Oklahoma City’s Logan McCracken and Cory Churchman of Abilene, Texas, rank 1-2 on the 2019 All Pro Tour Money List. Both will be playing in the APT Texarkana Children’s Charities Open.
The third annual APT event tees off Wednesday at Texarkana Country Club and Northridge Country Club. Two new champions will be crowned, with 106 men and 33 ladies competing for the two titles. Defending men’s champion Josh Creel is not back this year after shooting 14-under-par over 72 holes last summer.
There are five local golfers competing in the men’s group, and one in the women’s division. Former Texas High golfer Emma Edwards will be competing as an amateur. She scored a hole-in-one Monday at TCC (No. 6) during the Pro-Am. Emma tees off Wednesday at NCC (8:30 a.m.).
It’s not Fischer’s first All Pro Tour event
Another Texas High graduate, Zack Fischer could be among the favorites on his hometown courses. A graduate of the University of Texas-Arlington, Fischer won $125,000 earlier this year with a 14th-place finish at the Texas Open in San Antonio. He also cashed earlier in an All Pro Tour event. Fischer tees off Wednesday at Texarkana Country Club (9 a.m.).
Pleasant Grove and University of New Mexico graduate Sean Romero is also capable of challenging for the men’s title. He will be competing against his father, Art Romero, who has been the club pro at Texarkana Country Club for nearly 30 years. Sean will tee off Wednesday at NCC (8 a.m.)
Trumann Nugent gives Texarkana a third contender. The former Pleasant Grove golfer was also an all-conference player at Paris Junior College. Nugent and Art Romero tee off Wednesday at Northridge (9:20 a.m.).
The fifth Texarkana golfer is one of two amateurs in the event. Chuck Gardner was a standout in the 1970s for Texas High’s baseball team, in addition to playing several seasons of professional ball in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. After retiring from baseball he turned to recreational golf and became a scratch player. Gardner tees off Wednesday at Northridge (9:50 a.m.).
The field is to be cut to the top 35 percent and ties, after Thursday’s second round.
The All Pro Tour held a Pro-Am Monday, with the team of Churchman, Mike Craven, Tony Smith and Kenneth Sawyer prevailing a scramble score of 13-under-par 59 at TCC. There was a clinic Tuesday at Northridge for the Runnin’ WJ Ranch, with a Shootout in the afternoon.
Results of the tournament will be reported daily at foxsportstexarkana.com.