Lee, Grace Lead After Round 1 of Super Senior Amateur
GLADEWATER — Louie Lee of Montgomery posted an opening round four-under par 68 to lead the Texas Super Senior Amateur. Fort Worths’ John Grace holds a one-shot lead after a solid round of one-under par 71 in the Legends Division after 18-holes.
Leaders: Lee made seven birdies to three bogeys in his opening round to lead by one stroke in the Super Senior Division. His 3-under front nine helped him gain his lead and not look back. Grace positioned himself a top the Legends Division leaderboard quickly after a bogey free front nine and good recovery play on the back to keep that one-under pace heading into the Second Round.
Louie Lee of Montgomery also leads the Super Senior Division (NET) scoring with a four under par 68 while Paul Krause of Celina leads the Legends Division (NET) scoring with a one over par 73.
In Contention: In the Super Senior Division, Dave Davis of Saginaw and Jeff Kramer of The Woodlands sit one back at three-under 69 while Ed Turner of Richardson, Mike Booker of Houston and David Leiss of Houston are two back at two-under 70. Chris Stuth out of Houston is also not too far behind the top at one-under 71. In the Legends Division, Bill Holstead of Wichita Falls and Wayne Wright of Aledo are tied for second at even par. Within striking distance is Michael Puls of Irving three shots back at two-over 74 and Ernie Armstrong four back at three-over 75.
Course: Founded in 1989, Tempest Golf Club is one of the premier golf courses in East Texas. Tempest was originally a 9-hole facility when it opened its doors in the late 80s. But in 2018, Tempest reopened after their full course renovation led by Jeffrey Brauer, enjoying its greatest days after years of golfing boom and bust. The two-plus year renovation brought in a dozen new holes, offering gorgeous views to go along with the drastic elevation changes, rolling fairways lined with pine trees, and undulating Bermudagrass greens. Hosting local TGA and USGA qualifiers on their par 72 Championship Layout, it is the only course in Texas to go from unranked in the annual Texas Golf Survey by the Dallas Morning News to top 50.
Today’s Super Senior Division was contested at 5,990 yards while the Legends Division played at 5,419 yards for the first round.
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.
The format for the championship, is 54 holes of individual stroke play with no cut. Each age division competes from different tees and yardages, with a separate champion recognized. Prizes are also awarded to low net scores in both Super Senior and Legends Divisions.
POY Points Race: Super Senior Player of the Year points will be awarded to the top twenty (20) finishers of Texas Super Senior. The champions will each get 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.
What’s Next: The second round of the Texas Super Senior will tee off at 8:00AM off holes #1 and #10 at Tempest Golf Club. Following the second round the field will be repaired based on scores with the leaders of the Super Senior going last off hole #1 and the leaders of the Legends going last off hole #10.
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.