Sanders and Couture (a) Defend Home Turf at the TPC Danzante Bay Pro-Scratch Championship
Woodson and Schaefer (a) Capture Senior Division
CARROLLTON, Texas (September 22) – Jordan Sanders, instructor at Maridoe Golf Club, and partner Rob Couture (a) captured the TPC Danzante Bay Pro-Scratch Championship. The pair carded rounds of 66-66–132, 12-under-par to win the Four-Ball Stroke Play event in a one-hole playoff over Chris Brown, PGA Member, and his partner Tony Romo (a).
Sanders and Couture (a) quickly got going to start their tournament, making three birdies in the first five holes. They went bogey-free the rest of the first round and sprinkled in a few birdies to close out their round. The duo started the final round two back of the lead.
An up-and-down front nine didn’t slow them down as they made the turn. Birdies on holes 10, 11 and 12 catapulted them to the top of the leaderboard. They added another on hole 15, leaving them tied for the clubhouse lead with Brown and Romo (a). Both had morning tee times and were forced to wait as the afternoon wave tried to catch them.
No groups were able to do so, and the playoff began after roughly a five-hour wait.
After Couture (a) put his tee shot just off the fairway, Sanders was able to be aggressive and take on the corner of the dogleg left 18th hole. He left himself just a “stock 50-degree” in, which left him six feet for birdie to win.
The pair defended their home course, and Sanders said, “It was great to bring the competition here. I think it gave us a pretty big advantage to have the sight lines, and kind of knowing where to miss it.” Couture (a) a member of Maridoe Golf Club added, “It was certainly an advantage [playing at Maridoe Golf Club], especially in and around the greens. Reading the greens can be pretty tricky out here.”
When asked about how teamwork changes their approach, Sanders said, “We were just trying to get as many birdie looks as a duo as we could; luckily, we had some fall.” Couture (a) said, “I don’t think either of us were in our pocket all day, so that really freed us up.”
For their Open Division victory, they earned a team total of $3,000 of the $33,000 Championship purse.
In the Senior Division, Rick Woodson, PGA instructor at Sherrill Park Golf Course, and partner John Schaefer (a), carded rounds of 68-67–135, 9-under-par. They claimed the title by three strokes.
The pair was one-shot back of the lead after the first round, but separated themselves from the pack early in their final round. They started with three pars before four birdies in the final six holes of the front nine.
“There are some really good finishing holes out here. The whole golf course is amazing, but those final four are really tough. We felt like if we could have a little bit of a lead coming down the stretch, we’d make those other guys have to make some birdies to catch us,” said Schaefer (a).
They held a two-shot lead as they made the turn, and despite a push from the team of Paul Norris, PGA Life Member, and partner Richard Noon (a), their plan worked.
Woodson and Schaefer (a) earned $1,600 for their Senior Division victory.
Both amateurs received golf shop credit at Maridoe Golf Club in lieu of cash prizes.
The TPC Danzante Bay Pro-Scratch Championship was presented by BagCaddie, Bridgestone Golf, Elijah Craig Bourbon, Flagstick Films, Golf Pro Payments, Jim Quinn’s Finer Golf Products, Surf & Turf Golf, TITE Eyewear and Turtlebox Audio.
Maridoe Golf Club
Par: 36-36-72
Open Division Yardage: 7,177 yards
Senior Division Yardage: 6,537 yards
