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HARWELL, POOL WIN 2013 TITLES IN PLAYOFFS
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Colby Harwell |
THE WOODLANDS, Texas (May 9, 2013) -- Colby Harwell charged from the back of the pack with the low round of the day to claim the 8th Annual Carlton Woods Invitational in a playoff over 2nd-round leader Randy Lance.
Harwell carded a beautiful 2-under 70 to come from three shots down on the back nine. Lance was solid throughout the day, and had his winning putt on No. 18 narrowly lip out.
Robert Funk and Nicolas Cristea just missed the playoff when both players made bogey on the last hole.
"What a great event played on a Championship golf course" said Harwell. "I just kept fighting all day, and sometimes things go your way, this is truly an honor to win this event".
True to form "The Invitational" had another fantastic finish.
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Doug Pool |
SENIOR DIVISION: POOL OUTLASTS BOOKER IN PLAYOFF
Mike Booker opened the final round looking for his 3rd consecutive CWI championship, but Doug Pool had one too many answers on this warm May afternoon.
Pool carded three birdies on the back nine to surge into the lead, but a bogey on hole 18 dropped him into a playoff with Booker.
After one playoff hole wasn't enough, the two players headed back to the tee again. Booker just missed the green to the right and was not able to get up and down while Pool hit two solid shots and tapped in for par to win his first CWI.
The inaugural Hullender Trophy, named after legendary Senior Amateur Bob Hullender, was raised high for the first time by Pool.
"It was a great match all day against Mike (Booker), and it could have gone either way" said Pool. "It really meant a lot to pull this one out".
This was the first time in tournament history that both divisions were decided by playoffs.
LANCE LEADS MID-AM, BOOKER AND POOL TIED FOR SENIOR LEAD
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Randy Lance
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THE WOODLANDS, Texas (May 8, 2013) -- Round 2 of The Invitational brought a little more wind and firmer greens to the table, but Randy Lance did not get up. Lance fought through difficult conditions to card a 72 with 16 pars.
Staying consistent and playing for par proved to be the key to success for Lance, who is seeking his first Carlton Woods Invitational victory.
Close on his heels are defending champion Kevin Marsh and Houston City Amateur Champion Bart Worthing. Robert Funk jumped into the fray with the day’s only under par round of 71.
With 9 players within 4 shots of the lead, the championship is truly up for grabs. Round 3 action begins at 8 a.m. on Thursday, and if history has anything to say, we should be in for another great finish !
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Mike Booker
(file photo) |
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Doug Pool |
SENIOR DIVISION: POOL, BOOKER SHARE LEAD
Mike Booker, in search of his third consecutive Carlton Woods Invitational had another brilliant stroll around the Fazio Course today carding his second consecutive 71 to tie for the lead.
Doug Pool surged into a tie with Booker with a sterling 33 on the back nine including birdies on 10,11,12, and 14. Hunter Nelson is quietly sitting 1 shot back with first round leader Eddie Lyons only 2 back.
These weren’t the only players in the field with highlights, as The Woodlands High School coach Steve Cribari holed his second shot for eagle on No. 13, the first on that hole in CWI history.
The third round is truly shaping up to be a shoot-out with a strong leaderboard headlining the final day of action!
MAXWELL, LYONS LEAD AFTER ROUND 1
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Eddie Lyons
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THE WOODLANDS, Texas (May 7, 2013) -- Kyle Maxwell of Houston, Texas recovered from a double bogey on the back 9 to fire a two-under par 70 to lead a packed leaderboard after Round 1 in the Mid-Amateur Division.
Six players bested par, and 13 players are within three shots of the lead, including defending champion Kevin Marsh at 1-over par.
Colby Harwell also added to an action-packed first round with an ace on No. 14 at the Fazio designed course. With the weather expected to be perfect again Wednesday, we should expect some exciting action on “moving day” at the 2013 Invitational.
SENIOR DIVISION
A bogey on the opening hole did not discourage Eddie Lyons of Louisiana the least bit. Mr. Lyons didn’t make one the rest of the day while adding four birdies to his card for an opening 69 to lead the field.
A slew of established senior players are in the hunt including two-time defending champion Mike Booker at 1-under. Booker birdied 17 and 18 to vault into contention heading into Round 2.
Eight players are at par or better, and with this talented field the race for the Hullender Trophy is still wide open.
MARSH, BOOKER TAKE CARLTON WOODS TITLES
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Kevin Marsh
(file photo) |
THE WOODLANDS, Texas (May 10, 2012) -- The final round of the Carlton Woods Invitational was billed as a “Texas Shoot-out” and it did not disappoint. ’09, ’10 Champion Kevin Marsh arrived at the 17th tee two shots out of the lead knowing a birdie-birdie finish was a must to have a chance.
Marsh hit driver-driver on the Par 5 17th just short of the green and converted for the first birdie. Next came the shot of the tournament. Leaving himself 200 yards to a tucked back right hole location on No. 18, Marsh hit a high cutting 5 iron to six feet and buried the putt for birdie. Marsh was in at 2-under for the event tied with Colby Harwell, who was in the 18th fairway waiting to hit his approach. Harwell blocked his approach which left him short sided right of the green, with an impossible up and down. He proceeded to hit a great chip to 20 feet to set up a putt for the tie which just grazed the left edge of the cup.
