Abel, Wheeler leader after Second Round at the 50th Texas Four-Ball
Derek Abel of Dallas and Chris Wheeler of Lewisville surged to the top of the leaderboard Saturday in the second round of the 50th Texas Four-Ball, carding an 8-under 64 to grab the lead with 18 holes to play.
“I think we ham-and-egged it pretty well,” Abel said. “Every time Chris was in trouble, I picked him up, and whenever I was in trouble, he came through. It was just a really good team effort today.”
The duo, winners of the 2021 North Four-Ball, know what it takes to close. Wheeler, who is fresh off a victory at the 26th Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play, said the key will be staying steady in the final round.
“Yeah, staying in the moment,” Wheeler said. “Lifting each other up when we need it like we did today, and finding the joy in playing together. That’s what it’s all about out there.”
Abel and Wheeler sit at 12-under, holding a slim one-shot lead over brothers Jordan and Tyler Frye. The Fryes stayed hot with a 5-under 67 to reach 11-under heading into the final round.
“Hopefully a hot putter,” Jordan said of their approach to Sunday. “Fairways are important, but just giving ourselves more opportunities and knocking a few more in—that’s usually what it takes.”
Six teams are bunched in a tie for third at 9-under, including defending champions Aaron Hickman and Rory Smith of Tyler, as well as past Texas Mid-Amateur champ Clay Hodges and partner Kyle Dickerson of Tyler.
In the Senior Division, Dallas duo Mark Motes and Don Gafner fired a 5-under 67 to edge back into the lead at 11-under. They played bogey-free on the front nine before overcoming a stumble at No. 12 with two closing birdies.
Just one shot back are Mike Padilla of Richmond and Andrew Hydorn of Houston, who matched the division’s low round with a 7-under 65.
Meanwhile, in the Super Senior Division, Scott Smith of Montgomery and David Ortego of Spring separated themselves from the pack. The pair went bogey-free for a scorching 8-under 64—the lowest round of the division—opening up a commanding five-shot cushion.
At the close of Round 2, the field was cut. 21 teams will play in the championship division in the Final Round tomorrow. 14 teams will play in the Senior Division, while Five Teams will compete in the Super Senior Division. Yardages for Saturday’s round played at 7,152 yards for the Championship Division, 6,552 for the Senior Division, and 5,922 for the Super Senior Division.
To see results for Round 2, click here. To learn more about Tempest Golf Club, click here. To learn more about the 50th Texas Four-Ball, click here.