2024 Golf Oklahoma June/July

FROM THE PUBLISHER KEN M AC LEOD

Mid-summer thanks June/July

It’s always a good time to hand out some kudos to those who make the Oklahoma golf world go round.

• Nick Sidorakis may have retired at the end of 2023 but his serving as the co-chair of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Southern Hills is a good chance for members and friends alike to offer their thanks for the incredible job he did as Southern Hills general manager from 1995 to 2024. And won’t it be fitting if sometime this summer the PGA of America announces that its 2032 PGA Championship will return to Southern Hills. Since the club wasn’t supposed to host the 2022 championship until 2030, I guess we can all thank the former president in his own way for contributing millions to the Tulsa and Oklahoma economies.

• How about Tracy Phillips at age 61 qualifying to compete in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla. The 7,600-yard monster was too much to conquer for someone who hits his drives in the 260yard range with no roll, but what an experience. And then the following week to go and make the cut in the Senior PGA Championship and finish tied for 43rd. If Tracy ever had the opportunity he would be able to be successful on PGA Tour Champions even at 61, but it’s still great to see him do well in these major championships.

• Golf mom extraordinaire Maggie Roller, despite traveling around the country to watch son J.P. at Kansas State and daughter Jenni at the University of Tulsa, has resumed running the LPGA/USGA girls golf program in Tulsa, a vital program in the development of young female players. And yes, she has a day job as director of instruction at Cedar Ridge Country Club. She is definitely near the top of the list of the people who make the golf community in Oklahoma so great.

• Janice Gibson does a wonderful job at First Tee of Tulsa, one of the best First Tee programs in the country. Every once in a while she dusts the clubs off and goes off to compete in a major championship, such as she did this year in the recent LPGA enior Championship. It’s good for her young students to remember that she was a 13-year veteran of the LPGA Tour before giving her heart to helping so many thousands of youngsters get introduced to

the game over the past 24 years.

• Let’s give some credit to Compliance Solutions owner, founder and CEO Mark Lammert for his continued support in bringing the Korn Ferry Tour event to Jimmie Austin OU Golf Course in Norman and for his desire to improve it, which he has done this year with the advent of the celebrity shoot-out featuring Jack Nicklaus. Lammert wasn’t too happy with operations or attendance at the inaugural event in 2023 and the fan experience should be much better this year with more drink stations and food. Plus shifting the holes for the event will allow fans to view the final few holes up top near the clubhouse, making for a better viewing experience.

It’s hard to convince folks that they are seeing possibly the best players in the world by going to a Korn Ferry Tour event, but they are. Scottie Sheffler was playing this tour a few years ago and nearly every new winner on the PGA Tour in the last 10 years cut his teeth on the KFT. It’s definitely worth checking out.

• Thanks to all who ran golf marathons or did other events over Memorial Day weekend to raise money to support the Folds of Honor. Aaron Kristopeit of Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma Citiy played 128 holes and raised over $8k as one example. Watch your back Aaron, I participated in one of those in my late 20s and my back has never been the same. But it is a great cause.

• Kudos to Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell and politicians such as State Rep. Anthony Moore of Clinton who are working on what could be an incredible story for Oklahoma: bringing a Dream Golf facility to western Oklahoma around and including the current Boiling Springs course. Let’s all hope this comes to pass in 2025.

• And finally, let’s hear it for the superintendents at courses across Oklahoma. Each spring they have to assess what the damage to turfgrass was from the previous winter and try to get that fixed while fending off tornados, floods, punishing winds and whatever else Mother Nature has in store in an active spring like this one. Now it’s on to heat and possible drought, but it’s always something for those guys and they generally do a magnificent job in giving us quality courses to play despite everything.

Golf Oklahoma Offices

Southern Hills Plaza 6218 S. Lewis Ave., Ste. 102 Tulsa, OK 74136 918-280-0787

Oklahoma City Office 405-640-9996

Publisher Ken MacLeod ken@golfoklahoma.org

COO/Marketing Director A.G. Meyers agm@golfoklahoma.org

Sales Sam Humphreys sam@golfoklahoma.org

Art & Technology Director Chris Swafford chris@golfoklahoma.org

Subscriptions to Golf Oklahoma are $20 for one year (five issues) or $35 for two years (10 issues). Call 918-280-0787 or go to www.golfoklahoma.org

Contributing photographers Rip Stell, Bill Powell, Chad Hamilton

Golf Oklahoma PGA Instructional Staff Jim Young Teaching Professional, River Oaks CC 405-630-8183

Ryan Rody Director of Instruction Southern Hills Country Club rrody@southernhilscc.org

Pat McTigue Director of Instruction, Meadowbrook CC pmtigue277@gmail.com

Maggie Roller Director of Instruction, Cedar Ridge CC maggie.roller@sbcglobal.net, 918-261-1441

Oklahoma Golf Association 2800 Coltrane Place, Suite 2 Edmond, OK 73034 405-848-0042

Executive Director Kevin Stanfield kstanfield@okgolf.org

Director of Handicapping and Course Rating Jay Doudican jdoudican@okgolf.org

Director of Junior Golf Kyle Flinton kflinton@okgolf.org

Director of Rules Bob Phelps bphelps@okgolf.org

OGA season off to tremendous start

It’s June and the Oklahoma Golf Association season is in full swing.

Already completed are seven Oklahoma Junior Tour (OJGT) events, one USGA Qualifier, and two OGA Championships as of the time of this publication.

The 38th Four-Ball Championship was conducted at The Club at Forest Ridge on May 6-7.

Harley Abrams and Austin Quinten shot 11-under 61 on Day 2 to capture their first FourBall title.

On the Senior side, Blake Gibson and Peter Vitali returned to recapture the title they won in 2023 with scores of 67-63-130.

Lincoln Park Junior Open: Ben Lathrop, Meredith Colby.

Muskogee Spring Championship: Sam Morris, Emerie Schartz.

Oak Tree Junior Classic: Sam Bonaobra, Lucy Darr.

We are now getting into the heart of the schedule as we switch to our Amateur and Senior Amateur championships. The

For the OJGT, our team recaptured the Red River Team Cup in our competition with the Texas Junior Golf Association (TJGT). Our point total of 27 to TJGT’s 21 helped secure two victories in a row for team OJGT. In our regular OJGT events, our spring champions are as follows:

Hillcrest Spring Kickoff: Cameron Cheek, Sophia Lefler.

Ponca City Spring Classic: Benton Manly, Lucy Darr.

Lake Hefner Spring Challenge: Emerson Majma, Harlow Gregory.

NEW MEMBER BENEFITS COMING

The OGA is in the process of adding additional value to being a member. Under our definition, a member of the OGA is someone with an active GHIN membership at our clubs in the state of Oklahoma. Soon, we will be launching an exclusive Members Only section known as the “OGA Member’s Club.” It will offer golf-related discounts on apparel, equipment and training aids. It will also have an instruction section and provide travel discounts. Only active OGA members will have access.

Stroke Play Championship will be played at our southern-most club, Winstar Resort in Thackerville on June 17-19. The State Senior Amateur Championship will be contested at Cedar Ridge Country Club on June 24-27. And, the State Amateur Championship will return to storied Patriot Golf Club in Owasso on July 23-26. Information and registration is available at okgolf.org.

We are also adding a benefit for our Senior golfers. We are partnering with Grouper, which works with Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans to cover the annual OGA membership costs for eligible individuals aged 65 and above. This means that our eligible members can continue to enjoy the benefits of OGA membership without worrying about the financial burden. Also, Grouper will offer rewards to members for participation in golfing activities. The goal of Grouper is to enhance social wellbeing and overall health of this demographic. Further details on both these programs will be announced via email and at okgolf.org.

Amazing women blazed WOGA past

The WOGA State Amateur Championship and the Junior Girls’ State Amateur are two of the most historical and prestigious events in the history of Oklahoma golf.

In 1915, the first State Amateur Championship was founded by 24 Sooner socialites and played as an invitational at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. Mrs. EW Well won the event and a very small trophy. In 1929, thanks to the Morris Plan Co., a new trophy was designed by Reed & Barton. It weighs over 100 pounds, stands 4 feet tall and is made with silver and gold. It now has over 100 names engraved to recognize the state champions.

During the ‘20s and ‘30s, the “Big Four” -- Lucy Wallace, Estell Drennan, Patty Blanton and Mrs. Hobert Clark combined to put their mark on the trophy 12 times. In the late 1930s, Pat Grant won four consecu-

tive times and after serving as a Lt. Colonel in World War II returned home in 1946 to win her fifth consecutive State Amateur – a feat that has never been matched. Other notables such as Dale Fleming McNamara, Leeann Hammack Fairlie, Patty McGraw Coatney, Sheila Luginbuel Dills, Adele Lukken Peterson, Stacy Prammanasudh Upton and Melissa McNamara Lewellen combined to win 11 Junior Championships and 24 State Amateur Championships.

In 1950, the Girls’ Junior was founded by Mabel Hotz. She and her husband, Dr. Carl Hotz, had three daughters and all played at the Oaks Country Club in Tulsa. Mabel recognized the competitive spirit in her daughters, Nancy, Gretchen and Carlene, and found there were no competitive events for females of that age. Therefore, being an organizer, she created the Girls’ Junior, under the umbrella of the Women’s

Oklahoma Golf Association. To quote Mabel, “Junior golf is one of the finest things in the world because it teaches self-discipline and that’s the greatest lesson anyone can learn.”

The first championship was hosted by Tulsa Country Club with 19 competitors. Within 10 years the participation had increased to 170 players and Mabel continued the tradition for 13 years. Such notables as Stacy Prammanasudh, Betsy Cullen and Beth Stone have their names etched on the trophy.

This year’s Junior Girls’ Championship is scheduled July 8-9 at Rose Creek Golf Club in Edmond and the Amateur Championship is set for July 22-25 at Stillwater CC.

