Estorga & Istnick swing their way to top of leaderboard at 49th Texas Four-Ball
HOUSTON — Anthony Estorga and Jake Istnick of Dallas lead after the second round of the 49th Texas Four-Ball. The duo carded a 10-under 62 to climb six spots and hold the lead heading into the final round.
Moving Day at the 49th Texas Four-Ball saw new leaders emerge in various divisions, with duos climbing into the top ten and familiar faces once again atop the leaderboard.
Estorga and Istnick will head into the final round with a three-stroke lead, holding a 36-hole score of 16-under 128. The duo started their second round on No. 10, where they scored five birdies before making the turn. On their back nine, BraeBurn Country Club’s front nine, they recorded an eagle on No. 4 and three more birdies over the next five holes to close out an impressive round.
“I think today we had a good feel for the course from playing yesterday,” Istnick said. “We got a little more aggressive off some tee balls, and together as a team, it’s always nice to have two looks on the same green, and we both just hit it a lot better.”
This will mark the second consecutive year Estorga and Istnick have carried a lead into the final round of the Texas Four-Ball. Last year, at the 48th Texas Four-Ball, the duo had a four-stroke lead at Pinecrest Country Club.
As for their game plan, Estorga said, “A lot more birdies. We’re going to learn from last year and make as many birdies as we can and see if we can’t keep it going.”
Tied for second are defending champions Rory Smith and Aaron Hickman of Tyler, and first-round leaders Dylan Everett and Cole Moreland of Austin.
Hickman and Smith will be paired with Estorga and Istnick in a rematch of the three-hole playoff for the 48th Texas Four-Ball title at Pinecrest Country Club.
“We’ve been playing consistent golf, giving ourselves multiple chances on each hole and just playing really solid while having some putts drop and keeping pace with the leaders,” Smith said.
As defending champions, Hickman and Smith know what it takes to win this major. They will look to repeat this year, aiming to be the first to do so since 2011-2012 when Hickman won with partner John Bearrie.
“I think the game plan for tomorrow is the same,” Smith said. “Just fairways and greens and lots of birdie looks, and if the putts drop, then we’ll hopefully be right there at the end of the tournament.”
In a tie for fourth are Toby Zeringue of Katy and Boomer White of Houston, and Bill and Travis Skorheim of Spring.
Zeringue and White carded a strong 7-under 65 to climb six spots up the leaderboard and set themselves up well for the final round.
“It was a pure case of making some we shouldn’t have and missing some we probably should have made,” Zeringue said. “We both played really well. We were right there every hole, and if I wasn’t, then he (White) was. We just ham-and-egged it really well.”
The duo is four shots back of the leaders heading into the final round at Braeburn Country Club and aims to bring home the title.
“Our partnership is great,” White said. “I think he (Zeringue) hits first on pretty much every hole, and he seems to have a little more control over his tee ball than I do. If he can get that in there, it cuts me loose a little bit, but we have a good strategy of playing to each other’s strengths and taking more risks if we’re set up to do it. Otherwise, we just try to get some birdies.”
In the Senior Division, Trevor Hyde and Trey Tyner of Kerrville carded an impressive 8-under 64 to climb six spots on the leaderboard and head into the final round with the lead. The pair, who have played together for some time, showcased their team chemistry in Round 2.
“Well, we’re really good partners,” Tyner said, smiling. “We can talk each other up a little bit. Trevor doesn’t have his best stuff right now, but he’s still playing really well, and I just played really well today, and he covered me on the holes I didn’t do well.”
“You ride your partner when you’ve got to ride your partner,” Hyde said, laughing. “They played great today, and it was a really fun day.”
Tied for second in the Senior Division are Mike Peck and Steve Love of Irving, and Mike Lohner of Southlake and Todd Vancil of Westlake. The two pairs are tied with a 36-hole score of 9-under 135 heading into the final round.
In the Super Senior Division, John Grace of Fort Worth and Bill Holstead of Wichita Falls are tied with Doug Harker of Austin and Bill Houghton of Plano after a 36-hole score of 4-under 140.
“Today was up and down, but we seemed to pick each other up every time somebody faltered,” Houghton said.
“The course played tough, but we managed to ham-and-egg it today for a change, and Bill brought a great putter along with him, so that made the difference,” Harker said.
“Our game plan for tomorrow is to have fun,” the duo said. “Hopefully better ball striking for less pressure, and maybe we’ll make a memory.”
The co-leaders hold a one-stroke lead over the Super Senior Division field, setting up an exciting final round at Braeburn Country Club.
The official yardage for Round Two of the 49th Texas Four-Ball Championship was 6,789 yards. The Senior Division’s official yardage was 6,390 yards, while the Super Senior Division’s official yardage was 5,964 yards.
The final round of the 49th Texas Four-Ball, held at Braeburn Country Club, will commence at 7:30 a.m. off the No. 1 and No. 10 tees.
To learn more information on the 49th Texas-Four Ball, click here.