The dramatic finish ended with Kevin Marsh claiming his third Carlton Woods Invitational title and earned him exemptions into the Stocker Cup and Crane Cup for the upcoming year. “I feel extremely lucky”, said Marsh. “To win this event 3 times and especially today to win like this -- I just can’t think of a better experience in golf”.
SENIOR DIVISION: BOOKER SETS RECORD
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Mike Booker |
Mike Booker’s record setting 66 in round two provided plenty of breathing room for the final round. No one in the division was able to make a move with a challenging final round course setup.
Booker overcame two double bogeys on the front nine to finish in style with a closing 34. His strong finish set a new Carlton Woods Invitational senior division scoring record at 6-under par for the tournament and made him the first repeat champion since Bob Hullender. "I thought it would be easy with a 9-shot lead” said Booker. "I had some conservative thinking on the front nine and then decided to ditch that and play some golf on the back, and that sure worked out better for me”.
Booker’s wire-to-wire victory will go down in the record books, and what a performance it was for the hometown player.
BRADY EXBER, JOE SANDERS TIED FOR LEAD IN MID-AM DIVISION
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Joe Sanders
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THE WOODLANDS, Texas (May 9, 2012) -- Brady Exber and Joe Sanders both survived double bogeys on the back nine of their otherwise solid rounds of golf to grab a share of the lead heading into the final round on the Fazio Championship Course.
Colby Harwell birdied the 18th to get into the final group and is only 1 shot back. 2-time Invitational champion Kevin Marsh is in a group at even par 2 shots off the pace. Buzz Baker showed he’s not ready to go home with the low round of 70 on day 2. Fourteen players are within 6 shots of the lead and have one more chance to challenge Mr. Fazio’s design tomorrow. With the championship on the line, it should make for a classic “Texas Shoot-Out”.
SENIOR DIVISION: BOOKER HAS HUGE ADVANTAGE
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Mike Booker |
Showing total control in all parts of the game, Mike Booker cruised around the Fazio Championship Course in 66 strokes building a 9 shot lead after 2 rounds. Booker started his run on hole 7 and continued with birdies on 4 of the next 5 holes.
“Wow, what a day ” said Booker, “It felt like I was in college again out there today, it feels great to turn back the clock”.
Booker’s round set a new Carlton Woods Invitational tournament record and puts him in the driver’s seat with one round to go. Jeff New made a run at Booker on the front nine with a sizzling 32, but fell off the pace coming in to settle for a still sterling round of 69. The chase of Mike Booker will begin at 8:00 am tomorrow morning, but it is going to take a fast start, middle, and finish to catch him.
THREE TIED FOR LEAD IN MID-AM DIVISION; BOOKER LEADS SENIORS
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Brady Exber |
THE WOODLANDS, Texas (May 8, 2012) -- Birdies were flying during round 1 of the Carlton Woods Invitational on the Fazio Championship Course on Tuesday.
Brady Exber eagled the second and followed with birdies on Nos. 4 and 11 before bogeying 18 for a round of 69 and falling into a three-way tie for the lead.
Andrew Lawson and Joe Sanders carded 6 birdies each in route to their respective 3 under par scores. 2 time champion Kevin Marsh rode a hot putter for 7 birdies and a round of 70 to tie for 4th along with Robert Funk whom are one shot behind the leaders.
“The set up today gave us a chance to be aggressive and take some chances with our approach shots” said Marsh, but they had better be on the money or bogey was going to follow”.
With a great field on a classic risk reward golf course, the next two days should provide plenty of excitement for everyone.
SENIOR DIVISION:
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Mike Booker |
Defending Champion Mike Booker got off to a solid start while trying to win back to back Carlton Woods Invitational Championships.
Booker hit all 18 greens while playing bogey free golf in route to a 2-under par 70 on the Fazio Championship Course.
“It was one of the best ball striking rounds I’ve had in a while” said Booker who is a member at the club.
Steven Hakes from San Diego, California made 4 birdies in a row during the middle of his round to finish in a tie for second with Brad Mosing, one shot off of Booker’s pace. With a dozen players within 4 shots of the lead it should make for an exciting final two rounds.
2012 CARLTON WOODS TEES OFF ON TUESDAY, MAY 8
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The 7th Annual Carlton Woods Invitational has arrived with much anticipation. Not only is 2011 Senior-Amateur Champion Mike Booker back to defend his title, but the event has a different look to it from the players’ perspective this year. The tournament is being conducted this year at the Tom Fazio Championship Course at The Club at Carlton Woods. It has been 4 years since the Fazio Course has been used for competitive rounds for the Invitational.
The change in venue from the Nicklaus Course to the Fazio Course is one that has been greeted by players with great enthusiasm. With more than 80% of the field coming out for practice rounds on Monday, the eagerness by many to tackle this challenging layout was clearly visible.
Speaking about the change in the course being used, Tournament Chairman Marty Benson said,
“We are very lucky to have two world class golf courses here at Carlton Woods. The decision to change to the Fazio Course this year was an easy one.”
The field in this year’s tournament is widely regarded as one of the strongest in the tournament’s seven year history. Unfortunately, it is missing one key player: the 2011 Mid-Amateur Champion David Bartman. Bartman is being sidelined due to a back injury and hopes to return for next year’s tournament.
With a strong field, including a defending champion, and a world class golf course, this year’s 2012 Carlton Woods Invitational is sure to provide us with some exciting golf. Check out the "results" page for live scoring as the players come in each day.
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