49th Texas Four-Ball Championship Set for Aug. 23-25

BraeBurn Country Club in Houston will be the host site for the 49th edition of the Texas Four-Ball Championship, to be held from Aug. 23-25.

This will be the third TGA championship contested at BraeBurn Country Club, which previously hosted the 1995 Texas Amateur won by Brad Elder and the 2005 Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play won by Steve Gill. Additionally, the TGA will return to this historic venue for four future championships over the next eight years. Following the 2024 Texas Four-Ball, BraeBurn will host the 2025 Women’s Senior Stroke Play, 2026 Texas Senior Amateur, 2030 Texas Mid-Amateur, and the 2032 Texas Amateur.

“The TGA is thrilled to reunite with BraeBurn Country Club after nearly two decades and continue to build upon a partnership that will support amateur competition in Texas,” said John Cochran IV, TGA Director of Competitions for South Texas. “We are confident that the club’s rich history, illustrious course, and superb amenities will not only test the greatest players from around the state but also create a welcoming atmosphere for each of these prestigious championships.”

Located on the southwestern edge of downtown Houston, BraeBurn Country Club is one of the oldest private clubs in the city. Originally founded in 1926 as the Colonial Country Club, BraeBurn was designed by renowned Texas Golf Hall of Fame architect John Bredemus. In 1929, a group of investors led by Jack Burke, Sr., Bredemus, and Sid Van Ulm purchased Colonial Country Club from the original developer and after restructuring later reopened as BraeBurn Country Club in 1931.

BraeBurn has gone through several renovations over the years, and in 2021 the club began a major remodel led by Tripp Davis that returned signature Bredemus design elements that had been lost or obscured over time. The monthslong project, which concluded in the spring of 2022, included restoring strategic lines of play, enhancing elevation changes, mounding and contours, and rebuilding and reshaping all tees, greens and bunkers.

“The recent renovations strengthened an already fantastic golf course and made it that much better,” Cochran said. “The course has a nice flow to it with wonderful variety and interest. BraeBurn has always been a true shot-maker’s course, and the angles that have been restored really emphasize the importance of precision off the tee and when playing into the greens.”

The 49th Texas Four-Ball will feature three divisions: Championship, Senior (age 55 and older), and Super Senior (age 65 and older). The starting field limit is 80 teams, with 48 spots allotted to the Championship Division, 20 to the Senior Division, and 12 to the Super Senior Division. The three divisions compete from different sets of tees and yardages, with separate champions recognized in each division.

The format for the championship is 54 holes of four-ball stroke play. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the lowest 40 team scores and ties, with a pro-rated representation from each division.

Starting times and pairings for the first and second rounds will be posted on the TGA website no later than Aug. 20. Live scoring updates and daily recaps will also be available online once the action gets underway from BraeBurn Country Club.

At the 2023 Texas Four-Ball held at Pinecrest Country Club in Longview, Aaron Hickman and Rory Smith won the Championship Division in a playoff over Anthony Estorga and Jake Istnick. The two teams were tied at 17-under-par 193 at the end of 54 holes of regulation play. The win was Hickman’s fourth overall Four-Ball title (2011, ‘12, ‘15). Brent Barclay and Doug Northcutt posted a three-day total of 14-under 196 to claim a one-stroke victory in the Senior Division over Titus Harris and Terrence Miskell. In the Super Senior Division, Tom Burns and Michael Puls defended their title in a playoff over John Grace and Bill Holstead after both teams finished 54 holes deadlocked at 10-under 200.

First held in 1976, the Texas Four-Ball is one of the four TGA men’s major amateur championships conducted each year, along with the Texas Amateur, Texas Senior Amateur, and Texas Mid-Amateur.

To visit the 49th Texas Four-Ball Championship homepage, click here.