2009 TOURNAMENT NEWS

Kevin Marsh wins Mid-Am Division
- John Pigg is wire-to-wire winner in Senior Division

Kevin Marsh (left) and John Pigg

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (May 14, 2009) –Senior Division Champion, John Pigg of Austin, led the tournament all three rounds. He becomes the 3rd consecutive Senior Division winner to accomplish this feat with an even par round of 72 bringing his three day total to 218.   Mid-Am contestant, Kevin Marsh of Henderson, NV won the Mid-Am division by shooting a final round 71 and a three day total of 219. 

John Pigg started the day with four straight pars. Pigg was in a rhythm and was hitting ball well when he teed of on the 5th. Only after he found the bunker did he realize that he was playing the back tee box which was an additional 20 yards from the previous two days.   Pigg’s previous drives on this hole handily cleared the same bunker but today he found himself up against a severe lip and ended up having to lay out. After a bogey on the 5th and 6th he birdied the 7th to finish the front at 37. While the conditions were tough, Pigg made it look easy making two birdies and a bogey on the back heading into the 18th with a three shot lead. Sitting in the middle of the fairway 185 from the green, Pigg decided to lay up and take the water out of play. “The luxury of having a 3 shot lead allowed me to do that. The only thing I could do to lose is to have a wreck somewhere – so I took a 9 iron and put it safely in the fairway” said Pigg. “I don’t play that many medal play tournaments. I’ve played in a lot four-balls but on this golf course you have to have your cap on all the time. You can’t hit the ball in the wrong place with these green speeds” added Pigg.

In the Mid-Am Division, Kevin Marsh started the day with a birdie on the 1st and 4th holes before making his first bogey on the 6th. That bogey on the 6th did not seem to faze him much as he rolled off a couple more pars and a birdie on the 8th to finish the front at 34.   Marsh rolled off five straight pars before his next bogey. He made bogeys on the 15th and 17th holes but went into the 18th hole with a four shot lead. Marsh went straight at the pin with his 2nd shot and landed just off the back of the green for a difficult up and down for birdie. He chipped to within four feet and made his putt for his final birdie and sealed the tournament with a four stroke win and the widest margin of victory in the Mid-Am Division since the founding of the tournament. 

The Club at Carlton Woods hosted the 4th Annual Carlton Invitational Tournament in the private, gated community of Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. 

Windy Conditions Tighten Mid-Am, Senior Fields
- John Pigg continues to lead Senior Division

Brady Exber

THE WOODLANDS, TX (May 13, 2009) –Mid-Am contestants Brady Exber of Las Vegas, NV and Shane Heise of The Woodlands, TX finished atop the leader board with a two round total of 147. First round co-leader Kevin Marsh finished one stroke back at 148. Six other players are within three strokes of the lead.   John Pigg, of Austin, TX posted a 74 to capture a one shot lead in the Senior Division over Hunter Nelson of Houston, TX. Three other Senior Division players are within three strokes of the lead including defending Senior Division Champion John Grace who turned in the low round of the day at 71.  

Brady Exber managed to fight off the wind to post one of the three low rounds for the day in the Mid-Am Division with a 73. He started the day with four straight pars before getting his first bogey on the 5th hole. Turning the front nine at two over par for the day, the winds did not seem to bother him too much. Exber made birdie on the 11th and 12th holes before giving two shots back on the 15th, and 16th holes. Exber birdied the 18th hole to finish at one over par for the day and tied for the lead.  

Shane Heise, who made a hole-in-one yesterday, played steady golf but could not get the putter started early. Heise made bogeys on 2, 6, and 9 to turn at 39. After hitting a good drive on the 10th, he flew the ball over the green and ended up making double bogey. He came back on the 11th and 12th holes with birdies and made a number of key putts coming in to save par. He bogeyed the 17th hole and was looking at problems after landing his 2nd shot into the lateral water hazard on the 18th hole. Standing 108 yards from the pin, he took a drop and knocked it to within 3 feet and made his putt to save par. “I really thought I could make that shot” said Heise. “It was the perfect distance and anytime you get to drop the ball the perfect distance into the fairway it’s great. I’m very happy with today. My 76 today is every bit as good as my 71 yesterday” Heise added.

In the Senior Division, first round leader John Pigg did not let the wind bother him. Pigg birdied the 2nd hole to open up a three shot lead but slipped with bogies on the 6th and 7th. Pigg eagled the 8th hole to turn front nine at 35. The difficult conditions took its toll on the back nine as Pigg made bogies on the 11th, 12th and 16th holes to finish the day at 74 and 146 for the tournament. Hunter Nelson, who played with Pigg, posted a 74 bringing his two-day total to 147. Nelson made a single birdie on the 8th but stayed away from big numbers everywhere else. He made bogey on the 4th, 9th, and 13th holes. “Every shot was a battle. The ball was almost wobbly on the greens and I was afraid to ground the club for fear of the ball moving. I’m very pleased with 74 in that wind. I can’t believe Grace shot 71 – that’s incredible in these conditions” said Nelson. John Grace and Fred Clark are tied for 3rd two strokes back at 149 for the two rounds.

