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Tournament officials set April 12 deadline for volunteers to work at Irving's LPGA Tour stop

Officials at the North Texas LPGA Shootout, scheduled April 25-28 in Irving, seek volunteers to work at the LPGA’s first full-field event to be played in Dallas-Fort Worth since the 1991 U.S. Women’s Open at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth. Most of the opportunities are for individuals 21 and older and the registration deadline for volunteers is April 12. For more information, visit www.ntshootout.com/volunteer.html.

 

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Dallas golfer Spieth earns PGA Tour membership for remainder of 2013 season

Jordan Spieth, a Dallas native who helped lead Texas to last year’s NCAA golf championship, joined the PGA Tour as a special temporary member Friday for the remainder of the 2013 season.

Spieth, 19, earned the opportunity because of his strong play. He has earned $521,893 in four starts at PGA Tour events this season, surpassing the total earnings of the player that finished No. 150 on the 2012 money list ($474,295). That will allow Spieth, who turned professional in December, to accept unlimited sponsor’s exemptions for remainder of the season in PGA Tour events.

Spieth, who finished in a tie for seventh at last week’s Tampa Bay Championship, already has accepted a sponsor’s exemption to compete at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, May 13-19 in Irving. His top-10 finish in Tampa earned him a spot in the field at next week’s Shell Houston Open.

_ Jimmy Burch

FW's Dan Jenkins to receive AP honor for major career contributions to sports journalism

Fort Worth resident Dan Jenkins, renowned author and writer at-large for Golf Digest, was selected today as recipient of the 2013 Associated Press Sports Editors Red Smith Award. Jenkins, a graduate of TCU and Paschal High School, will receive the award June 28 in Detroit.

The honor is presented annually to a person who has made “major contributions to sports journalism” in his or her career. Jenkins, a 2012 inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame for his skills as a golf writer, received the award from a field that included 12 other nominees. In a statement, Jenkins said: “I’m delighted, I’m flattered and frankly I’m overwhelmed … I’ve never been as thrilled about any award as I am about this one.”

_ Jimmy Burch

Spieth to compete in 2013 Nelson, his first professional stop in DFW #PGATour, #Longhorns #HPBNC

Jordan Spieth, a Dallas native and former Texas golfer, accepted a sponsor’s exemption today to compete in the HP Byron Nelson Championship, May 13-19 in Irving.

Spieth, who turned professional after his freshman season at Texas, tied for second at last week’s Puerto Rico Open on the PGA Tour. Spieth, 19, also has posted a pair of Top 10 finishes on the 2013 Web.com Tour.

The Dallas Jesuit graduate made his PGA Tour debut at the 2010 Nelson, finishing tied for 16^th while competing as a junior in high school. It remains the highest finish in tournament history by an amateur.

In his lone college season, Spieth led Texas to a 2012 NCAA championship, earned low amateur honors at the 2012 U.S. Open and was a finalist for the 2012 Ben Hogan Award, given to the nation’s top college golfer. Spieth’s appearance in this year’s Nelson will be his first as a professional in his hometown tour stop.

“We know bright things are in store for Jordan as his begins his career on the PGA Tour,” said Mike McKinley, the Nelson tournament chairman. “He did so well here as an amateur and we are looking forward to welcoming him back.”

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas golfer Pressel qualifies to join older sister in field for LPGA event in Irving #Longhorns

Texas golfer Madison Pressel qualified today to join her older sister, LPGA Tour standout Morgan Pressel, in the field for the North Texas LPGA Shootout, April 25-28 at Las Colinas Country Club.

Pressel fired an even-par 71 at the Las Colinas layout to join North Carolina’s Casey Grice, a College Station native, as co-medalists at the North Texas Collegiate Shootout. They claimed the two spots reserved for college participants in the $1.3 million LPGA event in Irving.

