Golf

By JOE BUIE
Staff Writer

Overton’s Blaine Weiterman now has something to rival — even surpass — helping Tyler Junior College win a national golf championship.

Barring something unforeseen, Weiterman will be playing in the 38th Texas State Open next week at The Cascades Golf Club. And he should have a good gallery, too, since he’s an East Texas kid.

Tuesday was the final chance to try to qualify for the Texas State Open, and 204 hopefuls signed up and paid their $150. The turnout was so high that the field was cut in half and both Hollytree Country Club and The Cascades were utilized. Each site awarded nine qualifying spots and four alternates.

Weiterman played The Cascades and thought he was a shoo-in when he posted a 2-under 68 late in the afternoon. But it wasn’t late enough. The last few groups produced a 66, 67 and two 68s, and suddenly Weiterman’s 68 was only good enough for a seven-way playoff for spots 5-9 and alternates.

Weiterman competed in a playoff that lasted five holes until he was eliminated on the par-3 No. 11 after pulling his tee shot into the water.

The bittersweet day ended with the TJC sophomore clinching “first alternate” for the Texas State Open, all but guaranteeing Weiterman a spot in the 156-player field. A Northern Texas PGA official said an average of about four alternates make the tournament each year.

“This is the fourth time I’ve tried and I finally got in,” Weiterman told the Tyler Morning Telegraph before learning of the playoff. “I just hit the ball real well and made a couple of putts. I hit it to a foot on 16, a par 3. No. 8, my 17th hole, I made a 15-footer (for birdie). I made a 25-footer (for birdie) on 13. I had the right speed on a lag putt. It wasn’t one I was running at.”

His round included four birdies and two bogeys, not quite as good as the 62 he stunned the field with to open the Division II junior college national tournament in Arizona back in May. He made 10 birdies and eight pars that day — one of those “putting days” he called it.

The nine qualifiers from The Cascades were Pflugerville’s Andy Corder (4-under 66), Rowlett’s Ben Blundell (66), Baytown’s Shawn Stefani (67), Arlington’s Zack Reeves (67), Grapevine’s Jeremiah Gilbert (68), Red Oak’s Michael Lord (68), Flint’s Chris Edmonson (68), McKinney’s Christopher Ward (68) and Jeremey Jeansonne of Keithville, La. (68).

Over at Hollytree, where the scores were high in the morning wave, Bullard native and former PGA Tour member Brian Wilson qualified fourth with a 2-under 70.

The other Hollytree qualifiers were Orange’s Michael Arnaud (7-under 65), Houston’s Pablo Acuna (67), San Antonio’s Randy Block (68), Waco’s Adam Meyer (71); Brian Rowell of Lafayette, La. (71), Channelview’s Jaime Garcia (71), Dallas’ Scott Abbott (71) and Allen’s Justin Bates (72).

Back at The Cascades, where the drama played out longer, Edmonson found himself in the same boat as Weiterman. Edmonson, the general manager of Pine Dunes Golf Resort outside Frankston, made a four-foot birdie putt on 18 to shoot 68 and figured that was good enough.

Instead, he competed in the massive playoff until making birdie on the second playoff hole to qualify with a tie for fifth.

“It’s getting harder and harder (to qualify),” said Edmonson, who moved to Flint in 2002 from Montgomery. “When 2 under is in a playoff, that’s stout playing. There’s a lot of good golfers, a lot of college kids coming up. It’s tough.”

Notes:

Tickets to the Texas State Open are $10 for adults, $5 for 18 and under, and free for Northern Texas PGA Foundation Members. One Daily Grounds pass is good for Wednesday, July 16 through Sunday, July 20. … The official order of alternates is No. 1 Weiterman, No. 2 Daniel Dorman of Tulsa, Okla.; Thomas Ostasik of Tulsa, Okla.; Jacksonville’s Chad Bellar, Lubbock’s Shaun Melville, Aledo’s Lance Vasquez, The Colony’s Jake Thompson, and Justin Payne of Dallas. … The official practice round is July 16, followed by a Youth Clinic at 5 p.m. … Harold Geyer, director of tournament operations for the NTPGA, said the huge turnout for the Second Chance Qualifier proves that the Texas State Open is continuing to grow. “A lot of professionals and amateurs in the state of Texas see it as a premier championship,” he said. “I think the main growth is due to the prestige of the event. The Cascades does a wonderful job year in a year out and the city of Tyler supports it tremendously.”

Carlos Ventura, Flower Mound, hits out of the bunker on the third hole at Hollytree Country Club in the last chance qualifer. Nine golfers and four alternate spots are available for the Texas State Open next week at The Cascades.
((Staff Photo By Herb Nygren Jr.))