The final round will begin at 8:00 tomorrow with the leaders going of the number 1 tee on the Nicklaus Course. The Club at Carlton Woods is hosting the 4th Annual Carlton Invitational Tournament in the private, gated community of Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. 

Kevin Marsh, Kenny Wilson Share 1st Round Mid-Am Lead
- John Pigg Shoots 72 to Lead Senior Division

Kevin Marsh (left) and John Pigg

THE WOODLANDS, TX
(May 12, 2009) – Mid-Am contestants Kevin Marsh of Henderson, NV and Kenny Wilson of Murfreeboro, TN each posted a 2 under par 70 to tie the previous Mid-Am 18-hole tournament record and capture a one shot lead in the first round competition. John Pigg, of Austin, TX posted an even par 72 to capture a one shot lead in the Senior Division over four other players. 

Both Marsh and Wilson got off to a quick start by making a birdie on the 1st hole. Marsh gave up two shots with back-to-back bogeys on the 3rd and 4th holes and then followed up with another bogey on the 7th before getting into a rhythm with birdies on 7, 11, 13 and 18 to finish at 70. 

 “I’ve been pretty lucky in my life to go to some nice tournaments and play nice courses and this is as good as it gets for amateur tournaments”, said Marsh.

While it’s the fist time Marsh has played in the Carlton Woods Invitational, he’s no stranger to Houston.  

“I love it here in Houston.   I have some great friends here.  My first time here was in the 1993 US Amateur Championship.  I love coming here to play in the Champions Cup and now I am going to look forward to coming back and playing here in this tournament.  I’ve always liked Nicklaus’ courses because he gives you room off the tee but then he challenges you so much into and surrounding the greens,” added Marsh. 

Playing in the group ahead of Marsh, Wilson turned in a very solid round of golf. Wilson made two birdies and two bogeys on the front to turn at even par. On the back side, he slipped another stroke before finishing the last six holes three under par to finish at 70. Playing in the same group with Wilson, Shane Heise of The Woodlands, hit the shot of the day when he made a hole-in-one on the 195 yard 7th hole.

“The ball never left the pin.  I hit 5-iron on every par three today. The 5-iron was the money club today. I played the par threes 3-under which is pretty good out here,” said Heise.

Heise got to 4-under for the day on the back nine but he stumbled playing the final three holes three over par. Heise’s 71 ties Dennis Bosworth one stroke back from the leaders.

In the Senior Division, John Pigg also got off to a hot early start, birdying the first hole and then making a string of ten straight pars before dropping a stroke on the 12th hole.  He recovered quickly with a birdie on the 13th and followed up with pars on 14, 15, and 16, but failed to get up and down on the 17th for his final bogey to post an even par round.

“This is a great golf facility and I’m excited to be here. I just wish I had been able to make a few more putts today. I had a lot of putts that could have gone in” said Pigg.

Mike Hopson, Chris Larsen, Hunter Nelson, and Bill Ploeger are tied one stroke back at 73.

All three rounds of this year’s tournament will be played on the Nicklaus Golf course. Second round play will begin on the 1st tee at 8:00 am on Wednesday.

The Club at Carlton Woods is hosting the 4th Annual Carlton Invitational Tournament in the private, gated community of Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. 

Or contact:
Mark Steinbauer
Director of Golf
832-867-1537
msteinbauer@thewoodlands.com 

Jeff Jordan
Tournament Committee
jeffrey_f_jordan@hotmail.com       

Carlton Woods Invitational to be Played on Nicklaus Signature Course
THE WOODLANDS, TX (January 2, 2009)--The Club at Carlton Woods has announced that the 4th Annual Carlton Woods Invitational will be played exclusively on the award-winning Jack Nicklaus Signature Course on May 12-14, 2009. Practice rounds are scheduled for May 11.

"We are constantly looking to improve the quality of our tournament" said Mark Steinbauer Director of Golf Operations. "We are lucky to have two exceptional golf courses here at Carlton Woods. Given the level of difficulty and playing conditions we provide, we felt that holding the tournament on the same course for all three rounds will provide a better tournament experience for the national field of players" added Steinbauer.

The Carlton Woods Invitational will be a 54-hole stroke play. The field will be comprised of a Mid-Amateur Division and a Senior Division. The field will be cut after 36 holes to the low 50% and ties in each Division. Those players making the cut will compete for the overall championship. The remainder of the field will compete in an 18-hole consolation tournament also on the Nicklaus Course. Competitors should once again expect meticulous care and attention given to course preparation and conditions, and a tough but fair test of golf. Once again in 2009, the Invitational is recognized as one of Golfweek's national designated tournaments where participants are eligible to receive Golfweek points.

In just seven years of operation, The Club at Carlton Woods has quickly established itself as a preeminent championship venue. The club has hosted USGA Open and Mid-Amateur qualifying, the 2004 Texas State Amateur, and the 2007 USGA State Team Championships. Confirmed future events include the HP Boys Championship, the Texas Shootout, and the Texas State Mid-Amateur. Both the Nicklaus and Fazio Courses have garnered a host of state and national awards.