The winner of this year’s State Amateur Championship will receive an exemption to play in the USGA Women’s Amateur on Aug. 5-11 at Southern Hills.

Cameron Cheek

Ben Lathrop

Sophia Lefler

Meredith Colby

Benton Manly

Sam Morris

Lucy Darr

Emerie Schartz

Emerson Majma

Sam Bonaobra

Harlow Gregory

IRulings from the PGA Championship and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship

recently had the privilege of serving as a referee for the PGA Championship at the apple was a natural object and therefore a Rulings from the PGA Championship and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship I recently had the privilege of serving as a referee for the PGA Championship at Valhalla CC in Louisville, Ky., and the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores Resort in Benton Harbor, Mi. While the overall number of times I was called to make a ruling was less than normal, I did encounter a couple of unusual situations that may be of interest.

The first incident involved a ruling with Oklahoma’s own and OJGT Title Sponsor Talor Gooch on the 10th hole of the PGA Championship’s first round. After hitting his second shot to the par5 out of bounds left of the green, Talor properly played under stroke and distance and hit

his fourth shot in the same direction. Fortunately, his ball collided with trees and came to rest in bounds left of the green in a small area of turf between a cart path and the boundary fence. Talor had interference from the boundary fence from which free relief is not allowed. However, Talor also had interference from the cart path from which free relief is available. So which rule applies?

To get free relief from the cart path Talor must demonstrate that the stroke he intends to play is the most reasonable given the situation. Talor clearly did not have a reasonable stroke for a shot directly toward the flag so I asked Talor what shot he would play if the cart path was not there. He indicated a line of play backwards toward the fairway which was clearly the most reasonable line of play for a righthanded golfer.

For this stroke, Talor still had interference from the cart path and free relief was granted. To determine his nearest point of complete relief we began to work our way along an arc using a stance for the same line of play back toward the fairway until we found a spot that was the same distance to the flag as his original lie and where interference from the cart path no longer existed. From this reference point he was able to drop a ball within one club length and could now play in any direction he wished.

The second incident occurred on the par3 11th hole during the final round of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. The green is closely bordered by a yellow penalty where Ricardo Gonzales’ ball had come to rest. I watched as Ricardo took several long looks at his ball before he finally called for a rule official.

As I arrived on scene, he informed me that his ball in the yellow penalty had come to rest against a large apple. I informed him that

See Rules on page 13

Bob Phelps, right, at PGA Championship.

Different Ways Around the Course

by tom bedell

When he retired from a highpowered three decade-plus career with ExxonMobil as engineer and executive at the age of 58, Jimmie James knew he’d need some kind of challenge to keep his active mind sane. As he details in “Playing From the Rough” (Simon & Schuster, $28.99), his wife inadvertently supplied it when she managed to arrange a round of golf for him at Augusta National.

With that rarefied tee time in hand, Jones began putting his engineering skills to work in plotting a scheme to play all of the courses on Golf Digest’s Top 100 list. Not a new idea, perhaps, but James set himself some additional goals—to accomplish the feat in a year’s time and, as far as possible, relying strictly on invitations to the mostly private courses, rather than making direct requests. A plan he acknowledges could have been complicated by his being a Black man.

“The goal was not just to play all of the courses but to see if strangers would voluntarily help me. I wanted to see if America could still be a place that was generous enough, enthused enough, and willing enough to help a stranger achieve his dream.”

Since he lets us know in the early pages, there’s no need of a spoiler alert to say that he succeeds, “without a day to spare. I flew 73,284 miles, drove another 17,472, and spent eighty-two nights in hotels or other people’s homes.”

Thanks to his globe-trotting career, James had the resources and travel reward points to pull off what he admits is a “frivolous odyssey,” his “panoply of privilege.” But he clearly also needed the personality to pull it off, one he forged in his youth, which was beset by terrible poverty, a drunken and violent stepfather, yet fortified by a steadfast mother.

lark. As he goes from course to course in the book James flashes back to his difficult childhood in east Texas, but shows how his clear-eyed view of it turned him into a goalsetter with ambitions he began ticking off as accomplishments—first in his family to finish high school, first to go to college….

It surely helped, too, that James had a decent game— the entire trip took him 8,797 strokes on courses that were far from pushovers. He may relate a few too many of those strokes in the course of the book, but the pleasure comes from the company he winds up keeping. As he succinctly puts it: “Golf is a solitary sport best played with as many people as possible.”

LEGENDARY CADDIES

Until 1975, when Lee Elder broke the color line at the Masters, all the players were white and all the caddies were Black. And say what you will about Augusta National’s racial history, the caddies took little umbrage; many came from the largely Black Augusta neighborhood of Sand Hills, and they saw caddying as a chance to step up in life.

Clayton was also one of the producers of the 2019 documentary film “Loopers: The Caddie’s Long Walk” (reviewed in the June-July 2019 issue) which had a lot of Augusta material in it as well, so he knows the territory, and he’s stocked the book with a ton of great stories about the caddies and the players they looped for.

There’s Jackson and Crenshaw to be sure, with the emotional finish to the 1995 Masters, scant days after Crenshaw had been a pallbearer at his mentor Harvey Penick’s funeral. But there’s Stovepipe (last name uncertain), who wore a top hat while caddying for Gene Sarazen during the latter’s double eagle at the second Masters.

So the narrative doesn’t read like a mere

The frequent path was to begin caddying at the Augusta Country Club and then graduating, so to speak, to the adjacent Augusta National, and if lucky snagging the bag of a Masters player when the tournament rolled around in April.

It’s a little hard to believe that it’s been 41 years since it all changed—when in 1983 the tour pros were finally allowed to bring their regular caddies to the Masters. Thereafter, only Carl Jackson emerged from the former caddie ranks to loop for a Masters winner—Ben Crenshaw, in 1984 and 1995.

In “The Legendary Caddies of Augusta National” (Blair, $19.95) Ward Clayton revisits the subject of his 2004 book, “Men on the Bag: The Caddies of Augusta National,” in what is essentially a revision and an update. The update is poignant, as most of the Black caddies have now passed on.

There’s Iron Man Avery (Nathaniel), who caddied for all four of Arnold Palmer’s Master victories; Willie (Pete) Peterson, on the bag for five of the six Jack Nicklaus wins, tying him with Willie “Pappy” Stokes for the most caddie wins, though Pappy’s were with four different players (two with Ben Hogan).

And there’s Dead Man Willie Perteet, so nicknamed because he was once attacked and stabbed by a former girlfriend and some of her friends and left for dead. He was actually assumed dead and as he put it, “They took me to a room in the morgue… [a] few minutes before the inquest I suddenly rose up, and that orderly ain’t been seen ‘round town since.”

President Dwight Eisenhower changed his nickname to Cemetery, and that’s the way it remained as long as Perteet remained Ike’s caddie at Augusta, from 1948 to 1957.

LIFE ON THE GREEN

I’ve played golf in several countries with Ann Ligouri, and we often joke that she once took an elective golf class from my brother-in-law during her undergrad days at the University of South Florida. Since then Ann has gone on to a sterling career in sports broadcasting. Nonetheless, I will gently chide her the next time we meet for her overuse of the exclamation point.

Beyond that, there’s little to criticize in “Life on the Green” (Hatherleigh Press, $18), a collection of twelve interviews she conducted with a dozen inarguable greats of the game: Padraig Harrington, Tom Watson, Jan Stephenson, Amy Alcott, Nicklaus, Gary Player, Dottie Pepper, Renee Powell, Crenshaw, Annika Sorenstam, Nancy Lopez and Bernhard Langer.

The subtitle of the book is “Lessons and Wisdom from Legends of Golf,” but these are life lessons, not playing lessons. Some of this gets a little platitudinous (Nicklaus seems particularly windy in this regard). There are undoubtedly lessons and parallels between golf and life, but golfers, no matter how legendary, aren’t philosophers. So there are only so many ways one can highlight the need for patience, goal-setting, trust, faith and positivity. Renee Powell may have the most powerful chapter in the book, since she had to battle chauvinism and racism, as only the second Black women to join the LPGA (Althea Gibson was the first).

But when the players get down to some specific anecdotal material about actual tournaments or Ryder Cup or Solheim Cup matches, things take off. Nicklaus somewhat redeems himself here, but Watson is even better in talking about his rivalry with Nicklaus, about the Turnberry “Duel in the Sun” of 1977 or the near miss in the 2009 Open Championship that Watson almost won at age 59, again at Turnberry, Crenshaw talks more about that poignant 1995 Masters (and Carl Jackson) and the amazing comeback at Brookline at the 1999 Ryder Cup. Harrington has an unusual take on how, “I perform my best with fear. When my back is to the wall, I am great in that situation. I struggle the most when I’m confident.”

And reading Bernhard Langer on his battles with the yips should be enough to instill fear in any golfer. Harrington should feast on this chapter.

Tom Bedell plays like every round is a frivolous odyssey

La Aurora 120th Anniversary

by laramie navrath

La Aurora Cigars marked their company’s 120th anniversary in 2023. What better way to honor such a milestone than craft a new celebration cigar, the La Aurora 120 Anniversary. The 120th Anniversary is a full Dominican Cibao Valley blend cloaked in a beautiful Habana 92 seed leaf, with a Dominican binder and Cibao Valley fillers. The final touch to the presentation is the cedar wood wrapping the cigar, adding cedar notes to the smoke, and may be used as a spill to light the cigar.

The 120th Anniversary balances medium to full body flavor with a refined touch of mild to medium strength. The 120th opens with

smoky flavors of peppered cinnamon, anise, and dried fruits. In the second third of the smoke, sweeter notes follow with a cocoa and coffee bean evolving into creamy vanilla. The 120th has a nice slow burn and the ash is compact & sharp with minimal if any touch-ups required. The marriage of flavor and strength make for a smooth smoke with an effortless draw.

