40th Trans-Mississippi Four-Ball Championship off to a Fast Start
The Club at Olde Stone, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, provided a stern test for the 40th playing of the Trans-Mississippi Four Ball Championship hosting players form across the country. The rolling fairways and undulating greens require precision both driving off the tee and approaching the green complexes. The scenic views, championship course conditions and cool temperatures have made the challenging venue one that players have been impressed with.
There is not much about Kentucky that looks like Texas, but the scenery seemed to suit the Texas contingent well in the Senior Division of the TMGA Four Ball. Perfect weather and wonderful course conditions lead to a tie at the top between Larry Nunez & Ron Kilby, of Austin and McAllen, Texas, with Don Dean & Mike Lohner, of Austin and Southlake, Texas, at 4-under-par 68. Just one-shot back is the team of Greg Greenbaum & Jack Larkin, of Atlanta, Georgia shooting a 3-under-par 69 that included five 3’s on the back nine. Another shot back at 2-under-par 70 are the teams of Texans Hollis Sullivan & Jeff Dillard, of Westworth Village and Fort Worth, and University of Texas golf teammates Ralph Ellis & Todd Cornelia, of Amarillo, Texas and Greensboro, Georgia.
The Super Senior Division is led by Les Devitt & Charles Yandell, of Concord, Massachusetts, and Cashiers, North Carolina, firing a 1-under-par 71. Two shots back are the team of Doug Hopton-Jones & Ed Turner, of Mansfield and Richardson, Texas, at 1-over-par 73.
The Mid-Amateur Division started later in the morning and under perfect conditions the team of Richard Bradsby & Brian Dorfman, of Denver, Colorado, fired an impressive round of 6-under-par 66, including a 5-under-par 31 on the front nine. Colby Harwell & RW McDonald, of San Antonio, Texas started fast with a front nine of 32 but cooled with even par back nine to finish the day two shots back at 4-under-par. Former US Mid-Amateur Champion Trip Kuehne & his partner Dan Crockett, of Southlake, Texas and Franklin, Tennessee, along with Robert Kupchynsky & David Richards, of Dallas, Texas shoot matching 3-under-par, 69’s. The last pairing of the day both finished at 2-under-par 70 with partners Derek Meinhart & Joseph Deraney, Matton, Illinois and Belden, Mississippi, and Casey Nelson & Kane Hanson, of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Fargo, North Dakota. Austin Hill & Leo Corrigan IV, of Dallas, Texas are at 1-under-par 71 along with brothers Andy & Steve White, of Signal Mountain, Tennessee and Jackson, Wyoming, and Rob Garland & Charles Keene, of Nashville and Clarksville, Tennessee.
Round two begins tomorrow, September 23rd at 8:00 am, with the final round played on Thursday.
The Trans-Mississippi Golf Association’s mission is to provide championship competitions at some of the country’s best venues. The Turf Scholarship Fund provides over $100,000 of funding for students pursuing a career in agronomy along with the Club Intern Program which brings students to serve as interns at some of these top facilities. Learn more at www.Trans-Miss.org.