Gonzalez carries one-shot lead into West Texas Am final
Paul Gonzalez (UT-Arlington photo)
AMARILLO, Texas (July 21, 2018) – Paul Gonzalez posted the lowest round of the tournament so far with a 4-under 67 at Amarillo Country Club. The UT-Arlington golfer added that to his even par-71 from the first round and now stands alone at the top of the leaderboard at the 90th West Texas Amateur.
“I have been driving extremely well and landing in the fairways. I am focused on staying conservative and not try to do too much” Gonzalez said. “Tomorrow, I will keep doing same things and take it one shot at a time.”
Zach James of Whitesboro shot a 2-under 69 to land in second overall at 3 under. David Bolen, last year’s West Texas Amateur Champion, Luke Kane, an Amarillo Country Club member who won this even the last time his club hosted it, and Tate Allred of Perryton all are tied for third at 1 under.
The Senior Division is still a tight race, but the drama center around two players tied for the lead: Chuck Palmer of Dallas and Ralph Ellis of Amarillo. Palmer and Ellis sit at 2 over after two rounds. Lewis Stephenson of Mansfield is right behind them at 3 over after 36 holes.
Ed Brooks of Fort Worth continued his strong play and posted an impressive 1-under 70 for the second round.
“My putting has been rough, however I have been striking the ball really well,” Brooks said when asked about how he has played so far. “You couldn’t ask for a more beautiful course to play on here at Amarillo Country Club, and I plan on taking advantage of the greens and making putts tomorrow.”
ABOUT THE West Texas Amateur
Eligibility: Entries are open to male amateur golfers
who reside in either region (North/South) of the
state of Texas.
Applicants must have a certified GHIN Handicap
Index of 10.0 or less. Senior division players must be
55 years of
age as of the first round of tournament play. Super
Senior players must be 65 years of age as of the first
round of
tournament play.
Format/Field Size and Cut: The championship will be
contested over 54 holes of stroke play with three (3)
divisions;
Championship, Senior and Super Senior. Each
division will play from separate tees/yardages and
separate
champions will be recognized in each division.
At the conclusion of 36 holes the field will be cut to
the low 72 players (and ties), with a pro-rated
representation
from each division. The pro-rated allocation of
players making the cut from each division will be
reflective of the
number of players in each division, relative to the
total field size. The determination of total field size,
number of
players in each division and pro-rated representation
of players making the cut (before ties) will be
announced in
conjunction with pairings being posted.
The field is limited to 144, as outlined below:
Championship: Open (84 players)
Senior: 55 & Over (42
players)
Super Senior: 65 & Over (18 players)
View Complete Tournament Information