Moving into the final third of the smoke, sweet, nutty flavors, with subtle notes of wild honey and rich earth provide a completely balanced finish. Total smoke time of the robusto vitola is roughly 45-50 minutes. A truly memorable cigar to enjoy on the course, after a big dinner or paired with bourbon or rum. The La Aurora 120th Anniversary is truly a complete smoking experience.

Golf’s future is off course

by ed travis

Most traditional green grass golfers would be surprised if you told them on-course play comes as a poor second to off-course play.

According to the National Golf Foundation (NGF), 6.3 million more people did golf in some form of off-course venue in 2023, places such as indoor simulators, mini-golf courses, and computerized driving ranges.

What is more important is the growth rates for offcourse and on-course golf. Again, from the NGF, total golf participation hit 45 million last year with 26.6 million on-course, up 4 percent in one year, and 32.9 million off-course which grew 18 percent from 2022 numbers and a startling 41 percent in four years compared with a 14 percent on-course increase. The overlap takes into account people who did both on-and off-course.

on-course golf takes too long and younger people are interested in quicker moving recreational pursuits, especially those where they can go with friends, socialize and party.

The golf industry is a big business. Reading a 2022 report (the most recent year available) from the American Golf Industry Coalition (AGIC) reveals the industry had a $102 billion direct impact on the U.S. economy in contrast to the previous 2016 report when direct impact was $84 billion.

We are in a time of what could be called

and installation of simulator packages serving the residential and commercial markets.

Simulators are also found in golf retailers for instruction, club testing and fitting plus some rent time for playing simulator golf rounds. In January 2025, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s professional simulator league will begin play and that will further attract potential simulator users.

Five Iron Golf is an urban indoor simulator experience using the latest Trackman computerization with food and a full-service bar to draw golfers and non-golfers or just those looking for fun and socialization. There are 26 locations in 16 cities, and more are being planned, all in city centers, in contrast to many other simulator sites that are in suburbs. In addition to individual play, Five Iron offers leagues and professional instruction plus space for corporate events.

As might be expected, offcourse participants are younger than the average on-course golfer, 31 vs. 46. The number of females is 50 percent higher, 42 percent vs. 28 percent and the percentage of people of color is almost double, 43 percent vs. 22 percent.

It is also significant, the percentage of participants with a household income over $100,000 is the same. Some in the industry feel it means off-course players are not just looking for a cheap alternative recreation but interested in an experience that doesn’t take four or five hours. Current data shows 10 percent of off-course players have picked up golf on green grass as a result of their off-course experience.

Lest we paint a distorted picture, oncourse golf is exhibiting a healthy growth with the number of rounds played up 3 percent year over year and 20 percent in four years. Even more impressive is the 40 percent growth in younger players, ages 6-17, and women by 25 percent over the same period. There is also data indicating that 10 percent of off-course players have taken up golf on green grass as a result of their offcourse experience which should help both segments of the business.

However, it is the opinion of many that

“modern golf.” There is a more relaxed on-course experience with less emphasis on traditional apparel with hoodies and joggers common and music being played during the round. It’s not your father’s game anymore.

Let’s take a look at the major components of the off-course business: indoor simulators, mini-golf and computerized driving ranges.

Locations with indoor simulators have grown dramatically from pre-pandemic numbers.

The NGF counted over 1,600 commercial venues such as sports bars offering the opportunity to play exotic layouts like Pebble Beach or Shinnecock Hills while sipping a beverage in the local lounge. They have found the majority (53 percent) of those utilizing simulators don’t play green grass golf and the home simulator market is expanding at a rapid pace.

Ace Indoor Golf’s founder and managing partner Joe Neumeyer said, “The golf simulator business is booming. It was valued at $1.3 billion worldwide this past year and is expected to grow at a 10 percent compound annual growth rate in the near future.”

Ace is a large provider of turnkey design

Recently Danny Meyer, founder of Shake Shack, joined Topgolf Callaway Brands and PGA Tour Superstore, investing in the company. In 13 Five Iron locations where PGA Tour Superstores do not have a nearby outlet, they have added a PGATSS Studio for customized professional club fitting. This is the type of original thinking that provides features of significant benefit to customers and giving users another reason to visit in addition to the simulator play, food and beverage.

Another example of the surge in other off-course participation is mini-golf, almost 20 million people playing an average of four times last year with several aggressive companies building new facilities.

One of them is PopStroke, which opened its first venue of elevated computer-linked mini-golf in 2019 and now has 13 sites in six warm weather states. Woods has been an investor since 2020 and last year TaylorMade Golf signed on as both an investor and equipment provider.

The essence of the experience PopStroke provides is in its slogan, “Eat, Putt. Drink.”

It is clear the target audience is Millennials looking for a different recreational experience and could be analogous to nightclubs of past years.

The elephant in the off-course business of course is Topgolf, which is owned by Topgolf Callaway Brands. It is by far the largest

Twisted Tee Golf in Owasso is latest simulator venue to open.

golf-entertainment company with sales in 2023 of $1.76 billion worldwide. The 100th worldwide location in suburban Los Angeles joins its 90 other centers in the U.S. that had revenues of $1.6 billion in 2023.

The company’s annual report says each location adds 300,000-400,000 unique visitors and it expects more than 30 million visitors this year. Looking beyond the computer driving range aspect, which has numerous games available for groups to play, each Topgolf has a large food and beverage menu, private meeting and event space, and professional instructors. Plus, there are simple but vital features, including prompt wait service and all bays are roofed and heated for all-weather use.

The bar and restaurant have a range of offerings including a kid’s menu and desserts at a variety of prices. The three-floor facility has rooms for private events plus an enjoyable rooftop terrace.

It is easy to say Topgolf is unlike any traditional driving range. It’s also interesting that its emulator in Tulsa, GolfSuites, closed this spring and doesn’t appear to be reopening any time soon. Meanwhile the simulator market in Tulsa is booming with six venues currently open.

RULES cont. from page 9

the apple was a natural object and therefore a loose impediment and that he was allowed to lift the apple but would still be liable for a penalty under Rule 15.1 if his ball moved because of moving the loose impediment.

After evaluating the lie one more time, Ricardo decided it was likely the removal of the loose impediment would cause his ball to move so he attempted to play the shot with the ball resting against the apple.He was not successful in playing his ball out of the penalty area and his ball was now clearly unplayable in the penalty area. Rule 17.2a covers the situation when a ball is played from a penalty area and comes to rest in the same penalty area.

At Topgolf Oklahoma City, as with all its locations, time in any of the 100-plus hitting bays is purchased by the hour with rates dependent on the day of the week and time of day.

The theme is clear. Golf is in some ways “cool” and off-course venues are making it welcoming and convenient, which goes against two of the oft stated putdowns of on-course golf. Oh yes, off-course golf is far more time-efficient than the usual round of golf on a traditional course.

Many feel the growth of our game will continue for the next several years with offcourse leading as it has the last two years.

The player may play under stroke and distance by dropping a ball in the penalty area within one club length of the original ball. Choosing this option comes with risks as once the ball is dropped in the penalty area under stroke and distance the ball is in play. If the player now finds his ball unplayable after dropping under this option, the player will incur an additional one stroke penalty to drop outside the penalty area. Ricardo wisely chose to not take the risk in dropping back in the penalty area under stroke and distance and instead proceeded to the optional dropping zone to play his fourth shot.

Dream Golf in Oklahoma?

by ken macleod

Dream Golf is coming to Colorado near Denver in the form of Rodeo Dunes. Now Mike Keiser has announced Wild Springs Dunes in East Texas. Two tremendous boons for states already rich in tourist attractions.

One day in the not too distant future, golfers will travel between those two destinations with a stop in western Oklahoma to play another Dream Golf remote destination, this one a sand dunes-based wonderland around and possibly including Boiling Springs in Woodward. This resort would bring golfers from around the country or even the world to Oklahoma, provide jobs and tax dollars and be the focal point of the fledgling Oklahoma Golf Trail. It would immediately lift Oklahoma into a totally different realm in terms of tourism, opening doors not even imagined yet.

And what has to happen for this to become a reality? The Oklahoma Legislature

is going to have to invest in building the resort which would then be owned and operated by Keiser’s group. At least that’s been the discussions for over a year between Dream Golf, Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell and key legislators and business leaders, including State Rep. Anthony Moore of Clinton, a passionate golfer who played collegiately at Oklahoma Christian, has been to Keiser’s flagship property Bandon Dunes and most importantly recognizes what an incredible opportunity this would be for Oklahoma.

“We’ve got to do whatever we need to do to make this happen, it’s a phenomenal opportunity,” Moore said. “There are supporters on both sides of the legislature. It’s something we’ve got to get done next year.”

It’s too early to put a number on what it would cost the state to build the resort but it’s hard to imagine it not paying off and quickly no matter what that number is. Having the equal of Sand Valley or the oth-

er Keiser properties in Oklahoma would be an incredible benefit to the state. Despite a limited budget and through the efforts of manager John Dunn and former superintendent Jeff Wagner, Boiling Springs has become a legitimate destination for golfers around the region. Imagine what a refurbished Boiling Springs along with courses designed by the likes of Tom Doak or Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw could look like in the sandy dunes of the region. must for Oklahoma,” said Moore, who traveled to The Masters this spring as well as his trip to Bandon Dunes and lives just off the fairway at Riverside Golf Course in Clinton, where he was a state champion in high school. In his office are his scorecards from Carnoustie and St. Andrews and his daughter and son are already avid golfers.

“The buildout would pay for itself in four or five years just from employment taxes. We’re not a five or six-month golf state like Wisconsin or Colorado or Oregon, you can play here all year. It’s an incredible opportunity for northwest Oklahoma and for the state in general.”

