A Closer Look at the Texas Shootout

The Texas Shootout, the Texas Golf Association’s season-ending tournament, features two teams of 12 players competing in foursome, four-ball and singles matches at Miramont Country Club on Oct. 18-19. This is the 12th year that the TGA has pitted its best players from the North versus the best from the South in what amounts to an all-star amateur event.
 
Miramont was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened in 2005. Located in Bryan, the expansive course sits in the shadows of the Texas A&M campus and is spread over 7,127 yards with rolling meadows, towering oak trees and undulated greens surrounded by intimidating bunkers.
 
Each Texas Shootout team is composed of eight mid-amateur players, four selected from the Statewide Player of the Year standings and four from the Regional Player of the Year standings, as well as the four highest-ranked senior players from the Senior Player of the Year standings. Each match is worth three points in true Nassau style: a point each for the front nine, back nine and overall match.
 
The North team prevailed in last year’s Shootout, earning 40 points at Northwood Club in Dallas to put an end to the South’s three-year winning streak. The South now leads the overall series, 6-5.
  
Zach Atkinson of Colleyville and Aaron Hickman of Tyler were on the winning Texas team in the 2014 USGA Men’s State Team Championship at French Lick Resort in Indiana. Atkinson finished seventh at the Texas Amateur and tied for eighth in the statewide standings. Hickman, who is playing in his ninth consecutive Texas Shootout, finished tied for 10th at the Texas Amateur and was a quarterfinalist at the Mid-Am Match Play.
 
Irving’s Mike Peck, who is the reigning Senior Player of the Year, finished seventh in the Statewide Player of the Year standings. Peck won the State Four-Ball Senior Division title with partner Mike Booker, finished tied for third in the North Senior Amateur and finished tied for third in the Senior Division at the West Texas Amateur. Peck won the Mid-Am Match Play Championship at Traditions Club in Bryan earlier this year, beating Jess Bonneau in the final match.
 
Brad Gibson of Frisco finished third in the North Regional Player of the Year standings. Gibson tied for third in the North Amateur at Watters Creek and tied for fifth in the North Mid-Am at Prestonwood Country Club.
 
Mike Booker and Ron Kilby bring a wealth of experience and talent to the South team. The Woodlands’ Booker, who is playing in his fifth consecutive Shootout, leads the Senior Player of the Year standings for 2014. Booker teamed up with Mike Peck to win the State Four-Ball Senior title in May, tied for fifth at the Mid-Amateur Championship and tied for sixth at the Senior Amateur.
 
Booker has also played well in the South Regional events this year, finishing tied for second at the South Senior Amateur and tying for fourth at the South Four-Ball with partner and Shootout teammate Bob Kearney. McAllen’s Kilby is coming off a win in the State Senior Amateur at Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth. Kilby is second in the Senior Player of the Year standings and is also participating in his fifth Texas Shootout.
 
Houston’s Jess Bonneau finished third in the State Player of the Year standings and is competing in his second Shootout. Bonneau was a runner-up in the Mid-Am Match Play in July, losing to Mike Peck in the final match. Earlier in the year Bonneau reached the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.
 
Kerrville’s Trevor Hyde earned enough points for an 11th -place finish in the State Player of the Year standings and a third-place finish in the South Player of the Year standings. Hyde finished tied for third in the State Mid-Am at Escondido and fourth in the South Amateur at Comanche Trace.
 
Play begins on Saturday Oct.18 with four-ball matches in the morning and foursome matches in the afternoon. Miramont will play 7,078 for the mid-amateurs, with the senior matches being contested at 6,708 yards.
Play concludes Sunday Oct. 19 with 12 singles matches. An awards ceremony will take place immediately after the conclusion of play.

North Team
John Bearrie – Mid-Amateur *Captain
Brad Gibson – Mid-Amateur
Lewis Stephenson – Mid-Amateur
Josh Irving – Mid-Amateur
Aaron Hickman – Mid-Amateur
Zach Atkinson – Mid-Amateur
Rob Couture – Mid-Amateur
Ted Waldrip – Mid-Amateur
Mike Peck – Senior
Jerry Hudgins – Senior
Ken Coutant – Senior
Hollis Sullivan – Senior
 
South Team
Randy Lance – Mid-Amateur
Trevor Hyde – Mid-Amateur
Tony Soerries – Mid-Amateur
Chris Causey – Mid-Amateur
Jess Bonneau – Mid-Amateur
Brandon Burke – Mid-Amateur
Brian Noonan – Mid-Amateur
John Hunter – Mid-Amateur
Mike Booker – Senior *Captain
Ron Kilby – Senior
Bob Kearney – Senior
Richard Hageman – Senior