Texas A&M golfer Chelsea Mocio, a Fort Worth Arlington Heights graduate, posted a 73 and is one of two alternates for the college exemptions. As alternates, Mocio and A&M teammate Katerina Ruzickova (74) earned spots in an April 22 qualifier at Las Colinas with touring pros to try and earn a last-minute spot in the field.

Pressel, a senior, said it will be “incredible” to make her LPGA debut in the same event as her sister, a two-time tour winner and past major champion (2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship) who already has committed to compete in Irving.

“It’s very exciting,” Pressel said. “I’ve never been able to play with her in a tournament setting. It’ll be weird preparing for a tournament on the same golf course with her.”

Grice, a junior who played at A&M Consolidated High School, said she is “definitely very excited” for the opportunity to make her LPGA debut in her home state.

Mocio, a junior, said she made “a couple of mental mistakes” during back-nine holes in Tuesday’s round that prevented her from joining the co-medalists at the top of the leaderboard but said she is excited she will have a second chance to try and play her way into the field at the April 22 qualifier in Irving. 

Below is a look at the results of all 18 competitor's in today's event: 

Shootout results

A look at Tuesday’s scores from the 18 participants in the North Texas Collegiate LPGA Shootout in Irving:

Casey Grice, North Carolina, 71; Madison Pressel, Texas, 71; Chelsea Mocio, Texas A&M, 73; Katerina Ruzickova, Texas A&M, 74; Mary Michael Maggio, Texas A&M, 76; Kelsey Vines, Oklahoma State, 76; Alexandria Bonetti, TCU, 77; April McCoy, TCU, 78; Flower Castillo, Incarnate Word, 78; Hally Leadbetter, Arkansas, 79; Natalie Reeves, Texas A&M, 79; Jennifer Park, SMU, 80; Jenny Haglund, SMU, 81; Sanna Nuutinen, TCU, 82; Melanie White, SMU, 82; Sarah Beth Davis, Texas A&M, 83; Alexandra Ann Rossi, Texas A&M, 83; Taylor Slagle, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 84.

 _ Jimmy Burch

Mansfield golfer Smith captures DFW Tournament of Champions title

Rachel Smith of Walnut Creek Country Club in Mansfield captured today’s women’s championship at the ezLocator DFW Tournament of Champions at Golf Club of Dallas.  Smith posted a final-round 80 in blustery conditions to post a 155 total and finish seven stroke ahead of Brooke Nolte of Hurricane Creek. It marked Smith’s second consecutive victory in the event.

In other divisions, Chris James of Stonebridge Ranch Country Club braved captured the men’s title and Joel Eastman of Dallas Country Club earned the title in the newly-created senior men’s division.

A look at the results:

 ezLocator DFW Tournament of Champions
    played at Golf Club of Dallas

Women
Rachel Smith                      75-80---155
Brooke Nolte                      78-84—162
Fallon Vaughn       84-90—174
Debbie Woolf                     90-85—175
Luann McCartan   88-90—178

 

 

Men
Chris James             75-71—146
Clay Price                73-77—150
Larry Corsone       73-84—157
Kevin Patton                      76-83—159
Kenneth Leasley   75-85—160
Tom Harris             80-82—162
Kevin Boyd             75-89—164
Jordan Woolf                     79-86—165
Chad Van Oss                     83-86—169

  Senior Men
Joel Eastman                      74-78—152
Patrick Skinner     76-77—153
Bruce Chamberlin            74-80—154
Bob Neal                  75-79—154
Billy McBee                        77-79—156
Jim Van Brunt                    86-88—174

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Participants ready for Tuesday's North Texas College Shootout, with top two finishers to join LPGA field

Participants in the North Texas College Shootout, which will send two college golfers into the field for North Texas’ upcoming LPGA Tour event in Irving, will take the course at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Las Colinas Country Club.

The top two finishers among the 18 college golfers in the 18-hole competition will earn berths in the North Texas LPGA Shootout, a full-field event scheduled April 25-28 at Las Colinas CC.

