the second playoff hole. Even with "ball in hand" it was a good test of golf for all skill levels.  

The Hogan Flight (tour index ranging from 8.0-12.9): Three new players to the Arkansas tour, one Texan, and one 
Coloradan filled out the Hogan flight.  Sometimes playing without preparation pays off.  Doyle Wofford of Montgomery, TX ran to the first tee and left all the stress in the parking lot.  It was a good thing, because he was trailing Tony Ambrose of Aurora, CO and Marvin Light of Farmington, AR with three holes  left to play.  The entire flight was very close to the end with only 5 strokes separating first and last place.  In the end, Wofford finished with three pars while his competitors stumbled coming in.  Wofford earned his first championship since 2013 with this victory and he won with a Srixon ball earning him a free box of golf balls.

The Jones Flight (tour index ranging from 8.0-12.9): Six players who are no strangers to competing together went at it
again on the soggy Farmington terrain.  Early on it looked like Derek Middlebrooks was going to run away with it turning a stellar front nine, but a challenging back nine took him out of the competition.  Bobby Deaton of Holiday Island, AR and Jeff Thompson of Farmington, AR made a great run with low back nines, but just couldn't overcome the front nines.  Craig Merrill of Roland, AR held on to win another Jones flight event by a hair.  Merrill also won with a Srixon golf ball.




Monday, June 23, 2014

The Stonebridge Meadows Standoff

Paul C. Gomez, Fayetteville, AR (June 21, 2014)

What was once a farm home to thoroughbred race horses in the gently flowing hills of southwest Fayetteville is now a great golf course for AM Tour golfers.  

The Senior Sarazen Flight (tour index ranging from 12.1-0-
Rick McClain
13.9) was up for grabs after 9 holes and any player could have contended for the title.  However, nobody saw coming the flurry of eight straight pars that Rick McClain of Decatur, AR would rip off on the back nine.  Not even McClain!  ''I finally put together a good round on the AM Tour'' stated the first time winner in eight tries on the tour.  The 80 that McClain shot was also good enough for a tie for for the low net contest for the Showcase Trophy and Awards ''Tournament Champion.'' That contest was won on a scorecard playoff against Carl Imhof of Rogers, AR.  


Ten players competed in the combined Jones Flight (tour index ranging from 16.0-19.9) for the winner's title.  As one
Lloyd C. Reid, Jr
would expect with that many players of similar skill level competing against each other, the race was tight and the scores resulted in an on-course playoff for first place.  Half the field was virtually tied through nine holes.  Lloyd C. Reid, Jr of Dallas, TX avoided big numbers on the back to catch 
Carl Imhof of Rogers, AR and force  an on-course playoff!  Imhof turned his best round on the AM Tour since 2011.  Reid, however, took the first hole and earned the championship title!

Special thanks to the ladies of Belle Journee Spa for coming out and providing free sports therapy to our players before their round!  Be sure to check out their Facebook page!




Sunday, May 25, 2014

The Shootout At The Highlands

Paul C. Gomez, Bella Vista, AR (May 24, 2014)

The Shootout At The Highlands


Allen Huffman
Championship Flight: (0.0-3.9) – It was a two man match for the top title between Allen Huffman of Holiday Island, AR and Sam Greenleaf of Broken Arrow, OK.  Both men would agree that the tight and tree lined Highlands course in Bella Vista, AR was the true victor. Huffman had two birdies on the back nine to shoot only two over par on that nine coming back to win.  With this victory, Huffman defends his title at the challenging venue.

Hogan Flight: (8.0-11.9) – Seven Hogan players from Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas competed from just over 6,000 yards that felt like nearly 7,000 in the wet conditions.
David Price
 At the end of what is arguably the harder and first nine holes, David Price of Pawhuska, OK was in fourth place behind by three strokes.  The field came back to him and he picked up four strokes to edge out Steve Nufer of Dodge City, KS by just two strokes.  It's Price's first victory in seven attempts in the 2014 season.


Sarazen: (12.0-15.9) – A four hour drive turned out to be no obstacle to Kerry Greer of Oklahoma City, OK.  A basic
Kerry Greer
bogey round front nine for Greer followed up by a five par and five over back nine was all he needed to keep ahead of the pack and win his first event of the 2014 season.  Greer also had the best round of the day against his handicap to win the Tournament Champion of the day.