Moore said coming to an agreement with Keiser’s group and funding the resort would be his top priority for the 2025 legislative session. Stay tuned.

Anthony Moore

Oklahoma State Representative

Stockton returns to Southern Hills, site of 1970

by ken macleod

Dave Stockton recently put on a putting and chipping clinic at Southern Hills Country Club, site of his 1970 triumph in the PGA Championship. He also got his first chance to play the course since the extensive restoration by architect Gil Hanse was completed in 2019.

Stockton had already witnessed the changes when he was in town for the champions dinner for the 2022 PGA Championship. He marveled at the changes to the seventh hole, where his eagle in the final round in 1970 gave him a seven-shot cushion over Arnold Palmer. He wound up winning by two shots.

“Gil moved the tee box back 20 yards and moved the green back 50 yards and to the right,” Stockton said. “That water wasn’t really even a consideration when we played it then but it certainly is now. I spun a wedge back into the hole in 1970 so I couldn’t have had more than 120 yards. Now it would be 180 yards easy.”

After the eagle Stockton promptly made double bogey on the par-3 eighth, his least favorite hole at Southern Hills, to give Arnie’s Army a glimmer of hope that he would finally achieve the Grand Slam by winning the PGA Championship. Stockton said that he would have been cheering for him as well.

“I almost felt bad because I wanted him to win the Grand Slam,” Stockton said. “But this meant so much to me and my career.”

Stockton drew inspiration from two sources in that final round. He said the local paper had the headline “Unknown leads PGA Championship” and he was already a fourtime winner on the PGA Tour. And when he three-putted the fifth hole, a gallery member yelled out “You got him now Arnie.”

“After that, I was okay, game on,” Stockton said.

His father had recently convinced him to read the book Psycho Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. The book was about selfimage and its ability to help an individual achieve any goal.

“What I took from it is you had to picture that you had already accomplished what you are trying to accomplish,” Stockton said. “So when I stepped foot on there Monday morning I knew I had won the tournament and said I’m going to enjoy the ride. That’s

a totally different approach from standing there hoping I would have a good week.

“So I’m looking at the people and they have no idea I’ve won this tournament. I went and stood in the amphitheater of the 18th green and I’m thinking on Sunday there will be 20,000 people watching me win the tournament here. Little did I know I would be playing with Arnold Palmer and there would be 40,000 or however many people could squeeze in there.”

When he arrived at Southern Hills, he found the course immediately to his liking. He had previously won at The Colonial in Fort Worth on a course that also had some Perry Maxwell heritage.

“It was just a dream land for me,” Stockton said. “You get down there and all the holes go

in different directions. It was just the kind of course I was made to play well.”

Stockton had fired his caddie provided by the club prior to the tournament and wound up with Tulsan Jed Day, at that time a 21-yearold member with a one handicap, who provided him invaluable advice throughout on how to play Southern Hills. Day went on to a prominent career as a banker in Tulsa and was a long-time Southern Hills member. He passed away in 2018. He and Stockton remained friends and Stockton spoke fondly of him in a question and answer session with Director of Golf Cary Cozby for the members who attended the clinic.

Dave Stockton remains one of the world's best putters.

Cross: PGA on steady inclusive path

Sandy Cross, PGA of America Chief People Officer

by ken macleod

One of the most moving moments of the excellent tribute to Pete Brown held May 1 at Falconhead Resort in Burneyville was the emotional speech delivered by Sandy Cross, Chief People Officer of the PGA of America.

Long before she held her current title, Cross has been working to make her organization and golf in general more welcoming and inclusive of people of color. It was the PGA of America, then running the PGA Tour, that had the Caucasian Only rule in place until 1961. Brown became the first African American to win a PGA Tour event in 1964 when he prevailed by one stroke in the Waco Turner Open at Falconhead Resort.

“The event that Barbara Sessions put on was tremendous, just incredible,” Cross

come and gone.”

Sessions is the historian who keeps alive the flame of the unique history at Falconhead, where the colorful Opie and Waco Turner held a series of LPGA events (195859) and PGA Tour events (196064). A museum she curates inside the clubhouse provides details of all, but Sessions is particularly proud of Brown’s accomplishment.

When the PGA Championship was at Southern Hills in2022, PGA Vendor Match resulted in contracts for such local minority owned companies as Craftsman Resources behind hired to do carpentry work and The New Life Clean to provide an array of janitorial services, among others.

“It has been a really good experience working with the PGA,” said Alan Yowell, regional sales manager for Craftsman Resources. “We love to be involved.”

said. “If not for her, that significant moment in time (the 60th anniversary) would have passed without anyone knowing or paying attention. It was so important to shine a spotlight on that historic moment and without her, that day would have

The Pete Brown Jubilee included remarks by Jim Dent; Brown’s widow Margaret Brown; sportswriter Peter May, author of “How Charlie Sifford and Stanley Mosk Integrated the PGA” (reviewed in our April-May issue); Ramona Harriet, CEO of the Institute of African American Golf History; Norman sportswriter Jay Upchurch, the last Oklahoman to interview Brown; and others. Cross oversees many of the programs the PGA of America has put in place over the years to make certain the organization is as welcoming now as it was unwelcoming in its early years. She launched the PGA’s Diversity and Inclusion Initiative in 2014 and works closely with other programs that broaden golf’s appeal across racial boundaries, including PGA Junior League, Make Golf Your Thing, PGA Works programs and PGA VendorMatch, which brings in diverse suppliers at PGA championships.

Cross said most people see a possible career in golf if they are introduced to the

game by a father or friend, but the PGA is working to expand routes into golf, whether through a supplier, vendor or other business associated with golf or through one of the Make Golf Your Thing programs.

“All of our programs add up to really powerful, sustainable change,” she said. “We’ve taken a steady approach rather than trying to flash and dash.”

The National Golf Foundation reports that there were 6.1 million golfers of color in 2023, an increase of 8 percent over 2022 and up 27 percent since 2019. And that despite there still being a relative dearth of African-American golfers at the top of the professional game.

“We absolutely need more visual representation on the men’s and women’s tours to spark interest,” Cross said. “If they tune in and see talent that looks like them, they are more likely to want to pursue it.”

“Our vision is that not only the game, but the golf industry workforce and the supply chain will mirror the demographics of America,” Cross said. “It takes generational change. We still have a lot of work to do.”

Pete Brown won in Oklahoma 60 years ago but only six African Americans have have won a PGA Tour event since in Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder, Calvin Peete, Jim Thorpe, Tiger Woods and Cameron Champ. There’s a long road ahead but it’s good to know there are people like Barbara Sessions and Sandy Cross out there opening the doors.

Barbara Sessions and Pete Brown's widow Margaret.

and that I can play fantastic golf for six, seven days in a row. You know, I think just to be a little bit more realistic with myself, you know, like, it’s hard. It’s not always going to be perfect.”

Schofill said she has only been to Tulsa once, and she didn’t play golf that trip, so Southern Hills will provide a new challenge for the defending champion. Danielle Kang in 2010-11 is the last person to win consecutive U.S. Women’s Amateur titles.

Winning the U.S. Women's Amateur a life changer for Schofill

Acrowd of nearly 90,000 surrounded Megan Schofill as she walked to the middle of JordanHare Stadium with the Robert Cox Trophy in hand.

Schofill, who recently finished her fifth season at Auburn, was recognized last fall during a football game there for her achievement earlier in 2023, winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles. Schofill became the first Tiger to win the prestigious event, the third-oldest United States Golf Association event, and the celebrations have continued in the year since.

“Taking it on the football field was really cool,” Schofill said. “Also, the president of Auburn hosted a dinner for me with around 200 guests. That was really cool.”

Schofill has grown accustomed to the attention she has garnered since her victory last August, and it comes with the territory. The U.S. Women’s Amateur is one of, if not the, most prestigious women’s amateur events in the game of golf. Over the course of a week last year, Schofill took on plenty of the best amateurs in the world, including a future teammate in 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur winner Anna Davis, whom she dispatched in the quarterfinals. Then she went on to win two more matches, including the 36-hole final against good friend Latanna Stone, to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur, becoming the first player from Auburn to do so.

“I think it brought great awareness to our

by cameron jourdan

school, golf and to me,” Schofill said of her victory. “And that’s mostly what I was trying to do was to promote the school.”

Schofill said she has had to get comfortable with being thrust into the spotlight more often. After winning in Los Angeles late on a Sunday, she took a red-eye flight back to Atlanta before driving to Auburn. She said she was asleep before the plane even took off, but when she landed and got back to campus, it was time for more media obligations, and those haven’t stopped during her senior season.

The win has also elevated her status in the game. Winners of the U.S. Women’s Amateur are an exclusive club, and many of them end up moving on to great things in the professional game. But Schofill returned to school for one final season, and she wanted to close her amateur career strong.

Schofill wanted to enjoy one last goaround in college. She wanted to defend her title at Southern Hills Country Club in August. She wanted to earn a spot on the U.S. Curtis Cup team, which begins Aug. 30 in England at Sunningdale.

“I think just the standard of golf you try and hold yourself to,” Schofill said of the biggest change she has endured since winning. “And I think sometimes when you have a really great week, you kind of expect yourself to do that every week. And that’s just not how it is, you know? So I felt like for me, that was probably the biggest transition that I had. And obviously there’s been a lot of great things that have come from it and it’s taught me a lot about myself

When Schofill thinks back to her win at Bel-Air in 2023, she thinks a lot about her boyfriend, C.J. Easley, who caddied for her that week. The duo had an incredible partnership, even the night before the final when Easley helped keep Schofill’s anxiety at bay and allowed her to perform her best.

