The three-man golf combo of Mark Fowler, Stefan Cronje and Casey Fowler continued their recent golf dominance in the 2024 Gym Bice Memorial Classic, winning the nine-team championship flight by five strokes. With a strong rainstorm late Friday night making conditions for the two-day tournament almost picture perfect, the Cronje and Fowlers connection separated themselves from the competition Sunday, but things were pretty tight after Saturday’s round. Two combos, including the Fowlers and Cronje and the eventual secondplaceteamofformer Andrews pro Jonathan Leyendecker and AHS golf stars Brett Holly and Dylan Dockery, both posted low ball rounds of 56 Saturday plus there were also three 57’s. On Sunday, the Fowlers and Cronje team easily had the low two person low-ball with a 120 for their 176 winning total while the team of Leyendecker, Holly and Dockery shot a 125 to settle for second with a 181 total. Third place, with scores of 57 and 126 for a 183 total, ended up going to the team of Blake Roberson, Josh Baltzell and Blake Loyd. The President’s Flightwasalsoloadedwith 10 teams and a sizzling 58 Sunday earned the combo of Zach Gray, Bobby Florez and Tyler Urbina the title with a 121 twoday total following their opening 63. The teams of Sarah Strube, Ryan Peralta and Chavo Peralta, and Jorge Molinar Jr., Stephen Alberts and Kerry Culbertson, each posted the low rounds Saturday with 62’s to head into Sunday at the top of the leaderboard. The Peraltas and Strube team fired a 61 Sunday to settle for second with a 123 total while Molinar, Alberts and Culbertson carded their second straight 62 for a 124 total for third place. Two other teams tied for fourth place with 128 totals before Brook Varner, Jessica Varner and Gary Robbins (63-65) edged out Shawn Ward, Joe Holloway and Frankie Rainey (63-65) for fourth. The 12-team First Flight not only was saddled with the most teams but also was the most competitive. The top four teams all carded 129 totals to tie for first place. In the scorecard playoff the threesome of Brittney Lambert, Carson Greathouse and Whitlee Greathouse (67-62) and the team of Marvin Lee, Rachel Trevino and Jay Kennedy (66-63) claimed second. Third place, also with rounds of 66 and 63, went to the combo of Anthony Subia, Michael Hernandez and Donny Hernandez, and David Carruth, Cesar Bravo and Benny Granger (66-63) settled for fourth place. After the cofirst round leaders were bumped because the improving rule, the big winners in the nine-team Second Flight was the combo of Chad Smith, Dane Griner and Joel Griner with a 133 total on 18’s of 69 and 64. First day co-leaders Kevin Ortiz, Al Joe Trevino and Vince Dominquez (68-67) and the team of Courtney Halsey, Jesse Mendoza and Ryan Sherman (69-66) tied for second place before Ortiz, Trevino and Dominguez took second in a scorecard playoff. All seven teams makinguptheThirdFlight posted opening rounds of 70 before the top three carded 69 on Sunday for 139 totals. In the scorecard playoff, the team of Ronnie Lopez, Brad Cottrell and Shawn Bentley claimed first followed by Noe Muniz, Jesse Acosta and David Alvarez in second and the threesome of Bubba Swimmer, Danny Lopez and Mike Martinez finished third. The Fourth Flight ended up with the second most teams in any flight with 11, thus four teams finished in the money with the bigger winners being the combo of Rigo Carrasco, David Smylie and Beau Strube with rounds of 71 and 66 for a 137 total. The 140 of Ric O’Connor, Jamey Price and Landy Perkins (7169) was good enough for second and rounds of 71 and 70 for a 141 total earned the team of Lexi Vargas, Reno Cruz and Joe Bell Lopez third place, and Chachi Rodriguez, Shannon Walker and Landon Walker settled for fourth with a 142 total on rounds of 73 and 69. The team of Ty Spinks, Ivan Perez and Daniel Montoya had the best 36hole total in the eight team Fifth Flight with rounds of 75 and 70 for a 145 total. Two teams tied for second with 148 totals before Randy Saenz, Mark Hernandez and Tony Ariza (75-73) took second in the scorecard playoff and Stetson Minier, Luis Galindo and Ricky Carrasco claimed third with their rounds of 75 and 73. It was only by a single stroke, but the team of Tony Carrasco, Rusty Rocha and Rocky Mead edged out two teams for the title in the Sixth Flight. Carrasco, Rocha and Mead (79-76) won with a 155 total while the team of Coy Irwin, Mike Sanchez and Jim Leach (79-77) took second in a scorecard playoff win over Bo Rouse Jr., Michael Herrera and Omar Lloyd (81-75). Altogether a total of 63 three-person teams competed in the popular event, which once again was considered a huge success in recognition of one of the best basketball players and golfers to ever come out of Andrews High School in Gym Bice.
