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It was sort of a good news, bad news scenario for the opening event of the Southern Texas PGA Junior Fall Tour on Sunday at Henry Homberg Golf Club.

The good news was a massive turnout of 81 players which, according to STPGA director Austin Williams, was the largest in five years. The bad news was that a small percentage of the 81 were from out part of Southeast Texas and an even smaller percentage showed up among the winners.

Eleven different cities across the sprawling STPGA region were represented among the flight winners. Only two were from the Golden Triangle and one of them was in an uncontested flight. Four winners came from Houston.

Williams said the local turnout was much better on the summer tour, but did express concern about participation from players in the 6-10 age group. Hopefully those numbers will trend upward in the remaining three fall events – Oct. 9 and 16 at Idylwild and Nov. 6 at Beaumont Country Club.

The area player who shined brightest at Homberg was Beaumonter Julian Matthews whose 74 edged Livingston’s Tucker Cherry in Boys 15-18 by one stroke in Junior Tour competition. Other boys’ winners were Logan Houl of Diboll (73 in Boys 13-14) and Logan An of Houston (76 in Boys 11-12).

Girls winners at the Junior Tour level were Cameron Stewart of Kingwood (79 in 15-18), Mackenzie Minshew of the Woodlands with an 82 in 13-14 and Sadie Westbrook of Houston(86 in 11-12).

In Junior Links competition, winners were Martin Peng of Houston (40 in Boys 13-14) and Anna Lee Mitchell from Missouri City (48 in Girls 13-14).

Little Linksters boys’ flights saw Hudson Rankin of Katy win age 11-12 with a 39 in 9-hole red tees, Mason Hwang of Houston place first in 9-10, 9-hole modified tees with a 39 and Camilo Boles of Spring capture 9-10, 5- hole modified with a 26.

Maggie Stutz of Groves won Girls 11-12, 9- hole red with a 54 while Julia Kim of Porter took Girls 9-10, 9-hole modified with a 40.

In the Coed flights, Easton Evans’ was the winner in 6-8 5-hole modified with a 25 and Dominic Laurenzo from Houston won 6-8, 9 hole modified with a 41.

CHIP SHOTS: Wadsworth Thompson of Groves made it the second consecutive week for someone to register an ace at Babe Zaharias. Thompson authored what was his third hole in one with an 8-iron from 120 yards on the 7^th hole.

The 73-year-old Thompson’s other aces were on that same 7^th hole at Zaharias and on No. 6 at Henry Homberg. Witnesses were James Shipley, Brian Mirabella and Mack McClendon.

All three PGA Tour players with Southeast Texas ties — Chris Stroud, Andrew Landry and MJ Daffue — will be teeing it up Thursday in the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi. In the opening event of the season two weeks ago in Napa, California, Stroud placed T43, Landry was T55 and Daffue missed the cut.

In the Monday Senior 50 Plus 2 ball at Zaharias, the team of Bob Byerly, Cap Hollier, Raymond Darbonne and a ghost player won the front with minus 3. On the back, James Vercher, Tony Trevino, Dan Flood and Glenn Judice took first with minus 6.

Closest to the pin winners were Bob Luttrull (No. 2), Darbonne (No. 7), Jimmy Cady (No. 12) and Dwayne Morvant (No. 15).

The Friday 2 ball at Zaharias saw the foursome of Cap Hollier, Judice, Rick Pritchett and Stuart Ellis take the front with minus 1. There was a tie at minus 1 on the back between the team of Byerly, Eddie Delk, Trevino and Darrel Mouille and the team of Keith Mullins, Don MacNeil, Paul Duplantis and a ghost player.

Closest to the pin winners were Dwayne Morvant (No. 2), Ron LaSalle (No. 7), Danny Robbins (No. 12) and Roy Martinez (No. 15).

Format in the Wednesday Zaharias DogFight was all points count. Placing first with 29 points was the team of Cady, Larry Johnson, Ron Mistrot and Tommy Duhon. Second with 26 points was the foursome of Gary Whitfill, Vercher, Robert Stansbury and Jerry Watson.

Closest to the pin winners were Vercher (No. 2, 2 feet, 10 inches), Gary Fontenot (No. 7, 12-11), Cady (No. 12, 10-2) and Duhon (No. 15, 10 inches).

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