Leader Derek Busby and John Talley
(Photo via George Adams)
HOUSTON, TX (April 29, 2017) - Derek Busby and John Talley, claiming home from St. Martinsville & Ruston, LA, managed and scrambled their games, in very difficult weather conditions, carding a third round 4-under par 67, at the 54-hole point of the 50th Champions Cup Invitational.
The Busby and Talley teams 54-hole total of 199, 14-under-par leads fifty-five other USA and International teams, held on the extremely difficult 7,450-yard, par 71 Cypress Creek Course at Champions Golf Club.
A different third round by the team, who had not posted a bogey in their first 36 holes, featured only six pars, eight birdies and four bogeys for their 35-32 nine hole scores. They made two birdie runs during the round, one of three in a row (#7-#8-#9) and the other four in row (#14, #15, #16, #17) allowing them to take a three-shot lead into the fourth and final round on Sunday.
The second round, which was played in blustery and swirling southeast winds swirling at 30-40 mph throughout the round, created havoc for the field, challenging all teams to rely on their short games and putting to survive the windy conditions.
Houston team of Bryant Lach and Matt Cordell remained in second place after round three, but lost two strokes to the leaders in shooting a 2-under-par score 34-35 = 69. Lack and Cordell stand three strokes behind the leader with their 54-hole total of 202, eleven-under par. Lach and Cordell, both members of the host Champions Golf Club, recorded five birdies and three bogeys. Their birdies came in bunches with back-to-back birdies on par three eighth hole and the par five ninth hole, and three birdies in a row on the back nine on the par five 13th , the par four 14th and 15th holes.
In third place at 204, 9-under-par, is the former champion team of Houstonian Kyle Maxwell and from Illinois, Derek Meinhart.
A logjam persists at fourth place 8-under-par 205, with three teams sharing the spot. Ben Klaus (Oklahoma City, OK) - Riley Pumphrey (Austin, TX), Kevin Herman (Powell, Tennessee) - Craig Junio (Las Vegas, NV ) and John Ehrgott (Edwards, IL) - Tim Sheppard (East Peoria, IL) are all tied and are sitting six strokes out of the lead going into the fourth and final round on Sunday.
Editors Note: Story via George Adams of Champions Golf Club
View results for Champions Cup Invitational
ABOUT THE
Champions Cup Invitational
Champions is Jack Burke's club, and the
Champions Cup is his
invitational tournament. This is a special
place, full of history and
worthy of the championships it has hosted,
which include the Ryder
Cup, U.S. Open, U.S Amateur, U.S. Mid-
Amateur and multiple Tour
Championships. The Champions Cup is a 72-hole
four-ball event with
no cut. It is a very popular tournament that
attracts a very strong,
competitive national field. To be considered
for entry, players must
maintain a maximum USGA handicap of 3, be
at least 25 years old
and submit playing accomplishments to be
considered. Walking is
required but long pants are no longer
mandatory. Contestants are
urged to stay at the homes of Champions
members (at no cost), but
can arrange their own accommodations if
desiring to do so. The tournament formerly
required both contestants
to be from the same state but has since
waived that requirement.
View Complete Tournament Information