Jeffrey Smith Gets First Tour Win of the 1999 Season
College Station, TX- 26 June 1999 -A final round 27 combined with a major collapse of third round leader Lee Messinger allowed defending champion Jeffrey Smith of Dallas to come from five shots off the pace and take his first Texas Putting Tour title of the season.
"It was really amazing!" said Smith, who watched from the clubhouse as two players (Lee Messinger and Don Parker) needing just a par on the 72nd hole to force a playoff for the title both took bogey. "You just don't see that very often with players of their caliber" added Smith, who was the Texas Tour's 1998 Player of the Year with six tour wins. Jeffrey had rounds of 28-29-33-27 for a four round total of 117, 27-under par.
Texas Open Champ Lee Messinger of Dallas was looking for his second straight tour title, but his final round 33 left him one stroke short at 118 along with Don Parker of Rosenberg and David Lynch from Mesquite. While Lynch didn't bogey the last hole, a bogey on the easy 14th hole in the final round proved to be his undoing in his run for the title. Tom Adair of Tyler rounded out the top five at 119, two shots back of Smith.
In match play Greg Roberts of Pasadena beat Lee Messinger from Dallas in the semi-finals, then stopped Houstonian Bill Florian's 1999 unbeaten match play streak (he was 7-0 entering the match) with a win in the finals to earn his fourth qualifying spot for state weekend in Tyler. The other bracket saw Chris Conradi of Duncanville best Steve Armstrong from Arlington in the finals to earn his first qualifying spot of the season.
Austin's Steve Willmann fired the lowest 18 in either division with a final round 26 to force a playoff with Doug Austin from Houston and went on to win his second APA tour title of the season. Willmann and Austin were tied after 72 holes of regulation play with scores of 119, 25-under par. Tournament favorite Randy Wimpy of Arlington finished two shots back at 121 and in a third place tie with Jason Sheffield of Fulshur, TX. Sheffield went on to earn a state qualifying spot in match play along with Houstonian Andy Gaiser.
Professional Scores from the College Station, TX Event (26 June 1999)
| Round | Prize |
||||||
| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Money | |
1 |
Jeffrey Smith | 28 |
29 |
33 |
27 |
117 |
$ 140.00 |
2 |
Lee Messinger | 31 |
26 |
28 |
33 |
118 |
$ 80.00 |
Don Parker |
30 |
32 |
28 |
28 |
118 |
$ 80.00 |
|
David Lynch |
33 |
28 |
29 |
28 |
118 |
$ 80.00 |
|
5 |
Tom Adair |
29 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
119 |
$ 30.00 |
Joel Baker |
31 |
30 |
30 |
28 |
119 |
$ 30.00 |
|
8 |
Bill Florian |
29 | 28 |
31 |
32 |
120 |
|
Blain Pelland |
30 | 30 |
32 |
28 |
120 |
||
10 |
Brice Bergesen |
32 | 27 |
32 |
30 |
121 |
|
11 |
Tim Murphree |
32 | 30 |
33 |
31 |
126 |
|
12 |
Mike Huckaby |
31 | 34 |
34 |
28 |
127 |
|
Greg Roberts |
35 |
31 |
30 |
31 |
127 |
||
14 |
Scott Frampton |
30 |
31 |
34 |
33 |
128 |
|
15 |
Chris Conradi |
34 |
27 |
34 |
34 |
129 |
|
16 |
Steve Armstrong | 32 | 30 | 39 | 32 | 133 | |
Amateur Scores from the College Station, TX Event (26 June 1999)
| Round | Expense |
||||||
| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Money | |
| 1 | Steve Willmann* | 32 | 30 | 31 | 26 | 119 | $10.00 |
| 2 | Doug Austin | 30 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 119 | $5.00 |
| 3 | Randy Wimpy | 32 | 28 | 29 | 32 | 121 | $5.00 |
| Jason Sheffield | 30 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 121 | ||
| 5 | Tom King | 30 | 29 | 33 | 30 | 122 | |
| 6 | Andy Gaiser | 36 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 126 | |
| 7 | Jon Drexler | 32 | 33 | 35 | 33 | 133 | |
| 8 | Jack Ramsey | 33 | 28 | 35 | 38 | 134 | |
| 9 | Matt Moore | 33 | 36 | 35 | 32 | 136 | |
| 10 | Mike Wellborn | 35 | 38 | 43 | 35 | 151 | |