Hilburn Leads the Prize Possessions | E-Z-GO Eastern Championship
TYLER, Texas (June 9, 2025) – Colton Hilburn, Associate at Abilene Country Club, leads the Prize Possessions | E-Z-GO Eastern Championship after round one. He carded a 35-31– 66, 5-under-par round and leads by one stroke.
Regarding Willow Brook Country Club, Hilburn said, “It’s a great test. You’ve got to earn your way around here.”
Hilburn’s back-nine performance was the best of the day, tallying four birdies and no bogeys. “I hit both par fives in two, so those were two easy two-putt birdies, and then I snaked in an 8-footer and a 15-footer for par, and then kind of rode that momentum and hit some good approach shots coming in,” Hilburn said.
Chasing Hilburn, and the $4,000 champion’s check, is reigning Section Champion Gabe Reynolds, PGA director of instruction at Topgolf - Dallas. Reynolds shot 4-under-par, 34-33-67.
Commenting on his previous success, Reynolds said, “It never hurts to have success, but when it’s time to hit a shot, you better be focused on that shot, not the one you hit a year ago. I just love playing in these golf tournaments with this crew. This Section does such a good job of setting up the golf courses and dealing with all that mother nature throws at them.”
The Championship also includes a Senior Division that is made up of 34 professionals ages 50 and over, playing for a separate title and purse. Rob Shields, PGA Member at the Winsford Group, and Rick Woodson, PGA instructor at Sherrill Park Golf Course, are currently tied for first in the Senior Division.
Shields carded a 37-35–72, and Woodson carded 34-38–72. Both professionals are at 1-over-par. Shields and Woodson are chased by five players who are only one stroke behind at 2-over-par.
Shields made 12-straight pars during his round after making two bogeys in his first three holes. He finished the round with a birdie on hole 16, but he gave it back with a bogey on hole 18.
As for Woodson, he carded a clean front-nine with birdies on holes 4 and 9. However, the back-nine served Woodson three bogeys taking his clean scorecard for the day.
The Senior Division Champion will earn $1,600.
The final round will begin at 7:45 a.m. tomorrow and the Senior Division will play in the morning wave. The Open Division leaders will tee off at 2:23 p.m.
This 36-hole Northern Texas PGA major championship is the first of four individual stroke play events that comprise the Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon and Nike Player of the Year Points Challenge presented by Adventures In Golf. The field is competing for an overall purse of $49,000.
The Prize Possessions | E-Z-GO Eastern Championship is presented by Branded Bills, Glow Vibe Golf, GT Golf Supply Co., Infraway, Levelwear, Nexbelt, PGA TOUR, THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and Vortex® Golf.
Willow Brook Country Club
Par: 36-35–71
Open Division Yardage: 6,762 yards
Senior Division Yardage: 6,377 yards
View the current results
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