Jones Flight: (16.0-19.9) – The largest field of the day was the combined Jones and Snead flights with eleven players.  Four players were only three strokes apart after nine holes.
Wallace Stine
 Wallace Stine of Lees Summit, MO and Steve Rutherford of Bentonville, AR were tied at 43 and started separate from the field almost immediately.  New tour member Timothy Marta of Bella Vista, AR tried to stay in it but stumbled coming in and finished in third place. Through 16 holes Stine and Rutherford played head to head and were tied.  The par 5 #17 proved to be the pivotal hole when Stine's bogey bested Rutherford by four strokes and he held on to win. 


Next on the schedule for the Arkansas Tour are The River Valley Rumble at Fianna Hills on Sunday, June 8th and The Stonebridge Standoff at Stonebridge Meadows on Saturday, June 21st!

Special thanks to the ladies of Belle Journee Spa in Rogers, AR who came out to give our players a free warm up therapy massage! Thank you Amber, Shelly and Kendall!


Bell Journee Spa




Monday, May 19, 2014

The Midwest Classic at Blackwolf Run

Paul C. Gomez, Kohler, WI (May 19, 2014)

Home of the famed Whistling Straits, Blackwolf Run River and Blackwolf Run Meadow Valleys courses, this is a golfer's paradise and perhaps one of the most scenic destinations the AM Tour visits. Home of an upcoming PGA Championship and to the previous LPGA US Open, Arkansas players came prepared for challenging conditions and courses.  They were not disappointed!


Senior Championship flight player, Bob Brooks of Bella Vista, AR started the two day event with a birdie on his first hole on the spectacular River Course and rolled along at even par for his first seven holes.  Things started looking
Bob Brooks
shaky through his 8th through 11th holes going six over par in four holes.  But just like a reigning national champion should, he buckled down and birdied the next two holes shooting five over par his first day.  Day two was the round Brooks needed to secure his victory with a round that "could have been."  Four birdies secured a round of +3 and a two day total of +8 (152) which gave him a five stroke victory!  Congratulations, Bob!

  
Two Senior Hogan players from Bella Vista, AR also made the trip to compete against other 8.0-11.9 handicappers!  Having already qualified for the 2014 National Championship tournament at Talking Stick and Grayhawk in Scottsdale, Arizona, Tom Stephens of Bella Vista could just enjoy the amazing golf!  Stephens finished tied for 11th place. Both Stephens and Ron Stratton, also of Bella Vista, played competitively in a field of 20 players. Stratton finished in 15th place in his first experience at a Major Championship.

Senior Hogan player Craig Merrill of Roland, AR battled health issues during the weekend but played with heart against other 16.0-17.9 handicappers and finished in 12th place. Also competing in Kohler was Palmer Flight player Matt McClain of Decatur, AR, who finished tied for 16th in the 4.0-7.9 handicap flight.  

The next Arkansas tour event is The Shootout at The Highlands.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

The Valley View Open


Paul C. Gomez, Alma, AR (April 27, 2014)

Flight Winners

Hogan Flight: (8.0-11.9) – Given the blowing wind and the
Derek Goodson
still growing in conditions of the golf course, Derek Goodson of Fort Smith, AR felt like he left a few strokes out there.  "It wasn't pretty, but it was good enough!" might be one way to translate what Goodson said after the round.  For seven holes, it was a back and forth round between Goodson and John Trull of Bella Vista, AR.  A misstep by Trull gave Goodson the opening he needed. He took the advantage and never looked back for this third victory in three years on the AM Tour.


Jones Flight: (16.0-19.9) – It looked like it might be a tight race between Craig Merrill of Roland, AR and 
home course
Craig Merrill
resident Jeff Thompson of Farmington, AR.  Thompson, who lives on the course, gave Merrill a pretty good run through seven holes, but Merrill's competitive experience coupled with a birdie on #8 against Thompson's "other" sealed the fate of the Jones flight.  Just to seal the deal, Merrill finished with a birdie on the 18th to win the Jones Flight.


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Next on our local tour is The Shootout At The Highlands in Bella Vista, AR.  Sign up by this Friday, April 2nd and save $10 on your skins game entry fee!  Deadline is May 16th.
The Highlands, Bella Vista, AR


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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


Sunday, April 13, 2014

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

Monday, November 25, 2013

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.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

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

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