North Team Lead by 11 Points after First Day of Texas Shootout

Hockley, TX – The North Team leads the Texas Shootout by eleven points over the South Team at The Clubs at Houston Oaks. The North team dominated early in the Foursomes Matches but the South Team stopped the momentum in the afternoon Four-Ball matches.
 
The Texas Shootout pits 24 of the best Mid-Amateurs and Seniors in the state against each other with players representing North and South region. Of the 12 team members, four places on the team are reserved for the top point earners in the Texas Golf Association’s Senior Player of the Year Points. Mid-Amateurs are comprised of Regional and Statewide Player of the Year points.
The format for the shootout leads with six Foursome matches Saturday Morning, six Four-Ball matches in afternoon and 12 Singles matches Sunday. Using a Nassau scoring format, points are earned from the Front Nine, Back Nine and Overall. The first team to total 36 ½ points are champions.
 
Christopher Wheeler and Jay Csipkes started the charge of the North Team, as they were the first foursome side off in the morning. Their opponents Jacob Davis and Grant Schroeder took control of the match early and won the first Nassau point by winning the front 4 & 3. The fast start from the South faded quickly as Wheeler and Csipkes battled back and to earn the remaining two points with a 2 & 1 victory on the back nine and 2 up victory for the overall match.
 
John Stollenwerck and Scott Abbott of the North Team followed suit and claimed two of the three available points over Josh Luongo and Devaughn Robinson.
 
The first senior match of the morning pitted the two playing captains against each other. North Team captain Lewis Stephenson and partner Wayne Wright jumped out to an early lead and went three up through four, over South Team captain John Pierce and partner Bobby Baugh. The North side cruised to the finish and earned all three of the available points.
 
The highlight of the morning for the South Team came in the form of a halved Nassau match in the second senior grouping. David Leiss and Chris Hartenstein were able to slow down the momentum of the North Team by sharing the points with North Team members Chuck Palmer and Mike Lohner. Each team won a side by a total of 2 & 1 and the halved overall match earned them 1.5 points for their respective team totals.
 
The highpoint for the South Team was quickly wiped away as the final two Mid-Amateur matches of the morning resulted in clean sweeps for the North Team. Anthony Estorga and Jake Istnick earned all three points over Broc Haymon and Ryan Clarke. Tate Allred and Micah Rodgers romped Jess Bonneau and John Hunter with a 5 & 4 / 4 up / 9 & 7 Nassau spread, a fitting end to the North Team dominated morning.
 
After the Foursome Matches, the North Team lead 14.5 points to 3.5.
 
In the afternoon Four-Ball Matches the North continued to look strong as they earned points early with their first match. Scott Abbott and Chris Wheeler took two and a half points over Josh Luongo and Devaughn Robinson, winning 4 & 3 / Halved / 3 & 2.
 
In the following match, Jacob Davis and Grant Schroeder got the South on the board, earning two points over John Stollenwerck and Jay Csipkes, finishing 2 up / 1 down / 2 & 1.
 
The first Senior Match of the afternoon included South Team captain John Pierce and Chris Hartenstein who lost the front side 1 down to Wayne Wright and Mike Lohner, but rallied back to win the South two points finishing 2 & 1 / 1 up.
 
The final Senior match of the afternoon featured Bobby Baugh and David Leiss of the South and captain Lewis Stephenson and Chuck Palmer of the North. The matched proved to be the most evenly match of the day, with both teams earning one and a half points with a match status that was halved all around.
 
Looking to continue their strong play from the morning, Anthony Estorga and Tate Allred took on Jess Bonneau and John Hunter of the South. Bonneau and Hunter struck first, earning a point for their 1 up match status after nine, but Estorga and Allred fired back on the back nine finishing the match 1 down / 2 up / 1 up earning two more points for the North.
 
In the final match of the day, the South team of Broc Haymon and Ryan Clarke took on Jake Istnick and Micah Rodgers. Haymon and Clarke earned two points for the South, taking down Istnick and Rodgers 1 down / 2 & 1 / 2 up.
 
The North Team will head into Sunday’s Single Matches with a commanding lead, needing 13 points to retain the Texas Shootout title.
 
For match results, Sunday Singles Pairings and information, please click here.