Trans-Miss Four-Ball: Swanson, Pumphrey Go Wire-to-Wire

September 14, 2017 | by Trans-Mississippi Golf Association

Josh Swanson and Riley Pumphrey won by eight shots at Bayonet Blackhorse<br>(Trans-Miss photo)

Josh Swanson and Riley Pumphrey win big at Bayonet Blackhorse; Larry Nunez, Ron Kilby make two big putts to win the Senior title

SEASIDE, CA (September 14, 2017) - Josh Swanson and Riley Pumphrey shot a final round five-under-par to finish a wire to wire victory at Trans-Miss Four-Ball. Larry Nunez and Ron Kilby won the Senior Division by making birdie on the first playoff hole to edge out Reggie Howell and Bruce Smith. Chris Maletis and Jim Wilkert finished off the wire to wire victory in the Super Senior Division.

Josh Swanson of Bee Cave, Texas and Riley Pumphrey of Norman, Okla. captured a convincing victory with their thirteen-under-par total that was eight clear of the next team. Swanson and Humphrey started with two birdies on their first four holes to set the pace for the Championship Division. They made pars rounding out their front side, the course’s back side. The duo made bogey on the par-five, first which was only their third of the entire championship. They were able to bounce back in a tremendous fashion with three straight birdies, adding another birdie on the seventh, which tied for the low round of the day.

Seth Frye of Edmond, Okla. and Paul Tessman of Montgomery, Texas finished in second place for the Championship Division despite carding a one-over-par round. Frye and Tessman only made two birdies on the day. Shooting a second consecutive round of even par, Luke Kane and Ralph Ellis of Amarillo, Texas finished in solo third place.

Dramatic putts by Ron Kilby of McAllen, Texas and Larry Nunez of Austin, Texas saw them hoist the trophy after a one hole playoff. Needing birdie on the eighteenth hole, Nunez was left with a double-breaking 35 foot putt. Tracking towards the hole the entire time, the ball fell in the cup on one of the last two rolls. Bruce Smith of Longview had a seven foot par putt to force a playoff. The putt drilled the back of hole and both teams were tied at eight under for the tournament.

Playing the par three, seventeenth, all the competitors were inside 30 feet of the hole. Smith had the first look at birdie from just off the green. His putt slide just by and next up was Kilby. His putt was on the exact line that he had when he played the hole just 30 minutes earlier. While he missed that fifteen footer, his putt in the playoff was true and Kilby raised his club as the ball found the bottom of the hole. Howell left with six feet for his birdie came up short and Nunez and Kilby celebrated their victory.

Finishing in solo third place was the team of from Houston, Texas of Jimmy Burke and Hunter Nelson. The pair had the round of the day in the Senior Division with a five birdie and one bogey round of 68.

In the Super Senior Division, Chris Maletis of Portland, Ore. and Jim Wilkert of Spicewood, Texas closed out their wire to wire victory despite a one-over-par round.

Maletis and Wilkert started on the tenth hole and opened with a birdie. They made a bogey on the 13th but answer with back to back birdies on the 15th and 16th. That however was their last one of the day. They made a bogey on the eighteenth hole and two more on holes four and five. That however was good enough to outlast the field. Denny Alexander and Pat Hare of Fort Worth, Texas made three birdies and three bogeys for an even par round to bump up to a solo second position at one-over-par for the championship. Steve Summers of Dallas, Texas and Phil Patterson of La Jolla, Calif. finished in third place.

ROUND TWO REPORT

Josh Swanson and Riley Pumphrey fired a three-under-par round to extend their lead at the 37th Trans-Miss Four-Ball at Bayonet Blackhorse. Reggie Howell and Bruce Smith’s four under par effort in round two vaulted them to a three shot lead in the senior division while Chris Maletis and Jim Wikert maintain lead in the Super Senior Division with an even par round.

Josh Swanson of Bee Cave, Texas and Riley Pumphrey of Norman, Okla. recorded five birdies and two bogeys to shoot 69 giving them a two shot lead heading into the final round over Seth Frye and Paul Tessman. The team made their first bogey of the championship on the par four, third but then answered with back-to-back birdies on the fifth and sixth. Swanson and Pumphrey had another bogey on the eighth which they bounced back again with a birdie on the tenth. Again they went back-to-back with birdies on the 14th and 15th to reach the three-under-par total for the round and eight-under for the championship.

Tying for the low round of the day with a four-under-par, 68 was Seth Frye of Edmond, Okla. and Paul Tessman of Montgomery, Texas. Frye and Tessman were making birdies early with three in the first five holes. They made a bogey on the sixth followed by pars to round out the front side. Their back nine however went just like their first few holes. The duo birdied the 10th, 11th and 12th to get to five-under. A bogey on the 13th though brought them back to four-under and two shots behind Swanson and Pumphrey.

