Miner, Bates win the 51st Texas Four-Ball presented by Republic Aviation
Albert Miner of Rockwall and Justin Bates of Bartonville claimed the Championship Division title at the 51st Texas Four-Ball, presented by Republic Aviation, finishing at 23-under 193. The duo saved its best for last, firing a 9-under 63 in the final round to pull away from the field and secure a five-stroke victory.
Miner and Bates opened the championship with a 64 before following with a 66 in the second round, entering the final round with a two-stroke lead. They never looked back after carding a birdie on No.1 and coming in with one of the best rounds of the week to win the title.
Shayne Eddleman and Ryan O’Rear of Georgetown finished runner-up at 18-under 198 after closing with a 64, moving up five spots on the leaderboard. Casey Carnes and Michael Carnes of Schertz and New Braunfels finished third at 17-under 199 after three consecutive rounds of 67 or better, including a final-round 66.
Three teams shared fourth place at 15-under 201. Chris Minton and Austen Christiansen of Houston carded a 66 in the final round, while J.J. Black and Landon Tujague of Dallas finished with a 69. Tyler Palmer of Irving and Steven Holtgrieve also closed with a 68 to finish at 201.
Tim Dick of Kingwood and Scott Tibbitts of Huffman claimed the Senior Division title at the 51st Texas Four-Ball, presented by Republic Aviation, finishing at 19-under 197. The duo built an early lead with a 10-under 62 in the opening round before adding rounds of 68 and 67 to finish four strokes ahead of the field.
Tim Mauser of Aledo and John Stollenwerck of Dallas finished runner-up at 15-under 201. After opening with a 64 and following with a 67, the pair closed with a 2-under 70 to finish four strokes behind the champions.
Three teams tied for third at 14-under 202. Tray Tyner and Trevor Hyde of Kerrville made the biggest move of the final round, climbing eight spots with a 64 to finish at 202. John Pierce and Mike Houlihan of San Antonio carded matching rounds of 68, 67 and 67, while Grady Bruce of Leander and Todd Bonneau of Farmers Branch followed a 69-63-70 scoring line to round out the top five.
Sam Manning and Larry Corson captured the Super Senior Division title, carding a final-round 2-under 70 to hold off the field and finish at 15-under 201. The duo opened with a 63 before adding a 68 in the second round and entered the final round with a one-stroke lead over David Ortego of Spring and Scott Smith of Montgomery. With Ortego and Smith just one stroke behind heading into the final hole, Manning stepped up on No. 18 and drained a clutch par putt to secure the championship for the duo.
Ortego and Smith finished runner-up at 14-under 202, while Brock Stevens of Fort Worth and Chuck Gardner of Texarkana and Steven Trafton and John Gough of Georgetown shared third at 12-under 204. John Grace of Fort Worth and Bill Holstead of Wichita Falls and Mike Peck and Steve Love of Irving tied for fifth at 6-under 210.
The final round of the 51st Texas Four-Ball, presented by Republic Aviation, brought another day of challenging heat for the field. Temperatures were already in the mid-to-high 80s when play began, with a slight breeze providing some relief. As the clouds burned off, temperatures climbed into the triple digits, peaking at 104 degrees as the final putt of the championship dropped.
The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere appreciation to Republic Aviation for serving as the presenting sponsor of the 51st Texas Four-Ball. Republic Aviation’s support plays an important role in helping make this championship possible and allows the TGA to continue providing a first-class competitive experience for players from across the state. We are grateful for Republic Aviation’s partnership and commitment to the Texas Four-Ball and look forward to continuing this relationship for years to come.
The Texas Golf Association would also like to extend its sincere appreciation to Rockwall Golf & Athletic Club for hosting the 51st Texas Four-Ball. The club’s hospitality and commitment to providing an outstanding championship venue helped make this year’s event a memorable experience for all involved. We are grateful to the entire Rockwall Golf & Athletic Club team for their partnership and for helping showcase Four-Ball competition at such a high level.
Next for the Texas Golf Association is the Medalist Tournament of Champions at Champions Golf Club in Houston from August 29-30 and the 89th Texas Senior Amateur, presented by Republic Aviation at BraeBurn Country Club from September 11-13.
To learn more about the 51st Texas Four-Ball presented by Republic Aviation, click here. To view final results, click here.