When the 2009 PGA Tour wraps up this week at the Children’s Miracle Classic in Orlando, Chris Stroud won’t be paying much attention. Having wrapped up his Tour Card for 2010, Stroud will be home in Kingwood working on his diaper-changing technique.
Chris and his wife, Tiffany, become parents to an 8 pound, 10 ounce daughter — Halle Grace — at 12:42 p.m. Friday, with the birth by a C-section. The mother and daughter came home Monday, and since then Stroud estimates he changed a dozen diapers.
“It’s been an unbelievable experience, just really amazing,” said the Port Neches-Groves ex. “We were really blessed with a healthy baby and me having the tour card wrapped up so I didn’t have to worry about playing this week. I guess you could say it was two milestones within a span of a few days.”
Stroud even wound up getting a national birth announcement of sorts when Rex Hoggard, who writes the Shaq Bag column for the Golf Channel, used him as the one silver lining to be found in the recent Viking Classic being washed out in Mississippi.
CHIP SHOTS: Bayou Din was a hot zone for holes in one last Wednesday. Mike Bruni of Beaumont aced the 143-yard, 11th on the Bayou Back with an 8-iron. The shot was witnessed by Ben Pattison and Hank Harris. The other ace was authored by Bayou Din assistant pro John Allen of Nederland. Allen, using a hybrid club, sank his tee shot from 203 yards on the Links nine. The shot was witnessed by Aaron Pickering, a former pro at The Palms at Pleasure Island . . . Lamar ex Casey Clendenon tuned up for next week’s second stage of PGA Tour School by nearly winning on the Adams Tour. Clendenon took at two-shot lead into the final round of the Cypress Lakes Open, after shooting rounds of 65-64, but could manage only a 70 on the final round and was caught at 199 by Craig Kanada’s 68. Canada then won in sudden death. Canada and Clendenon played so well they finished five shots clear of third place finisher Andy Connell. Michael Arnaud, who will also be playing in the second stage next week at Deerwood Golf Club, tied for 10th at Cypress Lakes with a 67-72-69 for a 208 . . . The team of Jack Pittman, Harry Green and Johnny Sullivan finished 16&4 to win the Bayou Din DogFight. Second at 15&3 was the foursome of Hilario Padia, Glen Judice, Tom Stirling and Roger Baumer . . . There was a two-way tie for first in the Babe Zaharias DogFight. The team of Hollis Whorton, Kenneth Belaire, Harrell Guidry and Ron Overstreet posted 16&4 as did the foursome of Steve Picou, Troy Guidry, Ray Trahan and Don Nebel. Third at 15&4 was the tema of Drake Romero, Joe Bennett, Ed Hetzel and Art Miller. Closest to the hole winners were Jim Cooper (No. 2), Teddy Davis (No. 7), Richard Briggs (No. 12) and Cecil Bourgeois (No. 15) . . . The Belle Oaks DogFight had a two-way tie for first at 11&2 between the team of Wadsworth Thompson, Tom Stirling and Buddy Silcox and the team of Hilario Padia, Allen Sohoski, John House and Gene Harrison. Placing third at 7&2 was the team of Richard Briggs, Bob Briggs and Cap Hollier. Padia was the closest to the pin winner on both No. 8 and No. 15 . . . The Seniors at the Babe was played in a 3-Ball Format and resulted in a front nine, back nine and overall sweep by the team of Don MacNeil, Marshall Rowe, Dicky Robinson and Paul Duplantis. They finished minus 1 on the front, plus 5 on the back and plus 4 total. Closest to the pin winners were Larry Stansbury (No. 2), Dickie Robinson (No. 7), Tom O’Grady (No. 12) and Joe Jenkins (No. 15) . . . There was a four-way tie for first in the Monday Seniors at Belle Oaks between Dennis Neef, Jim Brown, Barry Jackson and Bob Sharpless. All four finished at minus 1 point. Rufus Mier (No. 8) and Barry Jackson (No. 15) were closest to the pin winners. In the Friday Seniors at Belle Oaks, Bill Taylor won with plus 9 points. Neef, Twyman Ash and Larry Guidry tied for second at plus 3. Taylor (No. 8) and Jim Brown (No. 15) won closest to the pin.
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