HORSESHOE BAY, Texas (Sept. 19, 2014) — Trey
Owen knows how reassuring it
can be to have familiarity on a golf course
during a championship event.
The Austin resident and member at Escondido
Golf and Lake Club on Friday set the
pace during the first round of the 31st annual
Texas Mid-Amateur Championship
with a 6-under-par 65. He made seven birdies
against one bogey and leads the
tournament by one shot over Terence Begnel
from Midland.
“Overall I hit it pretty good all day, and I made a
ton of putts,” said Owen, a 42-
year-old left-hander playing in his first Texas
Mid-Am. “I certainly felt comfortable
and had a sense of familiarity. That helped a
bunch.”
A member at Escondido for nearly three years,
Owen is the owner of several
Planet Fitness franchises across Texas. He said
his 65 was the lowest score he’s
posted at Escondido.
Designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 2006,
Escondido that year was named as the
“Best New Course in Texas” by The Dallas
Morning News. Ever since, it’s earned a
spot in the Top 100 of Golfweek’s Best
Residential Golf Courses in America. For the
Texas Mid-Am, the 132 players aged 25 and
older played it as a par 71 that
measured 6,873 yards.
“Like a lot of really good Fazio courses, the
holes are really framed well off the
tee,” Owen said. “The greens are tremendous.
They’re firm, fast and very
consistent.”
Bengel, who played college golf at Oral Roberts
in Oklahoma, made eight birdies
on his way to a 5-under 66. He sits alone in
second place, two strokes clear of
Trevor Hyde from Kerrville, who shot a 3-under
68. Mike Booker from The
Woodlands is tied for fourth place with Jordan
Woolf from Fort Worth and Brandon
Burke from Houston at 2-under 69. Booker won
the Texas Mid-Am in 2003 and was
the TGA’s 2012 Senior Player of the Year. Booker
and Hyde are TGA Directors.
A light rain throughout the day made play
slightly more challenging, however there
were no delays. Eleven players broke par and
five more finished at even-par 71.
Escondido played to a stroke average of 76.74,
nearly six shots over par. The 430-
yard, par-4 14th hole was the toughest. It played
to an average of 4.7 and yielded
just nine birdies. Twenty-five players made
double bogey or worse on No. 14.
The format for the 54-hole championship is
individual stroke play. The field will cut
to the low 54 scores and ties after Saturday’s
second round. The event was open
for mid-amateur men who are current residents
of Texas and have a GHIN
Handicap Index of 8.4 or lower. More than 580
mid-amateurs attempted to qualify
for the TGA major championship.
Through one round, players have raved about
the fast greens and delicious meals
in Escondido’s Great House. The club on Friday
provided natural Akaushi beef to
the players during their lunch.
View results for Texas Mid-Amateur
ABOUT THE
Texas Mid-Amateur
Eligibility: Entries are open to male golfers
with a
USGA Handicap index of 8.4 or less, and who
are
25 years of age or older by the first day of
championship qualifying.
Format/Field Size: 54 holes of stroke play. At the
completion of 36 holes the field is cut to the low 54
players and ties. The field is limited to 132 players.
Mid-Master Recognition: In addition to the overall
champion, an award will be given to the low Mid-
Master finisher. (Mid-Master – any player 40+ years
of age)
View Complete Tournament Information