Rounding out the top three was Luke Kane and Ralph Ellis of Amarillo, Texas. Their two birdie, two bogey performance kept them in contention and four back of the leaders.

In the senior division, Bruce Smith of Longview, Texas and Reggie Howell of Tyler, Texas trailed by one when the second round got underway but erased that margin to take a three stroke lead . Smith and Howell started on the 10th hole and had all pars until they birdied the dogleg left par four, 15th. Although they made a bogey on the next hole, it was their lone blemish of the day. The pair birdied four holes on the course’s front side including back-to-back birdies on their last two holes to finish at six under for the tournament.

Ron Kilby of McAllen, Texas and Larry Nunez of Austin, Texas used an even par round to remain within striking distance. Kilby and Nunez were one-under on their day before they surrendered a shot on the downhill par five, eighth which was their 17th hole of the day and sit three shots back at 5 under.

In the Super Senior Division, Chris Maletis of Portland, Ore. and Jim Wikert of Spicewood, Texas maintain their lead with an even par effort to Maletis and Wikert however battled for their score. They recorded four bogies and a double bogey but bounce backed with six birdies, three of which came in a row on the 14th through 16th holes.

Steve Summers of Dallas, Texas and Phil Patterson of La Jolla, Calif. had the round of the day in the Super Senior Division at two-under-par. Summers and Patterson made five birdies including the challenging dogleg left, 11th.

ROUND ONE REPORT

Cool temperatures and gentle winds set up Bayonet Blackhorse ripe for scoring and the players took advantage. Josh Swanson and Riley Pumphrey took control in the Championship flight with a five-under par round. Two Teams in the Senior flight recorded five-under par rounds as well to share the lead. In the Super Senior flight, Chris Maletis and Jim Wilkert shot two-under to take a two shot lead into tomorrow’s second round.

Josh Swanson of Bee Cave, T.X. and Riley Pumphrey of Norman, O.K. used five birdies to claim a one shot lead at the end of the first round of the 37th Trans-Miss Four-Ball. Swanson and Pumphrey caught fire early in their round starting on the tenth hole with birdies on the 11th, 13th, 14th and 15th hole. The pair stayed solid with pars till they reach the downhill par five, eighth. There, they made their fifth birdie and closed with a par on the ninth for the lone bogey-free round in the Championship Division.

Just one back, is Luke Kane and Ralph Ellis of Amarillo T.X. The former champions were five-under-par before they recorded their lone bogey on the par four, fifth. Their four-under-par round is two clear of their next chaser. Kane and Ellis will have the lead in their sights for the entire round as they are paired to go with Swanson and Pumphrey for round 2.

In the Senior Flight, two teams share the lead after the completion of the first round.

Ron Kilby of McAllen, T.X. and Larry Nunez of Austin, T.X. made seven birdies in route to firing an opening round of five-under-par, 67. The pair was three-under-par on the day before stepping up to the difficult uphill par four, 12th, which played to the most difficult on the day. Despite making bogey there, they rallied to make three birdies on their last four holes.

Matching that total is Jack Slayton of Albuquerque, N.M. and Bob Walley of Los Lunas, N.M. While only recording five birdies, Walley and Slayton ended their round in style with an eagle on the eighteenth hole, which was the only one recorded on the 18th in Senior Flight. The only blemishes on the card for the team came on the 3rd most difficult, par four, 2nd and on the 12th.

Just one shot behind are Reggie Howell of Tyler, T.X. and Bruce Smith of Longview, T.X. Howell and Smith made seven birdies and three bogeys for their four-under-par, 68.

Chris Maletis of Portland, O.R. and Jim Wilkert of Spicewood, T.X. fired an opening round of two-under-par, 70, to grab a two shot lead in the super senior division.

Starting on the back side of the golf course, Maletis and Wilkert were one-over-par before they made a birdie on the 16th to reach level par. Once again they traded birdie for bogey on the first and second holes, until they managed to go back-to-back with birdies on the eighth and ninth hole.

Trailing Maletis and Wilkert is the team of Denny Alexander and Pat Hare of Fort Worth, T.X. Alexander and Hare shot an even par round with a three birdies.

About the Trans-Miss Four-Ball

Trans-Miss Four-Ball: Swanson, Pumphrey Go Wire-to-Wire

One of four annual championships hosted each year by the historic Trans-Mississippi Golf Association. Each player must be a member of a Trans-Mississippi member club, but not necessarily the same club. Players who do not belong to a Trans-Miss member...

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