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Cold, wet weather
Sun City’s Legacy Hills Golf Course hosted many of the elite Texas University Interscholastic League 6A girls teams in a fall preview this past week.
However, the weather intervened with the finish.
The event was cut to a single competitive round only on November 18 over the course, which debuted in the late 1990s. Legacy Hills was designed by Billy Casper, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Seventeen teams and several medalists from throughout Central Texas and the Houston area participated.
As noted, the girls played only one competitive round of 18 holes. The second round was canceled due to cold and wet weather conditions.
Just how challenging was Legacy Hills for the girls?
Only three girls broke par and two others shot an even par-72.
Maelynn Kim from Seven Lakes High School in Katy fired a 3-under 69 for medalist honors.
Kate Pickrell of Lake Travis and Sydney Givens of Vandegrift had 1-under 71 while Farah O’Keefe of Anderson and Kirstin Angosta of Coppell both shot even par 72.
The Vandegrift team registered the low total with 297, clipping Reagan (298), Southlake (302), Coppell (304) and Lake Travis (307).
Once again next spring, the UIL 6A state championships for both girls and boys will be contested over this course.
Sun City hosting origins
Due to weather related issues, Legacy Hills and White Wing courses became the state championship sites some seven years ago.
That is when East View golf coach Kris Inman was contacted by the UIL to see whether the Sun City courses could host the state finals.
The reason? The greens at the UT Golf Club in Austin were in poor condition, causing the UIL to urgently seek a suitable replacement for the 5A and 6A tournaments for boys and girls.
Over a weekend, Inman and Sun City worked out a quick fix — and this premier prep golf tournament in the state wound up in Georgetown.
During a two-day period, the girls play 5A competition at White Wing and 6A at Legacy Hills. Likewise for the boys, who during another two-day period, play the same mix for championship honors in the Texas UIL.
PGA Tour changes
The PGA Tour has wrapped up its fall season in Houston with the finale of the Cadence Bank Houston Open over the Memorial Park Golf Course. That now means significant changes for 2023, and with some positives in particular for Houston and environs.
Tony Finau won the tourney that has now been presented by the Astros Golf Foundation for four years.
Under this foundation, the tournament touted several significant objectives that have been accomplished: They include assurances the event remains in Houston, completion of a $34 million renovation of the Memorial Park Golf municipal layout to PGA Tour standards and construction of a new clubhouse and facilities that will also serve First Tee Houston programs throughout the year.
Unfortunately, the Houston Open along with three other Texas PGA Tour events did not qualify for the “enhanced” $20 million purses that will be doled out next year to a select group of tournaments.
The other Texas PGA tournaments that were shunned with the enhanced purse format are the Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, the AT&T Byron Nelson at Craig Ranch in McKinney and the Valero Texas Open at the TPC San Antonio.
The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at the Austin Country Club is the only event to make the elite list of PGA Tour events in 2023. This Texas tourney that will have a $20 million purse.
Now, the golfing fans will await the start of the new season. Hopefully, they will still see many of the elite players golf in events that do not offer the “enhanced” purses.
Hole-in-one
Cowan Creek GC, October 19: Joe Leitao, No. 16 at 142 yards, 6-iron; witnesses Pete Whitten, John Peeters and Dan Merideth
Future events
December 4: Cimarron Hills Golf & CC, Junior club championship December 11: Georgetown CC, 4-person scramble
Reach golf writer Doug Kienitz via TexasGolfing@yahoo.com.