BOB WEST ON GOLF — Water ball costs Tony Romo significant golf victory

Published 12:06 am Wednesday, April 27, 2022

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Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback turned NFL color analyst Tony Romo has worked hard in his spare time to become an accomplished golfer. Those skills were all on display over the weekend in the Celebrity Division of the Champions Tour ClubCorp Classic at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving.

Romo led most of the way in a Celebrity flight that included former LPGA Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam. He needed a par on the 54th and final hole to win the $100,000 first prize. Unfortunately, he was not able to close the deal on the short, par 5, 18th.

His second shot barely carried a water hazard, then rolled back into it for a penalty. He wound up settling for a bogey that allowed former tennis great Mardy Fish to catch him with a birdie, then lost in a sudden death playoff on the same hole when his second again found water.

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If you have not seen Romo play golf, he is really good. Having just turned 42, he has eight years to continue to hone his game before reaching the age for Champions Tour eligibility. Don’t be surprised if that’s the challenge he undertakes in 2030.

CHIP SHOTS: Except for Orangefield’s Parks brothers, the 2021-22 high school golf season is over for players and teams in Mid, South and Orange counties.

Babe Zaharias pro Mitch Duncan’s star Bobcat pupils – Xander and Lincoln – advanced to the 4A state tournament at Legends Golf Club in Kingsland last week with stellar efforts in the Region III, 4A championships at Raven’s Nest in Huntsville.

Xander rebounded from a first day 77 to shot 73 and nearly catch Lake Bolton’s Chandler Cooke for regional medalist honors. Cooke held on, however, with his second consecutive 74 and won by two shots over the Orangefield junior.

Freshman Lincoln Parks, meanwhile, also had a strong second day, improving by nine strokes with a 77 to finish T5 at 163 and earn one of the medalist spots in Kingsland. The 4A state tourney is set for May 9-10.

Orangefield’s team finished sixth in the regional.

In the 4A regional at Margaritaville Golf Club in Conroe, the Port Neches-Groves girls placed 12 out of 14 teams after with a two-day total of 833 (414-419).

Tatum Bean was low for PN-G on rounds of 91-91 for a 182. Other scores for the Lady Indians included 209 (110-99) for Jeannie Truoung, 216 (104-112) for Ava Borne and 226 (109-117) for Kassie Carpenter.

Nederland’s Kamren Savarino, competing as a medalist, shot rounds of 115-114 for 229.

Austin Anderson won the team title with a 592, finishing 27 shots clear of Montgomery.

Evan Klutts from the PN-G boys team, who qualified as a medalist, placed 28th out of 88 players with a 36-hole total of 166. Montgomery won the boys’ title with a 610, beating Anderson by seven strokes and Lake Conroe by 12.

Anderson’s Keathon Vo claimed the individual title with a 145, besting Brody Knowlton by two strokes . . .

Bobby Wactor of Nederland, playing in the Monday Senior 50-plus 2 ball at Babe Zaharias, scored his second ever hole in one. Wactor sank a gap wedge from 105 yards on the 15th hole.

Witnesses were Mike Brown, Dillard Darbonne and John House . . .

In the team competition, the fivesome of Bob West, Bob Byerly, Don MacNeal, Dan Flood and James Johnson won the front with minus 6. On the back, the foursome of Ted Freeman, Gene Jones, Tony Trevino and Lonnie Mosley prevailed with minus 3.

Closest to the pin winners were Aubrey Ward (No. 2, 8 feet, 2 inches) Art Turner (No. 7, 2-8, Danny Robbins (No. 12, 1-8) and Wactor (No. 15, 0-0).

As it always does, the Fetters Center Scramble at Zaharias drew a full field of 29 teams. Two teams tied for first at 57, with the foursome of Paul Muse, Jake Fitzgerald, Riki Pike and Timothy Feemster winning the scorecard playoff.

Settling for second was the team of Brett Smith Kevin McCade, Andy Meswert and David Ess. Long drive winners were Louis Hernandez (No. 3) and Bryce Parsely (No. 9). Closest to the pin prizes were claimed by Tim Romero (No 2) and Ray Humphrey (No. 12) . . .

In the Friday Senior 2 ball at Zaharias, the team of Kenny Robbins, Danny Wactor, Bobby Wactor and Dillard Darbonne won the front with minus 2. The back ended in a tie at minus 2 between the team of Jim Cady, Brian Sweeney, Bob Luttrell and Keith Marshall and the team of Joe Gongora, Rufus Reyes, Rick Pritchett and a ghost player.

Closest to the pins went to Keith Marshall (No. 2, 11, 7), Pritchett (No. 7, 8-11), Brown (No. 12, 6-6) and Ron LaSalle (No. 15, 7-8) . . .

Richard Menchaca of Nederland had the shot of the day, holing his second shot on the par 4, 8th hole from 140 yards for an eagle . . .

The Wednesday Zaharias DogFight was played in an all-points count format. Placing first with 33 points was the team of Steve Wisenbaker, Charles Leard, Harrell Guidry and Menchaca. Second with 32 points was the team of Kenny Robbins, Pritchett, Dan Flood and a ghost player.

Closest to the pin winners were Eddie Delk (No. 2), Lee Bertrand (No. 7), Menchaca (No. 12) and Wactor (No. 15).

Golf news should be e-mailed to rdwest@usa.net.