Golf

By HAROLD WILSON
Staff Writer

A few hiccups on the front nine restrained Clark Dennis from playing like the menace of year’s past, though a threat to win the Texas State Open he remained.

Dennis, the 1992 TSO champion, made a late push and survived the cut with a 1-over 71 Friday at The Cascades. Dennis, a former all-conference golfer at Arkansas, sits at an even 140 at the halfway point, seven strokes off the lead.

The Fort Worth resident competed in a dream pool that featured all former champions. His pairing mates, 2003 champion Casey Devoll and 1987 winner Carl Baker, both missed the cut.

Devoll, who only recently returned from a bout with appendicitis, fired a 72, finishing at 6-over 146 to miss the cut by three strokes.

A rough first day did in Baker, who managed a respectable 76 Friday. Baker, who no longer plays full time, carded a two-day total of 19-over 159.

Only two former champions made the 55-player chopping block at 3-over 143: Dennis (tie for 33rd) and two-time winner Brad Lardon (142, tie for 43rd). The defending champion, Matt Loving, followed a first-round 72 with a 74.

For Dennis, getting to the third round represented only one goal. The main one coming in: to make amends for last year, when he entered the final day one stroke out of the lead only to tie for fourth.

“I felt I had a good chance to win here last year,” said the 42-year old Dennis, who has competed in more than eight Texas State Opens. “ I let it get away from me a little. I’m only seven back. This is a difficult course. I’m not out of it; I’m not where I want to be. You want to win every tournament, so I don’t think there’s any more pressure.”

Thanks to a 2-under effort on the back nine, Dennis stayed in the hunt for a second title.

On the No. 10 hole, Dennis birdied from 10-feet out. He added six pars and a birdie on the 534-yard, par-5 No. 14 hole before missing a chip shot for birdie on No. 18.

“I played well on the last nine,” said Dennis, who spent two full seasons on the PGA Tour in 1994 and 1995. “I should’ve birdied the 18th. The putt was (headed toward) the hole. It looked like it took a left turn at the end.”

Following pars on the first four holes, Dennis encountered trouble on the par-3 No. 5 hole. After hitting a solid first shot just yards from the hole, Dennis wound up needing four putts to find the circle, dropping him from the minus category.

“I got a little greedy with the first putt and walked it eight feet by,” said Dennis, who was supported throughout the day by his wife Vickie. “When I missed that putt, I should’ve taken my time, but I was mad.

“I had four-putts, three-putts, it was ridiculous. I kind of lost my focus for a little while. I had a lot of putts burn the edges, shots that I thought were going to go in that didn’t. That happens sometimes.”

Through two rounds, Dennis owns one eagle, six birdies, six bogeys and one double-bogey to his credit. The 64 he fired in the third round a year ago kept him hopeful of making a move.

“I like this course. I think it sets up well for me,” said Dennis, who has been playing in the Gateway Tour Series in the Metroplex. “I’m just going to have to shoot a couple of 65s on the weekend. …it’s very doable.”

CASEY DEVOLL, of Arlington, was one of several prominent names to miss the cut. Devoll, who won the Texas State Open in 2003, shot a second-round 72 and missed the cut by three strokes.
((Staff Photo By Herb Nygren Jr.))