Tierra Verde Wins Third Straight League Play Title

HORSESHOE BAY – Tierra Verde Golf Club won its third straight Texas League Play Championship on Sunday by beating Gleneagles Country Club at Horseshoe Bay Resort’s Slick Rock Course. The Arlington club’s three titles are the most in Texas League Play’s 10-year history.

Overnight rain and severe weather Thursday caused the championship’s Saturday quarterfinals and semifinal matches contested on the Apple Rock Course. Tierra Verde was the overall No. 4 seed headed into the 2015 Playoffs. The quest to the championship began Saturday versus the 2012 League Play Champions, Green Tree Country Club. A 6.5-5.5 victory gave Tierra Verde a Saturday afternoon tee time against the No. 1 overall seed River Crest Country Club. The match went to the wire, as Tierra Verde scored another 6.5-5.5 victory.

Gleneagles Country Club finished just outside of a first-round bye during the regular season. Instead Gleneagles had a Thursday matchup against Black Hawk Country Club on the Ram Rock Course. A solid victory sent Gleneagles to the quarterfinals to face Spanish Oaks Golf Club early Saturday morning. Gleneagles CC recorded a 7-5 victory over the No. 2 overall seed for a date with Eagle Pointe Golf Club.

Battling their opponent and daylight, Gleneagles prevailed to reach the championship match against two-time defending champion Tierra Verde.

The championship match was played on the Slick Rock Course with both teams seeking to lift the League Play Trophy at the end of the match.

The scratch match was hard fought, but Joshua Irving’s under-par round rewarded Tierra Verde with the first three points in the match.

As quickly as Tierra Verde gained the lead, Gleneagles answered with three of their own from the second matchup, which included Jeff Blanks and Richard Golden. In the third matchup, Tierra Verde took the front nine and overall before they stood on the 17th tee.

Doug Foster and Captain Shawn Walsh just needed to halve the hole to secure a 3-0 victory for Tierra Verde. The two did just that and the overall standings stood at 6-3 Tierra Verde with only one match still in progress.

Although Gleneagles had won the back nine and overall, it was the win on the front nine from Tierra Verde members, Randy Stephens and Joseph Bauer that secured its 2015 League Play victory.

The 2015 season of Texas League Play had a record turnout for number of clubs participating. A total of 44 clubs in 11 different conferences across the state battled through March to May to determine their winners.

Tierra Verde will seek their fourth straight title in 2016 when the League Play Playoffs will once again return to Horseshoe Bay Resort.