Six Teams tied for lead at 51st Texas Four-Ball presented by Republic Aviation
A crowded leaderboard has set the stage for an exciting second round at the 51st Texas Four-Ball, presented by Republic Aviation, with four teams sharing the lead after Friday’s opening round at Rockwall Golf & Athletic Club.
J.J. Black and Landon Tujague of Dallas, Steve Huffman of Corsicana and John Campbell of Purdon, Albert Miner of Rockwall and Justin Bates of Bartonville, Anthony Estorga and Jake Istnick of Dallas, and Shayne Eddleman and Ryan O’Rear of Georgetown each carded an 8-under 64 to grab a share of the lead heading into Saturday’s second round.
Black and Tujague were the only team among the four leaders to finish the opening round without a bogey. The Dallas duo put together a steady round despite challenging afternoon winds, joining the three other teams at the top of a leaderboard that features plenty of players within striking distance.
Estorga and Istnick bring championship experience to the top of the leaderboard. The Dallas duo captured the 49th Texas Four-Ball at BraeBurn Country Club and will look to make another run at the title this weekend.
Just one stroke separates the four leading teams from five teams sitting at 7-under 65. Travis Skorheim of Spring and Todd Albert of Katy, 48th Texas Four-Ball champions Aaron Hickman and Rory Smith of Tyler, and Kyle Robbins of Keller and Michael Smith of McKinney all remain firmly in contention heading into the second round.
Rounding out the top 10 are host club member C.J. Brock of Rockwall and Brock Mulder of McKinney, Tyler Palmer and Steven Holtgrieve of Irving along with Colby Amparan and Gary Ezmerlian of Fort Worth. All three teams opened with 6-under 66 and sit just two shots off the lead.
The Championship Division leaderboard is tightly packed, with just two strokes separating the leaders from the teams tied for ninth. With another round of Four-Ball ahead, there is plenty of room for the leaderboard to shift as teams continue their pursuit of the Texas Four-Ball title.
In the Senior Division, Tim Dick of Kingwood and Scott Tibbits opened with a 10-under 62 to take a two-stroke lead into Saturday’s second round.
The pair got off to a strong start and finished the round without a bogey, closing with an impressive 7-under 29 on the back nine to move to the top of the leaderboard. Tibbits, who captured the 88th Texas Senior Amateur at McAllen Country Club, will look to add another Texas Golf Association championship to his résumé alongside Dick.
Tim Mauser of Aledo and John Stollenwerck of Dallas sit alone in second at 8-under 64, while Pat Youngs and Jeff Young of San Antonio are one stroke further back at 7-under 65.
Two teams of past Senior Division champions are tied for fourth at 6-under 66. Tray Tyner and Trevor Hyde of Kerrville, along with Todd Vancil of Westlake and Mike Lohner of Southlake, remain within striking distance heading into the second round.
In the Super Senior Division, Larry Corson and Sam Manning of Dallas established the largest lead of the day, opening with a 9-under 63 to take a five-stroke advantage into the second round.
Brock Stevens of Fort Worth and Chuck Gardner of Texarkana, along with Mike Peck and Steve Love of Irving, are tied for second at 4-under 68.
Players battled hot and windy conditions throughout the opening round at Rockwall Golf & Athletic Club. The morning wave began at 7:30 a.m. with temperatures already in the mid-80s, while temperatures climbed into the upper 90s throughout the afternoon before reaching a high of 99 degrees.
Despite the heat and wind, players across all three divisions put together strong opening rounds, setting up a competitive second day at the 51st Texas Four-Ball.
The second round begins Saturday, with the Championship Division teeing off at 7:30 a.m. The Senior and Super Senior divisions will follow with a 12:30 p.m. start as the field continues its pursuit of the Texas Four-Ball title.
To learn more about the 51st Texas Four-Ball presented by Republic Aviation, click here. To view Round One results, click here.