Jason Schultz and Russell Williams Win Texas Four-Ball

MONTGOMERY – Jason Schultz of Allen and Prosper’s Russell Williams card a final round 6-under-par 66 to go wire-to-wire and win the Texas Four-Ball by three strokes at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club’s Weiskopf Course.

Schultz, 47, and Williams, 46, began the week with a 12-under-par 60 on Friday and they never looked back after leading the field through Round 1. Despite a slow start on Sunday that let their lead drop to one shot at the turn, Schultz and Williams teamed up to card five birdies on their closing nine holes to post 26-under par overall for the championship.

“It was very nerve-racking,” Williams said. “I’d never been in that position. But I’ll tell you what, I had the best partner in the field. He was solid all week and I’m just glad that the two or three times a round he needed a little pick up I was able to do that and contribute.”

Schultz and Williams did balance each other well all three rounds. They tallied 27 holes under par (26 birdies and one eagle) and only birdied the same hole three times. In fact, they had five holes where one player birdied while the other made bogey. It was a true team victory.

“It means a lot,” Schultz said. “It was a fun environment from start to finish. We kind of just built from day one and kept going from there.”

Scott Loving and Brandon Destefano of Conroe tied Aaron Hickman of Tyler and Dallas’s Rob Couture for second at 23-under-par 193. Will Griffin and Coy Breen of San Antonio tied for fourth with Dru Fenimore of Dallas and Mission’s Miguel Del Angel at 22-under-par 194.

In the Senior Division, Mike Peck and Steve Love of Irving clinched the victory in extraordinary fashion. They arrived at the ninth tee (their closing hole) tied for the lead with Lewis Stephenson of Burleson and San Antonio’s John Pierce, who were in the clubhouse at 19-under par.

Needing a birdie to secure a one-shot victory, Love hit his approach shot to 12-feet above the hole. Peck lagged his birdie attempt to with three feet and set the stage for his partner. Knowing exactly what was at stake, Love gave his putt one final look. He made his stroke and his ball found the bottom of the cup.

“It’s exciting for me because I don’t get to do this as much as Mike,” Love said. “Mike held us together the whole back nine. It was amazing the putts he was making for par. We kind of teamed it up and got through it, so it was really exciting.”

Peck and Love, who have been good friends for years, tallied 23 birdies as a team for the three rounds and add this victory to their decorated amateur golf resumes.

“Anytime you win one of the TGA’s major tournaments it’s truly an honor,” Peck said.
“It’s fantastic to do it with a great friend. It was a team victory and couldn’t have been any better.”

David Ortego of Spring and Sugar Land’s Gordon Wagner tied Stephenson and Pierce for second with a closing birdie of their own to post 19-under-par 197 . Kenneth Coutant of Dallas and McKinney’s Bill Jackson finished fourth at 18-under-par 198, while Lee Sandlin of Dallas and Westworth Village’s Hollis Sullivan tied for fifth with Larry Corson of Dallas and Southlake’s Mike Lohner at 17-under 197.

In the Super Senior Division, John Kennedy and Ford Cartwright of Lufkin claimed their first title as a four-ball team following a closing 4-under-par 68. They posted 16-under-par for the championship to hold off Charles Reeve of Houston and Montgomery’s Tom McGraw by three strokes.

“It’s great because it’s been a while,” Kennedy said. “This guy (Ford) is the best partner in the world. He’s always positive and it really helps me and I think we really pair up well together.”

Richard Hageman of Garden Ridge and Spring’s Dan Alpha finished solo third at 13-under-par 203. Sam Boyd of Horseshoe Bay and League City’s Gary Noto posted 8-under-par 208 to finish fourth, while Fred Brown and Kent Samuel of The Woodlands rounded out the top five at 6-under-par 210.

The TGA extends its most sincere appreciation to Bentwater Yacht & CC, its staff and membership for their hospitality this week. Extra special thanks go out to Director of Golf Mark Steinbauer, Head Golf Professional David Brock, Catering & Events Coordinator Chelsea Bledsoe, Director of Agronomy Donny Latham and the entire Bentwater Yacht & CC grounds crew for their preparation and tireless work during the championship. All the players and TGA staff know how crucial their role was in making the Texas Four-Ball a memorable week.

For more information on the 2020 Texas Four-Ball, click here.