Litwak and Knudsen Ride Six-Birdie Surge to Texas Team Title
HORSESHOE BAY, TEXAS – Jeff Litwak, PGA Head Professional at Lakeside Country Club, and Erik Knudsen, PGA Sales Representative at BagCaddie, captured the Texas Team Championship following a dramatic final-round climb at Horseshoe Bay Resort.
The 36-hole, Four-Ball Stroke Play Championship featured 232 PGA Professionals and Associates from the Southern Texas PGA and Northern Texas PGA Sections. The field included 116 teams representing 91 unique facilities playing both Apple Rock, a par-72 layout, and Ram Rock, a par-71 course over two days.
Litwak and Knudsen began the final round tied for 11th place before mounting their charge up the leaderboard.
The partners traded birdies early before catching fire on the back nine. “He made one, I made one, and then we just got hot on the back nine,” Knudsen said.
While Knudsen preferred not to follow the standings, Litwak used the leaderboard to help guide their strategy throughout the closing stretch.
“He didn’t want to know, but I kept an eye on it just to know how hard we needed to push,” Litwak said. “It helped us decide when we should be aggressive or when we should lay back.”
The duo recorded six consecutive birdies from Holes 10 through 15, filling the scorecard with circles and moving into the top spot. Litwak and Knudsen had an opportunity to add another birdie on their final hole, but Knudsen’s putt caught the edge of the cup and lipped out.
“I putted it with the intention that it might be the winning putt,” Knudsen said. “Bittersweet was the feeling, but we thankfully didn’t need it, so we’re okay.”
“It would have been a little sigh of relief having one extra,” Litwak added.
The near miss left Litwak and Knudsen at 17-under-par and gave the remaining teams on the course an opportunity to catch them.
After turning in their scorecard, the two waited nervously in the clubhouse to learn whether they had won the championship or would need to return to the course for a playoff.
Their golf bags, snacks, and drinks remained untouched on their cart, exactly where they had left them after completing the final hole.
“It was stressful waiting because of the unknown,” Litwak said. “We just wanted to find out what was happening hole by hole.”
John Gibson, PGA Assistant Professional at Memorial Park Golf Course, and Tim Thelen, PGA Life Member, turned out to be the main challengers as the final round finished. They started the final round at 9 under, tied for second and kept playing well as they played Ram Rock on Day 2. Gibson and Thelen were two strokes behind late in the round before making birdie on Hole 17 to pull within one. The birdie gave them an opportunity to force a playoff with another birdie on the final hole.
When Gibson and Thelen were unable to convert on Hole 18, Litwak and Knudsen were officially crowned champions with a final score of 17-under-par and a one-stroke victory.
The Southern Texas PGA and Northern Texas PGA would like to thank Bobby Haby, PGA Head Professional at Horseshoe Bay Resort, and the entire Horseshoe Bay Resort staff for continuing to provide outstanding service and hospitality to PGA Members and Associates from both Sections each year.
The Texas Team Championship was supported by adidas, Bushnell, Branded Bills, Bad Birdie, E-Z-GO, Elijah Craig, Kohler Wisconsin, Turtlebox, Oakley, XXIO, Heritage Creations and YETI. Following the opening round, Elijah Craig hosted a putting contest at the Whitewater Putting Course at Horseshoe Bay Resort. The contest gave players from both Sections an opportunity to step away from championship competition and enjoy an evening at one of the resort’s signature attractions.
To view the final results, please
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To view the photo gallery, please
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