She said the best she has ever played was in the quarterfinals against Davis, a match they talked about throughout last season. Her favorite shot was a 4-hybrid in her semifinal match against Hailey Borja that landed about 15 feet from the cup, and then dropping the putt for an eagle.

Schofill does have one Tulsa connection for this summer: Auburn coach Melissa Luellen, or as folks may know her as Melissa McNamara, who was on Tulsa’s 1988 NCAA championship team and won the individual title that year.

“She’ll definitely be able to give me some tips and kind of set me up with good people that could give me a lot of info on the golf course,” Schofill said.

Another experience winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur provided Schofill was exemptions into four major championships. Her first start was the Chevron Championship, where she learned just how good professionals are on and around the greens.

However, Schofill’s biggest takeaway from her win was belief in herself.

“Just knowing that I can accomplish that,” Schofill said. “But I also think it would just be a great experience for me because you see so many great professional golfers having to go back to these events that they’ve won and it’s hard, you know, to go back and play again. I think it’ll be a great learning opportunity for me to go back and try and treat everything the same that I did in California. And just not not trying to make the event bigger than it is.”

U.S. Women's Amateur welcomes all with no charge to park, attend

by ken macleod

The U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship on Aug. 5-11 at Southern Hills Country Club will have a far more chill atmosphere than the last major championship at the same venue.

Rather than waiting hours in a throng for a glimpse of Tiger Woods, one can walk down the fairway a respectful distance from the player you are following. There will be few ropes, no corporate structures, no admission and on-site parking again at no charge.

“We’re excited to be able to host this,”

said Nick Sidorakis, co-chair of the event along with Cathey Barkley. “We’re happy to be supporting women’s golf not only for Southern Hills but for all of Oklahoma. The beauty of this event is it’s just pure golf.

There are no structures. Spectators are free to roam the fairways and follow the golfers. There will be very few ropes.”

For Southern Hills, this is the second time to host this event. The incredible Babe Zaharias won it in 1946. Southern Hills also hosted the first U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship in 1987, won by Cindy Scholefield. Other USGA championships at Southern Hills in-

clude the 1958, 1977 and 2001 U.S. Opens, the 1961 U.S. Senior Amateur and the U.S. Amateur in 1965 and 2009.

“Anytime we can do anything with the USGA it only heightens the legacy of Southern Hills in this historic run that we’ve had,” Sidorakis said.

So what version of Southern Hills will the top amateurs from around the world get to test. Rachel Sadowski, the championship director for the U.S. Women’s Amateur, U.S. Women’s Four-Ball Championship and the Curtis Cup, is in charge of course set-up and conditions, working hand-in-hand with Southern Hills folks such as Director of Golf Cary Cozby and superintendent Bryant Evans.

See USGA on page 22

Babe Zaharias started major tradition in 1946

by clyde chrisman

It has been a long time coming. Last held here in 1946, the U.S. Women’s Amateur returns to Southern Hills on Aug. 5-11.

On Dec. 1, 1941, only five years after the golf course opened, the USGA awarded Southern Hills the 1942 U.S. Women’s Amateur. Six days later, the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, and the USGA suspended ll championships. On Jan. 22, 1946, Francis Ouimet, the 1913 U.S. Open champion, signed the contract awarding Southern Hills the 1946 U.S. Women’s Amateur. This championship began a long and successful partnership between the USGA and Southern Hills.

As fate would have it, the 1946 U.S. Women’s Amateur was no ordinary event. The Associated Press voted its champion the greatest women’s athlete of the 20th century.

ESPN ranked her No. 10 among the greatest athletes of the 20th century, male and female. Mildred Ella “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias was indeed one of a kind.

Space prohibits a complete description of all her accomplishments in many sports and her domination of women’s golf. Please see the displays in History Hall for more information. However, renowned sportswriter Grantland Rice summed up Babe this way:

“She is beyond belief until you see her perform. Then you finally understand that you are looking at the most flawless section of muscle harmony, complete mental and physical coordination, that the world of sport has ever seen.”

As a 24-year-old, she single-handedly won the 1932 AAU track and field championship (as the

See Babe on page 22

Rachel Sadowski Nick Sidorakis

Babe Zaharias with the Robert Cox Trophy.

Tulsa. It’s who we are.

Caretaker, caregiver and Tulsa proud. Dr. Parker is more than just part of the Saint Francis family—she’s part of our promise to improve the health of the communities we call home.

Ryan Parker, M.D. • Emergency Medicine Physician and Associate Chief Medical Officer

The course will play at just under 6,400 yards with green speeds around 10.5 to 11.

Rough will be maintained at a height around 2.5 inches but as Sadowski noted, “this demographic is not in the rough very often, they hit it really straight.”

One of the interesting planning notes is determining seven hole locations on each green, as they must be different for the two rounds of stroke play Aug. 5-6 after which the field is cut to 64 for match play. The final two will play five rounds of match play including the 36-hole final match on Sunday.

“I picked Cary’s brain for hours on end on coming up with seven hole locations for each green,” Sidowski said. “The fun thing is he has such a great store of knowledge of where they were in certain events and how they played.”

The 17th hole will not be played as a drivable par-4 as it has been for recent men’s events as Sidowski said not many of the contestants would attempt it. She said the 18th hole with its dramatically uphill and long second shot will be an extremely challenging and interesting hole for any matches that make it that far.

“This is definitely not going to be an easy venue and it will separate the best players by their ball striking,” she said. “They will

have to be focused throughout.”

Sidowski said having the event at Southern Hills will be inspiring for the contestants and for junior golfers who come out to watch.

“It’s such an iconic venue and that makes it extra exciting,” she said. “For the junior golfers, they can see who they aspire to be. For the contestants, winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur can be life changing,”

The average age of the contestants in 2023 was 19.2, meaning most are in college but with open qualifying there will be seniors or juniors perhaps as young as 12.

The tournament will be broadcast on Golf Channel on Aug. 7, and on Peacock Aug. 8-9 and back on Golf Channel Aug. 10-11. All broadcasts will be from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

BABE cont. from page 20

only member of the team). She took home two golds and a silver at the 1932 Olympics. She traveled with her basketball team and toured with the House of David baseball team. After all of that, she took up golf.

Her athleticism was on full display as Babe became the first national champion at Southern Hills, capturing the 1946 U.S. Women’s Amateur with an 11-and-9 (36-hole match) win over Clara Sherman. Babe’s victory was the second-largest margin in the tournament’s history.

Babe was 5-up after the first 18 holes, then capped her round with an eagle-2 on the par-4 No. 7 hole during the second 18. Her personal scorecard with notes for the final nine holes is in History Hall.

Southern Hills played at 6,232 yards with a par of 75, and Babe was never really challenged in match play. She dusted off five opponents with little trouble. The closest match was 3-and-2. Her drives sailed 250 yards, and her iron shots were said to be “jet-propelled.” She never trailed and played under par in all but one of her matches.

She played the 27 holes in the final match in 3-under par. Babe summed up her performance, stating, “I was hot. She wasn’t.”

The victory in Tulsa was Babe’s fourth straight win. She continued her outstanding play and extended her winning streak to an incredible 17 tournaments. She turned pro in 1948 and played professionally until 1955, concluding her career with 48 wins and 10 majors, including three U.S. Women’s Open titles. Between 1948 and 1954, Babe finished in the top three in an impressive 67 of 78 tournaments. She co-founded the LPGA in 1950 and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Babe’s career was cut short by colon cancer, and she died in 1956 at age 45.

OU GOLF COURSE

Back and better with Jack

by ken macleod

Max McGreevy has floated between the PGA Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour since turning professional after helping lead Oklahoma to the 2017 NCAA Championship.

He has won on the Korn Ferry Tour and been a runner-up on the PGA Tour. His finishes of third and second in con secutive events in late May/early June lifted him to fifth on the KFT points list and pretty well locked up PGA Tour sta tus for 2025.

So what is it go ing to take for the two-time Okla homa Open cham pion, now 29, to stay put on the PGA Tour when he earns his card for a third time?

He’s obviously got the talent to win at every level, but too many missed cuts are mixed in with the hot weeks for success to be sustained.

else. I’ve stuck to my own game plan at little better this year and not paying as much attention to outside agencies.”

McGreevy mentioned he has been helped by a few visits to see Tim Johnson, the general manager at The Golf Club of Oklahoma. Johnson played at the University of Kansas with McGreevy’s father Brian McGreevy and has been a friend to lean on over the years moreso

McGreevy noted that his name often lands him next to Rory McIlroy in the alphabetized locker room seating at PGA Tour events. He said at times he’s been too caught up in watching what some of the game’s greats do and not focusing enough on his game.

“I think I’ve learned just to stay in your own lane and pay attention to your own game,” he said. “It’s really cool having your locker next to Rory about every week, but I think I was paying too much attention to what he and others were doing and getting lost in watching everyone

than a constant coach.

now, his consistency is astounding. McGreevy is more of a feel player than the golf nerd Scheffler, but he said Scheffler’s hunger to know every aspect of every club he hits and his tinkering with lies and lofts rubbed off on him as well.

“His ball control, distance control, everything is perfect in a game that’s not perfect,” McGreevy said.

McGreevy will lead a strong contingent of players with state ties in the field at the Compliance Solutions Championship on June 19-23 at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Course in Norman. Tickets are available at www.compliancesolutionschampionship. com.

“I just do a checkup on his fundamentals more than anything,” Johnson said. “Sometimes it could be a posture issue or ball position slightly out of place. But Max is self-made. He works hard at it and gets after it.”

Johnson said he’s noticed a maturity in McGreevy that he thinks will benefit him well when he rejoins the PGA Tour.

