Saturday February 29, 2020
Vaaler Creek Golf Club
The Hill Country Tour made its annual trip to Vaaler Creek Golf Club on Saturday, taking advantage of the abnormally long February for the Leap Day Open. The course and intermittent winds provided a challenge for most, but some players were able to rise above and capture the crown in their respective flights:
The round of the day came out of the Palmer flight, where Dave Davlin carried the confidence of a T2 at last week's San Diego Open into Blanco. He was one spot better at Vaaler Creek, firing a sparkling 74 that blew away the field by six for his first win of the season. The rest of the flight was tight, and Johnny Liguez and Brad Kendrick took second and third, respectively, with 80 and 81.
Fred Covarrubias' day didn't start well at all, with triple-bogey sevens on each of the first two holes. He was able to buckle down, however, and two birdies and an 85 later, he was crowned the champion of the Hogan flight. Covarrubias' first win of the year came by two shots, and was helped by a clutch par at the last.
In the Sarazen flight, Tommy Mobley's hot start was enough to put away the field at Vaaler Creek. Mobley's front-nine 39 staked him to a four stroke lead at the halfway point, and he maintained that advantage all the way through. Finishing with 84, Mobley earned his second win of the season over James Kohnert, who eagled the 10th on his way to 88.
The player to travel furthest for Saturday's event was undoubtedly Al Killinger. The Orlando resident left with the hardware in Sr. Sarazen, firing an 87 that was good enough by five. Killinger birdied the par five 10th on way to his first win of the season.
Consistent play was the order of the day in the Jones flight. Jay Mills posted nines of 44-45, earning a runner-up finish. He was bested only by Jeff Lett, whose 44-43 seized the trophy, his fourth of the season. Lett was able to bounce back from an opening-hole eight to earn the win.
Michael Grant was able to secure A close race for second in the Sr. Jones flight Saturday - but the day belonged to Steve DiPaola. An 83 that featured three birdies carried DiPaola to a 10 shot victory over Grant, his first win of the season.
The closest flight of the day was Snead, as the top three finishers were within a shot of one another. With a back-nine 47, Gene Hanley emerged from the pack to claim his second win of the year, shooting a total of 99. Hanley's win only increased his lead in the Sr. Snead Race to Nationals.