Watkins Ties 54-Hole Scoring Record, Leads Heading into Final Round of 55th M&P Group Texas State Open
Bullard Native Elliott in the Hunt
TYLER, Texas (July 31) – Matthew Watkins of Rockwall, TX, carded a third round 34-31–65, 5-under-par, and holds the 54-hole lead at the 55th M&P Group Texas State Open. He is at 19-under-par and has tied the Championship 54-hole scoring record, previously set in 2021 by Jack Ireland.
Watkins' round got off to a slow start with four pars. On the par-3, 5th hole he pulled his tee shot into the pond short of the green, and made bogey. Two more pars then led to back-to-back birdies on the 8th and 9th holes to close out a 1-under-par front nine.
“The first four holes really, I hit great shots and was barely missing the putts. I made a great bogey on five. Hit it in the water and got up and down,” said Watkins.
A third straight birdie on the 10th hole continued the momentum for Watkins. He carded another stretch of three straight birdies on 14-16. His second blemish of the day came on the 17th hole, where he made another bogey. He bounced back on the 18th with a birdie after narrowly missing a 16-foot putt for eagle.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s round, Watkins said he is going to try and make as many birdies as he can.
“I’ve been here before. In general it’s tough to win…Radcliff is on a tear. It’s going to be tough to beat him.”
Josh Radcliff of Grapevine, TX, is one stroke back of Watkins after a third round score of 34-30–64, 6-under-par. He sits alone in second place.
Chris Korte of Littleton, CO, is at 17-under-par and in solo third.
Blake Elliott of Bullard, TX, now sits in fourth after shooting the low score of the third round, 32-30–62, 8-under-par. That moved him to 15-under-par for the Championship.
“I hit it well and got off to a pretty good start,” Elliott said. He continued, “Pretty happy with how I performed, and I am looking forward to tomorrow.”
Elliott, like Watkins, is looking for his first win at this Championship after multiple years of consistent play at Cascades Country Club. In 2024, Elliott finished in fifth place.
Grant Doggett (a) of Beach City, TX, leads the Amateur Division at 11-under-par. His third round 33-31–64, 6-under-par, propelled him 16 spots up the Championship leaderboard.
Doggett (a) is a rising junior at the University of Houston and grew up playing golf on the Southern Texas PGA Junior Tour. He holds a two-stroke lead over the next closest amateur, Kaelen Dulany (a) of Keller, TX.
Brandon Bingaman, PGA assistant professional at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, TX, still holds the lead for the PGA Professional Division. He is at 5-under-par for the Championship.
The 55th M&P Group Texas State Open is a 72-hole stroke play event with a field of 156 professionals and amateurs. Sixty-one players made the cut at 1-under-par and are competing for a $201,000 Championship purse.
The final round will begin at 8 a.m. tomorrow on the first and tenth holes. The final group will tee off at 9:50 a.m., and an awards presentation will begin at approximately 2 p.m.
This is the M&P Group’s third year as the title sponsor, and the Championship is presented by Joyce Crane and supported by CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances, Holiday Inn - Tyler Conference Center, Jucys and Patterson Tyler.
Cascades Country Club
Par: 35-35–70
Yardage: 6,882 yards
View current results HERE
