Long Holds on to Capture the 52nd Higginbotham Texas State Open Title

Steven Clements • July 29, 2022

TYLER, TX Luke Long is the 52nd Higginbotham Texas State Open Champion. He fired rounds of 67-66-62-70 for a four-day total of 15-under-par, 265. This week was only Long’s fifth professional start after graduating from the University of Arkansas and turning professional in May.

 

“I checked the leaderboard right after #13, knowing I had some birdie holes coming up,” said Long. “I knew I finally won it when I laid up short of the green on #18 and had a handful of putts to win.”

 

Long finished one shot clear of the field and heads back to Fayetteville with a $40,000 check for his first professional win. This year’s Championship purse was $200,850.

 

McKinney, Texas native and former Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour member Cody Winkler (a) captured the Low-Amateur Division. He carded rounds of 69-70-68-70–277 to finish the Championship at 3-under-par and two shots ahead of Holden Wisener (a). Winkler will be starting his Junior year at the University of North Texas this fall after transferring from the University of Louisiana Monroe. Winkler and the three other amateurs that made the cut each earned gift certificates to be used at The Cascades Country Club golf shop.

 

“I had a lot of fun and enjoyed competing with these guys.” The course was in awesome shape… it set up really well for me, a little long and a ball strikers course,” said Winkler. “I struck my irons really well and hit a lot of greens.”

 

Two Northern Texas PGA professionals tied for Low PGA Professional honors. JJ Killeen, PGA head professional at Red Feather Golf and Social Club, and Brian Norman, PGA instructor at Lakewood Country Club finished at 281, 1-over-par.

 

“I got to play with a lot of talented younger guys and it was really fun to be out here for four days,” said Norman. “The course was a good test and really fair. When you hit it wayward you get penalized, but if you hit quality shots you are rewarded and as a professional that's really all you can ask for,” said Killeen.

 

The 52nd Higginbotham Texas State Open was a 72-hole stroke play Championship held at The Cascades Country Club from July 26-29, 2022.

 

The Cascades Country Club

Par: 35-35–70

Yardage: 6,882 yards


View final results
HERE

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