“I’ve seen a definite change in his attention and commitment level the last two years,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

McGreevy lived in Dallas with Scottie Scheffler in 2019 and 2020, and witnessed on a daily basis what the world is seeing

From the KFT Points List on June 3, former Sooner Quade Cummins is at 6 former OSU Cowboy Kris Ventura 16, Brendon Jelley of OSU and Tulsa 54, Sooner Garett Reband 61 Cowboy Zach Bauchou 62 and Rhein Gibson of Edmond 64. Others with strong state ties who could be in the field include Logan McAllister, Josh Creel, Morgan Hoffman, Patrick Welch, Grant Hirschman, Tag Ridings, Robert Streb and Bo Van Pelt.

One of the attractions of this year’s event is a Saturday evening Celebrity Shootout that features Jack Nicklaus helping out teams of former athletes from Oklahoma State (Doug Gottlieb, Robin Ventura and Desmond Mason) and Oklahoma (Dusty Dvoracek, Curtis Lofton and Teddy Lehman).

Brendon Jelley Garett Reband

Kris Ventura Quade Cummins

Max McGreevy

Rhein Gibson

Jack Nicklaus

Zach Bauchou

Hiding out in the heart of Texas is fun

by ken vanvechten

OK, maybe it isn’t that far. But with a 2 ½-hour drive from the Austin airport, it’s deep in the heart of Texas, out on the edge of the scenic hill country.

The Hideout Golf Club & Resort. Hideout.

How apt.

What’s seen at the Hideout today rolled out in phases, with the two nines draped over the oak-shrouded site 12 or so years apart. The resort facilities then arrived in 2012, a decade after the second nine. Despite a staggered start, no part of the Hideout lags behind. The late Bill Johnson gets the course credit, adding to a finite but solid list of projects throughout the southwest. Johnson also picked up two PGA Tour victories over his busy life in golf. If you have experience way back then in the ‘90s, today’s holes 1 through 7, 17 and 18 comprise that original nine.

Oaks define the course, and where there is no oak woodland, no small stand of oaks shaping how best to navigate a tee shot, there is wetland and riparian. Housing traces some margins of the course, but it is peeled back away from play, refreshingly. There is a modicum of rise and fall to the course, notably getting back to the house on the clos-

ing holes. And a number of holes sweep left and right, curving naturally with no artifice of a 90-degree kink existing because someone on a bulldozer misread the grading plan or the designer was just pissed off that day.

If it bends, as does the mid-length par4 14th, it does so because Mother Nature seeded trees at the rightward crook and Johnson let the player decide whether to cut a righty fade into the fairway or go up high, straight and shorten the distance. (Note: If your draw doesn’t draw enough, trust that there is room hidden out there on the right … trust.) That Johnson also put a bunker in the kink just means he didn’t make the fairway a giveaway like some participation ribbon. It is a game of challenge, after all.

Such cues repeat throughout.

The resort has a handful of hotel rooms, though most stays are taken in “cabins” and larger “ranch houses” spread out amongst the oaks on the flanks of the lodge. Cabins are configured as one-bedroom, one-bath units with a double-twin sleeping loft, foldout couch, three-quarter kitchen (no oven or cooktop) and covered patio. Ranch houses run 2/2 with the addition of full kitchens and fireplaces. The look throughout is rustic but not rough, comfy not kitschy, with wrought iron, leather, wood accents and barn-doored closets.

The two-level “lodge” serves as the hub of

communal activities – from reception to bar, pro shop to grill, and the hotel rooms overlooking the pool, the grounds and the course beyond. The lodge is also where you will find internet connectivity; don’t whine, it’s a getaway, we all traveled better when not mindlessly hostage to our electronic captors. Firepits dot the larger site and on the way to the first tee guests pass a playground – family visits are a big thing – sand volleyball and pickleball courts, and fitness center.

As when visiting any great house, guests come first and nowhere is that more evident than in The Hideout Grill – mated to the Cooper Bar – where Prashanth Ramphal presents regional and ranch – there is cow, there is barbecue – but also tempered sophistication; the redfish offered one evening was brightly étoufféed, not swamped in a cloak of over-Tabascoed sludge. By the same token, if chicken-fried steak is calling, it is still Texas and the country gravy is that good. The menu is an interplay, reflecting Chef Ramphal’s personal version of a “creole” heritage – he’s Indian, South African by birth and now a Texan – and what rolls out of his kitchen defies stereotype and categorization. In a word, standout.

The grill serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Haven Coffee Bar handles early beverages and quick eats.

The resort sits just outside the town of

The Hideout is a cool place to hang out in the Hill Country.

"one of the most fulfilling municipal golf options in the country"

Brownwood, and near-hand to the shore of the same-named lake, with watersports and a good fishery with largemouth bass being of particular note. (The resort sports a fishing pond, as well.) The reservoir is visible from spots throughout the resort grounds and course.

Brownwood, just a few miles away, is a farm-/ranch-centric community whose residents seem happily removed from the urban frenzy of those other parts of Texas. As in many smaller towns, revitalization is taking shape in the city’s core, from historic restoration and façade improvements to a spread of new, lifestyle-oriented businesses. In other words, it’s worth setting time aside to venture into town some afternoon and evening. For those who think reading involves the tactile sensation of ink on paper, downtown harbors a stunningly good book store, Immersion

Bookshop, with titles running the gamut. It offers more than Lone Star lore, far far more. Similarly eclectic, Shaw’s Marketplace harbors the handiworks of artists, artisans, crafters and home-kitchen culinarians displayed across stalls and storeettes in a revamped mercantile.

For suds-sters, Pioneer Tap House pours 30-ish Texas-crafted brews (with pizza, paninis, wings and the like). And in one of those stunning finds that often occur

when venturing a block or two off most any numbered highway in the land, Lucille + Mabel Kitchen and Libations, an old-bank-housed speakeasy and Michelin-awardthem-a-star bistro proving that American wagyu and other from-here inputs can benefit from Asian influences. It’s a trek out to the northwesterly perimeter of the hill country. Pack friends or family in the rig, and that five-hour drive from Oklahoma City will fly by. It’s a trek worth your time.

Geographically, it might be the heart of Texas. More significantly, there is a lot of heart in this part of Texas. You’ll feel it when you arrive, in town, heading to the first tee, having a cold one at the Copper Bar. Hospitality just doesn’t hide in these here parts. It is out and in the open.

The Hideout has a lodge and cabins for golf travelers as well as dining options.

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Lake of the Ozarks sparkles

by ken macleod

To say the golf market has changed considerably post Covid is a massive understatement.

Most clubs are now full with a waiting list. Public courses that provide good conditions and service are overflowing with rounds.

The travel market has been significantly altered as well.

Trips to popular destinations such as Bandon Dunes now require two years of planning. Scotland and Ireland trips fill up quickly. But there’s still plenty of room for great regional trips that leave room for a bit of impulsiveness.

One such destination is Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. In 2023, a group of friends visited Bandon Dunes after two years of planning. In May, with a little help from our friends at the Lake, my foursome embarked on an Ozark adventure that was put together in a couple of days.

There are plenty of lake attractions and activities for a more relaxed visit. This was golf intensive. The more time you have, the more you can mix and match the lake, the great restaurants and golf. And the availability to find a great four-bedroom

condo such as we stayed at Lake Daze Retreat in Sunrise Beach makes it extremely easy and convenient for your group no matter what is on your itinerary.

As mentioned, golf was on our itinerary. In 72 hours, we played 27 holes at Osage National, 18 at Bear Valley Country Club, 18 at Old Kinderhook and 18 at The Ridge, and were back home by dinner time on the third day. And loved every minute of it.

We’ve discussed various courses at the lake over the years and as a destination you should consider what you and your group are looking for in terms of conditioning, cost and convenience when putting together your trip. Not all the courses there are the same in these regards though we’ve never found one that didn’t offer ample Ozark charm, even if

the cost and conditions might vary a bit. Old Kinderhook has to be at or near the top of every trip to Lake of the Ozarks. A beautiful Tom Weiskopf design, Old Kiinderhook is always in immaculate condition and seems to offer just the right mix of challenge set off by generous landing areas, large greens and strategically placed bunkers that sometimes require carrying but often a run-up area is also provided.

Like every course we visited, the rainy month of May proved ideal for growing lush fescue rough and you didn’t want to be in it. This was particularly true on the 27 holes at Osage National, where it was too wet for the crew to mow for a few days, making keeping the ball in the fairway a priority if you wanted to keep it.

Osage National, designed by Arnold Palmer, has three distinct nines -- the River, the Mountain and the Links. The River nine is below the bluffs of the Osage River and one can hear the river rushing by or the bass boats going up and down on various holes. Despite it having the least elevation change of the three nines, it is in many ways the most challenging. The par-3 fourth hole has a green wildly canted downhill

Old Kinderhook in Camden is a must for any trip to Lake of the Ozarks

The Ridge provides a wild ride with some beautiful golf holes.

to the right feeding your ball into a stream. Other challenges not necessarily noted from the tee boxes await. But for the most part the River nine is peaceful and placid.

Not at all like the wild ride in store once you turn left and head uphill to the Mountain nine. It starts off innocently enough with a par-4 in the valley and a slightly downhill par3. Then you press your foot to the accelerator and up the “mountain” you go for what seems forever until you crest onto the third hole and it’s pretty much a wild ride from there.

The links course, while no more linksy than any other course in a lush inland setting, is a nice cross between the settings of the River and Mountain terrains and gives the golfer a taste of both.

The other two courses we squeezed in were Bear Creek Valley and The Ridge. They share drastic elevation changes and both were in the middle of some course improvements. Bear Creek Valley had various tee boxes closed for restoration but it’s a fun track in a very scenic setting.

The Ridge, designed by Ken Kavanaugh, is owned by the Lodge of Four Seasons, and it was good to learn the owners plan to restore the bunkers and the cart path, because other than those items being worn out, the course is a hugely entertaining and visually stimu-

lating ride. Had somehow never played this course on previous trips to the lake and it was a joy to navigate and had many beautiful downhill holes with elevated tees.

