36TH TRANS-MISS FOUR-BALL WINNERS
Vinson and Davis Claim Victory at 36th Trans-Miss Four-Ball Championship
Van Herpe and Pouliot emerge as Senior Champions; Hardin and Mokler victorious as Super Senior Champions.
The final day of the 36th Trans-Mississippi Four-Ball Championship was met by another cool morning, with periodic showers and drizzle consuming much of the forecast. With tournament officials having suspended play Wednesday evening due to darkness at 6:15 pm local time, competitors in the Senior and Super Senior Divisions returned to complete a short collection of holes on the front and back nines at Forest Highlands’ Canyon Course.
With play resumed at 7:30 am local time, competitors still on the golf course grinded through their remaining holes in an effort to avoid the 36-hole cut and compete in the third and final round. The Super Senior Division cut included teams posting a two-day total of 149, seven-over par, for fourteen total teams. In the larger Senior Division, the eventual mid-morning cut included teams posting a two-day total of 147, five-over par, landing 17 teams in the final round.
While a majority of the Senior and Super Senior fields would see a short-break ahead of their final round, the youthful Championship Field began final round play, having completed second round play the previous day. A later start to the morning proved beneficial for Fort Worth’s Blake Vinson and Beau Davis as they began their front side with a birdie-filled 29, en route to a 7-under par 64, the low score on the day.
Vinson and Davis credited their success in the final round – and throughout the championship – to complimentary play by both partners. In the final round, the partnership contributed evenly – nine holes a piece – to their four-ball score. “We got it going early,” Davis said, “and we managed to contribute equally throughout the round… We stumbled a bit on the back and didn’t think it would be enough.” Despite their reservations leaving the scoring area as clubhouse leaders, Vinson and Davis would quickly learn that their final round push was enough to take the Championship Division.
Tied heading into Thursday morning as final round co-leaders, Ben Blundell and Jordan Cook both from Oklahoma City, Okla. and Danny Licursi, Thousand Oaks, Calif., paired with Bowen Osborn of Burbank, Calif., both got off to slower than anticipated starts, with the groups posting one-over and one-under front nine scores, respectively. Consistent posting of pars and periodic bogeys along the back nine meant the 36-hole lead held by both teams would diminish, resulting in an eventual five shot margin of victory for Vinson and Davis.
Having completed second round play ahead of their Senior counterparts Thursday morning, the Super Senior Division would crown champions next. Carrying a one-shot lead into the final round, the California tandem of Gary Hardin and Greg Mokler capitalized on five birdies through their final 18, led largely by the steady play of Gary Hardin. Seeking to make up ground close behind were another team of Californians in Dave Sheff of Dana Point and Rich Tolly of Laguna Hills. While the latter pairing exchanged birdies in an effort to make up ground, both teams would go on to post final round scores of 68, 3-under par and finish one-two in their division.
Rounding out final round pairings were the Senior Division, led after two rounds by co-leaders Steve Van Herpe, Temecula, Calif. and Dan Pouliot, Burbank, Calif., paired against Lawrence Field, Tulsa, Okla. and Murphy Mitchell, Scottsdale, Ariz., who both sat at 11-under, 131. The stellar play that saw both teams beat par over the first two rounds was humbled by an afternoon of more consistent play with barrages of pars, along with intermittent and untimely bogeys.
In similar fashion to the storyline in the Super Senior Division, the younger Senior leaders would eventually only separate themselves by one-stroke to finish as champions and runners-up. Eventual champions Van Herpe and Pouliot would post a 1-under 70, edging runners-up Field and Mitchell by a single stroke. Despite fine play by several teams in the Senior Division, Arizona residents Jeff New and Phil Phinny posted the low Senior round of the day, a solid 3-under 68, allowing them to grab fourth place.
Despite difficult weather conditions, the Trans-Miss Golf Association and host Forest Highlands were able to contest each round of the championship as originally intended. A significant thank you goes out to the golf course agronomy staff at Forest Highlands’ Canyon Course, whose tireless efforts allowed the championship to be played in great conditions. Further, the Trans-Miss Golf Association extends its thanks to the membership and staff at Forest Highlands for their collective efforts in hosting the championship and being gracious hosts throughout.
