Davis, Grace Take Texas Super Senior Amateur Titles
ABILENE — Saginaw’s Dave Davis, in his first year of Super Senior eligibility, posted his third under-par round of the week to capture the tenth edition of the Texas Super Senior Amateur. In the Legends Division, Fort Worth’s John Grace secured a wire-to-wire victory with a final round even-par 71 to secure back-to-back Legends Division titles. His impressive effort during this championship resulted in a five-shot margin of victory.
Winners: Dave Davis captured the title, being the only player in the field to post all three rounds at an under-par score (68-70-69). His final round was capped off with five birdies on his final eight holes, including three of his last four to win by three strokes. “I would say all week I drove the ball really well,” Davis said. “On the [back nine], I shot 10-under… I was comfortable on the back, made some putts, and it’s good to be back in the winners’ circle,”. Today’s final round was delayed by two and a half hours due to morning thunderstorms in the Abilene area. Davis admitted that the delayed start affected his game a little bit at the start. “We weren’t teeing off until 10:30 to start with, and then it got moved all the way back to 1:00… the routine had to change,” he said. “But there was a good movie on that I was watching that helped a little bit,” he told us. His playing partner on the day, Bobby Baugh, was a former TCU teammate from the late 1970’s, he said, which also made everything “very relaxed” for them both.
James Long of Granbury took home low net recognition in the Super Senior Division.
Legends Division champion John Grace entered Thursday’s final round with a three-shot lead. Grace recognized that Live Oak Golf Club provides a tough challenge, giving the Charles Coody design its credit. “I think this course has a lot of trouble, and I was able to stay out of that trouble. I think that was the difference for me,” Grace said. “I was in the fairway most of the time… and shot what I had to shoot to win”. John Grace had two birdies and two bogeys en route to his even-par round of 71 to claim the Legends title for the second year in a row, this time by five shots. John Grace also won the inaugural Texas Super Senior Amateur in 2015, when the event was held at Fair Oaks Ranch Golf and Country Club.
From Wichita Falls, Bill Holstead claimed the low net honor for the Legends Division.
Top Finishers: Three players in the Super Senior division finished at 3-under on the week to tie for second place. David Leiss from Houston, Bobby Baugh from San Antonio, and Austin’s John McClure all finished the tournament three shots behind the leader. In the Legends Division, the recognized net-champion, Bill Holstead, finished second with a 1-under total for the week. Rounding out the top three was J Wayne Franklin with consistent rounds of 76, 75, and 76.
Round 3 Stats: Today’s Super Senior Division was contested at 6,070 yards. The Legends Division competitors played from 5,224 yards for the final round. Over the course of the entire championship, the par-5 sixth hole played as the toughest with a 5.78 scoring average, while players had the easiest time on the par-4 ninth hole which held a scoring average of 4.09.
Course: Opened in 1999, Live Oak Golf Club was designed by Abilene resident and 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody, along with Williams, Gill & Associates. Situated on 220 acres of rolling terrain, the par-71 course, which can stretch to nearly 7,000 yards from the back tees, features dramatic rock outcroppings, extensive native areas, and Lytle Creek coming into play on nearly half the holes.
Tournament History: First played in 2015, the Texas Super Senior features two age divisions: 65 and older (Super Senior) and 75 and older (Legends). Entries are open to male amateur golfers who meet the age requirements by the first round of tournament play and have a certified Handicap Index® of 12.4 or less (16.4 or less for Legends) issued through a TGA Member Club.
Tournament Format: The format for the championship was 54 holes of individual stroke play with no cut. Each age division competed from different tees and yardages, with a separate net champion recognized. Prizes were awarded to the top finishers in each division for their overall gross score.
POY Points Race: Super Senior Player of the Year points have been awarded to the top twenty (20) finishers of the Texas Super Senior. The champion received 1000 points towards the statewide honor followed by 750 for runner-up, 650 for third, 600 for fourth and 550 for fifth. A complete breakdown of the Texas Super Senior Player of the Year, including points allocation, can be found here.
About the TGA: The Texas Golf Association was established in 1906 with a mission to promote the playing and advancement of the royal and ancient game of golf in Texas. The association is one of the most respected in the country with an ongoing commitment to its members, contestants, volunteers, and all who strive to preserve the great traditions of the game. For More information about the Texas Super Senior Amateur, click here.