To pick your trip from any of these or others on the 14-course trail, go to www. lakeoftheozarksgolftrail.com and it will help you put together a package and has lodging and other options.

And yes, the golfers and pros we talked with are mostly fond of the notorious television series “Ozarks.” There is a Marty Byrde’s Gastro Pub and we were told business is robust at the ballet that inspired Lickety Splitz in the show. We can confirm that Wobbly Boots Roadhouse is an excellent venue for barbeque and a cold one or two, not a bad reward after a 36-hole day.

Sooners, Cowboys look ahead

by ken macleod

Agoal for the Oklahoma Sooners for 2024-25. Get off to better starts and not have to claw their way out of so many holes, not that they weren’t good at it.

The team that finished one shot shy of qualifying for match play at the NCAA Championship despite playing mediocre golf for the first 36 holes will look to rectify that beginning next fall with a team that should only get better despite the loss of seniors Ben Lorenz and Luke Kluver.

“Some of this year I’m going to take the blame for because we just didn’t have the continuity that we needed,” said coach Ryan Hybl. “We didn’t have the production we were hoping for and I was constantly juggling the lineup hoping to give guys opportunities to produce. Hopefully by next spring we’ll settle in and get some continuity.”

to be phenomenal,” Hybl said. “At the end of the day in order to be one of the high level teams coming down the stretch, your good players have to play good. We had high level production from Ben Lorenz at regionals, but other than that we didn’t have enough

Simply put, although Oklahoma had a decent year with three victories, it wasn’t quite up to expectations and not enough players individually were in contention for titles.

The best thing about the season was the emergence of freshmen All-America Ryder Cowan and sophomore Jase Summy as potential stars. Rising senior Drew Goodman will look to rebound from a disappointing season, while the other two spots will be hotly contested.

Hybl has proven commodities in Matthew Troutman, PJ Maybank III, Jaxon Dowell and Stephen Campbell Jr. Then there are incoming freshmen Cameron Cheek of Owasso, Andrew Ramos of Blaine, Minn., Clark van Gaalen of Turloc, Calif., and Asher Whitaker of Wichita. The latter three are ranked among the top 20 recruits in the nation while Cheek is a late comer to golf who was once one of the top junior tennis players in the country and is a fascinating prospect.

While there could be off season transfers or players going professional, the Sooners rosters have remained remarkably stable despite the deep and talented bench. Despite winning three times including a regional championship, Hybl will have higher expectations for next year.

“We’re going to have a lot of hungry guys and the leadership opportunities are going

gin practicing and playing out there this fall.

“We have a great relationship,” Bratton said. “I loved playing for him and working for him. It’s nice now to have him focused just on golf instead of everything else that pulled at him as AD.”

of our players in contention for individual championships. That’s what you need in order to compete at a super high level.”

At Oklahoma State, the Cowboys have struggled to sustain success since the super team of 2018-19 that had a full lineup of future pros including at least three that didn’t even start.

After finishing 13th of 14 teams in the Cabo Collegiate in early March, OSU rebounded to place second or third in five of its next six tournaments. The Cowboys made it through regionals and then placed 23rd at the NCAA Championship.

Most of the team that started in the NCAA Championship will not return, including Rayhan Thomas, Bo Jin, and Jonas Baumgartner. The Cowboys will build around rising sophomores Preston Stout, Johnnie Clark and Gaven Lane and have a highly-regarded class of five incoming freshmen including Stillwater’s Grant Gudgel and Collin Bond of Community Christian in Norman. Also in the class are Parker Bunn of Ogden, Utah, Brady Catalano of Upper Arlington, Ohio and Filip FahlbergJohnsson of Lindingo, Sweden.

Bratton knows the weight of expectations for the OSU golf team but says his relationship with OSU Athletic Director Emeritus Mike Holder remains solid while Holder concentrates on finishing the rebuild of Karsten Creek. Although the course won’t open to its members until the spring, Bratton said the team should be able to be-

While the departing seniors were all solid players, their production did not rise to the levels of past Cowboy individuals and teams. It may take a year or two to get back to that level with such a young team in 2024-25.

“We’ve got some good leaders coming back and a lot of talented freshmen coming in,” Bratton said. “Certainly the opportunity is there for a lot of these guys.”

That includes chances for immediate playing time for Gudgel and Bond. Gudgel, who won Class 6A as a sophomore, is battling a wrist injury that may require a second surgery to remove a cyst. Bond is a great athlete with a world of potential.

Oral Roberts welcomes Jenks standout Sam Morris to the fold in hopes of earning its first NCAA Tournament spot in years. The Golden Eagles took third in the Summit League Championship in 2024 and probably need to win it to be invited to regional play.

AROUND THE STATE:

The Oklahoma State and Tulsa women’s programs both advanced through the NCAA regionals to reach the NCAA Championship and will hope to do so again in 202425 where perhaps the OU Sooners and Oral Roberts Eagles might join them.

The most successful teams in the state were the Oklahoma City University women’s team, finishing second in the NAIA National Championship led by runner up Paige Wood and Maddi Kamas, as well as the Oklahoma Christian men’s team, which lost in the semifinals of match play in the Division II Men’s National Championship.

On a disappointing note, Oklahoma Christian dropped women’s golf at the conclusion of the season. The players are transferring and interim coach and former player Kate Goodwin, who led the team to the NCAA Divisioin II National Championship, is in need of future employment.

For much more on collegiate golf including complete results from all of the championships, be sure to visit www.golfoklahoma.org and sign up there for our weekly newsletter as well.

OU's Ryder Cowan and OSU's Collin Bond.

Ryan Hybl

Alan Bratton

OGA Junior loaded with talent

by ken macleod

The names of past champions of the Oklahoma Golf Association Junior Boys & Girls Championship provide a good idea of the level of talent in the event each year and consequently what the future will look like for many of the current competitors.

Talor Gooch, who won in 2007, is a mainstay for LIV Golf. Austin Eckroat, 2015, won his first PGA Tour event this spring. Quade Cummins, who won the Stroke Play portion in 2011 and 2012, is about to earn his PGA Tour card. Logan McAllister, 2016 and 2017 Stroke Play champion, is on the Korn Ferry Tour. Jaxon Dowell (2019), Andrew Goodman (2021) and Ryder Cowan (2023) are all playing for the University of Oklahoma with their own dreams of future professional status, while 2020 champ James Roller is at Kansas State and has professional aspirations as well. Kaitlin Milligan, the 2016 stroke play champion, is on the LPGA Tour.

Then there are golfers like Taylor Moore, who never won the event as a junior in Edmond, but now is a PGA Tour

winner and lends his financial support to the OGA to make sure the event is run in a first-class manner.

There are no guarantees in life, but one would be hard pressed to doubt that we were watching some future professionals at work during the 2024 event that was back at newly refurbished KickingBird Golf Club in Edmond for the first time in three years, and what a spectacular venue it was.

Certainly Parker Sands of Edmond, who with his 3 and 1 victory over Benton Manly of Tulsa captured the event for the second time, is one to keep a close eye on as he begins his collegiate career at the University of Florida this fall. Sands wore out the field with his ball striking and when his putter is hot, as it was when he shot an incredible 59 in the Oklahoma Open, his future seems unlimited.

but there are others who have or will sign to play collegiate golf that may wind up playing for a living as well. Manly, who has committed to Furman, is coming into his own. Grant Gudgel, heading for Oklahoma State, is still battling an injured wrist but has proven his potential in the past. Preston Albee, an OU commit, Cameron Cheek (OU signee), Sam Morris (Oral Roberts signee), Parker Payne (Drake signee), Mason Haley, Ben Lathrop, it will be interesting to watch their futures as well as others.

And those of the younger players, such as the two who made it to the finals of the boys 14-15 age division. Coleman Sides, who prevailed one-up in the finals, and Ainslie Stanford III both have fascinating potential.

He stood tall over the field that week

Girls champion Evyn Cannon, just 14 and a freshman at Deer Creek in Edmond this fall, has been one of the state’s top ju-

Parker Sands

niors for several years already. Although her competitors were often outdriving her by 20 to 30 yards, she made up for it with brilliant iron play and wonderful putting, which bodes very well for her future. She showed no nerves in defeating Class 6A state champion Juliana Hong, a rising star herself, in the semifinals and Edmond North senior Rylee Roberts, bound for a career at Oklahoma State, 1 up in the finals.

An extra bonus for the winners this year was the United States Golf Association awarding berths in the U.S. Junior Amateur and the U.S. Girls Junior. Sands will head to Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield, Mich, on July 22-27, while Cannon will compete at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, Calif., on July 15-20.

“That 59 is hard to beat but this is a close second,” Sand said. “I really wanted this to kind of cap my junior career. I get to keep this trophy for another year which is awesome. I hit the ball so well this week and took advantage of being in the fairway most of the time. I couldn’t ask for a better closing out story for my junior career.”

From the quality of play we witnessed at KickingBird, the future of Oklahoma junior golf and the prestige of winning this event are both only getting stronger.

MB_3893-Ad_Golf OK_Tee Time.pdf 1 3/18/24 1:05 PM new

MATTERS AT MABREY

Ryan Rody

Putt like the pros

Many amateur golfers are on the constant search for the tip, or the cure, that will fix their game. In this quest they will scroll YouTube for hours, read all the magazines, take lessons, and often take advice from their amateur partners. My hope is that I can provide some clarity with the club that you will use most in your bag in your next round. The putter.

Do you have a practice plan, or a consistent warm up routine? Most golfers do not. They will usually just putt some balls from hole to hole and head to the first tee. Let’s change that.