For more information pertaining to the Trans-Miss Four-Ball Championship, please click here. For complete results, please click here.
36th Trans-Miss Four-Ball Championship
Forest Highlands Golf Club – Canyon Course
Flagstaff, Ariz.
Super Senior
Hardin, G. / Mokler, G. — 70-68-68–206
Sheff, D. / Tolly, R. — 67-72-68–207
Haney, M. / Baker, D. — 68-72-68–208
Dallas, S. / Smith, E. — 71-69-69–209
Guerin, J. / Fleming, B. — 71-71-70–212
Devitt, L. / Hope, B. — 73-70-72–215
Olive, J. / Smith, C. — 70-72-73–215
Donofrio, J. / Bryson, R. — 71-74-72–217
Hare, P. / Biele, A. — 72-73-73–218
Martin, J. / Seaman, G. — 72-73-74–219
Boyd, S. / Redfern, K. — 72-73-75–220
Hamm, R. / Thames, W. — 71-74-77–222
Murphy, W. / Jones, A. — 73-74-76–223
Hatchett, S. / Stevens, J. — 71-78-77–226
Berthiaume, D. / Davis, T. — 72-79-WD
Leslie, N. / Larose, R. — 73-77-CUT
Schneider, A. / Shemano, G. — 74-78-CUT
Watts, S. / Horne, D. — 76-75-CUT
Senior
Van Herpe, S. / Pouliot, D. — 64-67-70–201
Field, L. / Mitchell, M. — 66-65-71–202
Kilby, R. / Nunez, L. — 68-69-71–208
New, J. / Phinny, P. — 70-71-68–209
Jackson, B. / McGee, M. — 65-68-77–210
King, R. / Ameen, M. — 70-71-71–212
Hoffman, F. / Williams, J. — 72-70-70–212
Holstead, B. / Wright, W. — 71-69-72–212
Fisher, H. / Hageman, R. — 69-70-73–212
DeWar, V. / Poole, J. — 72-71-70–213
Grace, J. / Peebles, J. — 70-71-72–213
Smith, B. / Howell, R. — 73-65-76–214
Lujan, L. / Quinlan, M. — 73-70-73–216
Slayton, J. / Walley, B. — 74-71-72–217
Turner, E. / Neal, B. — 71-76-70–217
Turner, R. / Norman, J. — 76-71-77–224
Barker, S. / Taylor, B. — 75-70-WD
Adams, G. / Kurz, D. — 76-80-CUT
McCarty, R. / Beechner, S. — 77-77-CUT
White, D. / Melcher, T. — 77-74-CUT
Mooty, D. / Mooty, C. — 74-WD
Championship
Vinson, B. / Davis, B. — 68-65-64–197
Blundell, B. / Cook, J. — 63-66-73–202
Licursi, D. / Osborn, B. — 68-61-73–202
Fernando, D. / George, K. — 65-72-68–205
Funk, R. / Bartman, D. — 64-72-73–209
Joseph, E. / Johnson, H. — 67-69-73–209
Erling, B. / Humbles, B. — 68-72-70–210
Vedadi, J. / Mangini, R. — 71-65-75–211
Griggs, C. / Miyamoto, C. — 70-71-71–212
Capasso, A. / Dwight, R. — 68-71-73–212
Sexton, E. / Carlson, C. — 71-68-74–213
Ellis, R. / Kane, L. — 70-69-75–214
Andersen, W. / Tridle, S. — 69-72-73–214
Bendetti, J. / Sposi, J. — 72-68-75–215
Ober, D. / Stires, T. — 71-70-74–215
Munson, R. / Showalter, M. — 71-70-74–215
Sigman, M. / Capel, D. — 70-71-78–219
Banghart, T. / Epstein, J. — 70-78-CUT
Brewer, B. / McDonald, R. — 72-75-CUT
Carreon, M. / Combs, B. — 68-75-CUT
Laughlin, T. / Quintero, R. — 73-70-CUT
Stayer, P. / Brellenthin, J. — 69-75-CUT
White, J. / Jones, S. — 76-70-CUT