Tee times for Tuesday’s competitors:

9:30 a.m.:  Natalie Reeves, Texas A&M; Hally Leadbetter, Arkansas; Alexanra Ann Rossi, SMU.

9:40 a.m.: Chelsea Mocio, Texas A&M; April McCoy, TCU; Taylor Slagle, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

9:50 a.m.: Sarah Beth Davis, Texas A&M; Melanie White, SMU; Flower Castillo, Incarnate Word.

10 a.m.: Jenny Haglund, SMU; Madison Pressel, Texas; Alexandra Bonetti, TCU.

10:10 a.m.: Casey Grice, North Carolina; Sanna Nuutinen, TCU; Katerina Ruzickova, Texas A&M.

10:20 a.m.: Kelsey Vines, Oklahoma State; Mary Michael Maggio, Texas A&M; Jennifer Park, SMU.

 

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Dallas' Bent Tree CC selected as sectional qualifier site for 2013 US Women's Open

Bent Tree Country Club in Dallas was selected today as one of 20 sectional qualifying sites for participants in the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open. The 36-hole qualifier in Dallas will be May 30. The 2013 Women’s Open will be June 27-30 in Southampton, N.Y. Participants can apply online for entry at www.usga.org/champs/apply.

 

_ Jimmy Burch

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas A&M golfer Mocio, a FW Arlington Heights grad, to join TCU players in LPGA qualifier #TAMU, #TCU

Officials at the North Texas LPGA Shootout announced the 18 college golfers who will be competing for two spots in the field at Dallas-Fort Worth’s new LPGA Tour stop, April 25-28 in Irving.

The college participants will play an 18-hole qualifier, dubbed the North Texas College Shootout, on March 12 with the top two finishers earning berths in the LPGA event in April. The qualifier will be played at Las Colinas Country Club, the same venue as the LPGA tournament.

Among the college participants are three golfers from TCU, four from SMU, one from Texas and five from Texas A&M.

The A&M contingent includes Chelsea Mocio, a junior from Fort Worth Arlington Heights. TCU’s threesome is comprised of Alexandria Bonetti, April McCoy and Sanna Nuutinen. Texas’ participant in the qualifier, Madison Pressel, is the younger sister of LPGA participant Morgan Pressel.

Tournament officals also announced Tuesday that two high school golfers will play their way into the field from an 18-player group in conjunction with an April 22 professional qualifier at Las Colinas Country Club. The names of the high school participants have yet to be released.

Below is a look at the 18 college golfers taking part in the March 12 qualifier in Irving (in alphabetical order):

Alexandra Bonetti, TCU; Flower Castillo, Incarnate Word; Sarah Beth Davis, Texas A&M; Marisson Dodd, Wake Forest; Casey Grice, North Carolina; Jenny Haglund, SMU; Mary Michael Maggio, Texas A&M; April McCoy, TCU; Chelsea Mocio, Texas A&M; Sanna Nuutinen, TCU; Jennifer Park, SMU; Madison Pressel, Texas; Natalie Reeves, Texas A&M; Alexandra Ann Rossi, SMU; Katerina Ruzickova, Texas A&M; Taylor Slagle, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi; Kelsey Vines, Oklahoma State; Melanie White, SMU. Alternate: Hally Leadbetter, Arkansas.

_ Jimmy Burch

Lakewood CC in Dallas to host U.S. Open sectional qualifier on June 3

Lakewood Country Club in Dallas will host a June 3 sectional qualifier for the 2013 U.S. Open, officials at the U.S. Golf Association announced today. It will mark the first time the Dallas course has hosted one of the 36-hole events that helps finalize the Open field.

Lakewood will be one of 11 U.S.-based sectional qualifiers for the U.S. Open, to be played June 13-16 in Ardmore, Pa. Online registration for golfers seeking to qualify for this year’s event is available through April 24. Golfers can find information at https://champs.usga.org/index.html.

_ Jimmy Burch