SET UP & START LINE

Start with a block station. This is ensure you are set up correctly. Best way for this to happen is with FEEDBACK. Find a fairly straight putt from 8 feet. In this case the mirror is the feedback. My eyes are just inside the ball, and I can see my shoulder line is square to the target. Now for your start line. James Sieckman showed me the fastest way to check this. Add a ball marker or dime about 24 inches in front of the ball. Measure from your putter head to the start of your putter grip. If your ball rolls over it, then you have hit

your start line. Make 5 putts to complete the task. For advanced players, make 5 in a row. Time on station 5-10 minutes.

FIND YOUR SPEED

I like players to “use their eyes.” You should look at the hole, look back to the ball, and then putt to what you see. This will free up your stroke. If you find yourself hitting putts too short or too hard you will start to adjust your tempo and/or length of your stroke automatically. For your warm up, place ball markers 3 feet in front of the hole, 3 feet behind the hole, and 3 feet on each side. Next you will have a tee at 15, 30, and 45 feet at varying sides of the hole. The goal is to get 4/4 from 15 feet, 3/4 from 30, and 2/4 from 45. Hit these putts in order or randomize to increase the difficulty. Time on station 10-15 minutes.

5 FOOTERS

Nothing builds confidence like seeing and hearing the ball go in the hole. Finish your session with 4 in a row from around the hole. Each putt I want you to use your full routine, and imagine it is a putt on the course. Head to the first tee with some confidence. Time on station 5 minutes.

EXTRA PRACTICE –

LET’S

MAKE IT FUN

3 POINT

This is a game I learned from Cameron McCormick when he was teaching Jordan Spieth as a junior golfer. Place a ball marker at the starting point (between 10-18 feet) in this case 12 feet from the hole. Two more ball markers that are 1 putter head width apart at the midpoint of the putt. Next, place a golf tee two feet behind the hole. You receive 1 point for hitting the ball through the gates (start line & read), 1 point if your ball finishes between the hole and the tee, 2 points for a make (speed). 5 total putts with 12/15 being the goal. Time on station 5-10 minutes.

DRAWBACK

My favorite game that will stress your putting and get you feeling the nerves that happen on the course is DRAWBACK. Play 9 holes on the putting green. All holes are Par 2’s. Every time you miss the putt draw it back 1 putter length. Do this until the ball is holed. 3 putts from 10-15 feet, 3 from 20-30 feet, and 3 from 35-40 feet. Goal is to shoot +2 or better for 9 holes. Best played with multiple players and with something on the line. Time on station 15-20 minutes.

I hope you will plan for some proper putting practice and warm up before your next round, and start putting like a pro.

Ryan Rody

PGA Director of Instruction

Southern Hills Country Club

SCHEDULES & RESULTS:

HIGH SCHOOLS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS BOYS

MAY 6-7

CLASS 6A

At Oaks CC, Tulsa (par-71)

Team scores: 1, Edmond North 294-295-287 –876; 2, Owasso 294-297-296 – 887; 3, Jenks 298296-296 – 890; 4, Stillwater 297-297-298 – 892; 5, Norman North 304-299-296 – 899; 6, Union 302302-302 – 906; 7, Edmond Memorial 313-302-306 – 921; 8, Broken Arrow 308-315-299 – 921.

Individual leaders: 1, Preston Albee (Choctaw) 70-63-72 – 205; 2, Josh Stuart (Norman North) 70-70-67 – 207; 3, Cameron Creek (Owasso) 70-72-70 – 212; 4, Parker Sands (Edmond North) 70-75-69 – 213; 5, Hunter Baumann (Edmond North) 72-71-72 – 215; 6, Sam Morris (Jenks) 72-73-70 – 215; 7, Will Hennessee (Bishop Kelley) 70-71-75 – 216.

CLASS 5A

AT WINTER CREEK G&CC, BLANCHARD (PAR-72)

Team scores: 1, Cascia Hall 292-292-290 – 874; 2, Heritage Hall 305-300-299 – 904; 3, Carl Albert 314-309-308 – 931; 4, McAlester 319-325-316 –960; 5, Duncan 330-330-315 – 975; 6, Collinsville 325-334-317 – 976; 7, Muskogee 338-332-335 –1,005; 8, Claremore 323-356-329 – 1,008.

Individual leaders: 1, Coleman Sides (Cascia) 7170-70 – 211 (won playoff); 2, Ben Lathrop (Her. Hall) 70-70-71 – 211; 3, Cooper Watson (Lawton Mac) 76-74-68 – 218; 4, Banks Cozby (Cascia) 6871-83 – 222; 5, Trace Overland (Cascia) 77-73-73 – 223; 6, Parker Payne (Noble) 74-78-72 – 224; 7; Kathan Pierucci (Carl Albert) 79-75-71 – 225.

CLASS 4A

At Shangri-La Resort, Afton (par-72)

Team scores: 1, Plainview 294-303-304 – 901; 2, Okla. Christian School 300-306-309 – 915; 3, Crossings Christian 305-298-313 – 916; 4, Tuttle 309-312-313 – 934; 5, Bethany 322-314-311 – 947; 6, Woodward 311-332-305 – 948; 7 (tie), Poteau 306327-321 – 954 and Cushing 319-319-316 – 954. Individual leaders: 1, Jace Chaney (Plainview) 6968-75 – 212; 2, Jackson Magness (Cr. Christian) 71-71-77 – 219; 3, Connor Whitworth (Poteau) 69-77-74 – 220; 4 (tie), Karston Rennie (Pauls Valley) 72-76-75 – 223 and Drake Kanuch (Ada) 75-74-74 – 223; 6, Brock Jerman (Chickasha) 7573-76 – 224 and Patrick Coulter (Cr. Christian) 76-74-74 – 224.

CLASS 3A

AT MUSKOGEE CC (PAR-71)

Team scores: 1, Community Christian 304-294297 – 895; 2, Metro Christian 327-324-313 – 964; 3, Lone Grove 324-325-315 – 964; 4, Lincoln Christian 328-316-326 – 970; 5 (tie), Casady 327331-324 – 982 and Marlow 331-325-326 – 982. Individual leaders: 1, Collin Bond (CC) 72-7366 – 210; 2, Will Whorton (CC) 74-72-71 – 217; 3, Kaden Risenhoover (Stigler) 72-74-72 – 218; 4, Porter Finley (Metro) 76-73-70 – 219; 5, Bliss Newton (Lone Grove) 75-73-77 – 225; 6, Jett Cooper (Stroud-Davenport) 76-76-74 – 226; 7, Lane Boyles (Marlow) 76-79-74 – 229.

CLASS 2A

At Territory GC, Duncan (par-72)

Team scores: 1, Latta 312-338-334 – 984; 2, Thomas-Fay-Custer 340-341-348 – 1,029; 3, Regent Prep 354-346-338 – 1,038; 4, Turpin 345343-375 – 1,063; 5 (tie), Okla. Christian Academy 349-350-371 – 1,070 and Velma-Alma 350-348372 – 1,070.

Individual leaders: 1, Carter Ray (Walters) 7272-75 – 219; 2, Benton Manly 78-73-76 – 227; 3, Parker Pogue (Latta) 74-75-81 – 230; 4, Jackson Jones (PC-Hunter) 77-79-75 – 231; 5, Gabe Jones (PC-Hunter) 75-83-77 – 235.

GIRLS

APRIL 29-30

CLASS 6A AT STILLWATER CC (PAR-70)

Team scores: 1, Stillwater 301-314 – 615; 2, Jenks 305-321 – 626; 3, Edmond North 324-317 – 641; 4, Norman North 330-338 – 668; 5, Edmond Memorial 334-342 – 676; 6, Owasso 336-347 – 683; 7, Bixby 352-346 – 698; 8, Bishop Kelley 363-337 -- 700.

Individual leaders: 1, Juliana Hong (NN) 70-71 –141; 2, Lucy Darr (Stillwater) 71-73 –144; 3 (tie), Sophia Lefler (Jenks) 77-74 – 151 and Reagan Plank (Owasso) 76-75 – 151; 5 (tie), Peyton Coburn (Bishop Kelley) 77-75 – 152 and Syrah Javed (NN) 76-76 – 152; 7, Meredith Colby (EM) 74-80 –154; 8, Nikki Pitts (Stillwater) 75-80 – 155.

CLASS 5A

AT MUSKOGEE CC (PAR-72)

Team scores: 1, McGuinness 347-343 – 690; 2, Carl Albert 367-364 – 731; 3, Duncan 365-368 – 733; 4, Ada 372-367 – 739; 5, Durant 388-391 – 779; 6, Altus 409-390 – 799; 7, MacArthur 412389 – 801; 8, El Reno 407-415 -- 822. Individual leaders: 1, Natalie Blonien (Altus) 68-65 – 133; 2, Allie Justiz (McGuinness) 77-75 – 152; 3, Abbie Justiz (McGuinness) 80-78 – 158; 4, Miah Luong (Carl Albert) 79-81 – 160; 5 (tie), Kanynn Kaseca (Shawnee) 88-83 – 171 and Ady Meek (Duncan) 86-85 171; 7 (tie), Laura Stewart (Duncan) 87-87 – 174 and London Wilson (Ada) 89-85 – 174.

CLASS 4A

AT WINTER CREEK G&CC, BLANCHARD (PAR-73)

CLASS 3A

At Lincoln Park GC, Okla. City (par-70)

Team scores: 1, Sequoyah Tahlequah 330356 – 686; 2, Holland Hall 355-352 – 707; 3, Metro Christian 347-372 – 719; 4, Lone Grove 365-357 – 722; 5, Cascia Hall 354-377 – 731; 6, Okla. Christian School 364-369 – 733; 7, Casady 369-375 – 744; 8, Tishomingo 382372 -- 754.

Individual leaders: 1, Megan Kalapura 66-79 –145; 2, Beans Factor (Sequoyah) 75-75 – 150; 3, Lorelai Efaw (Cascia) 70-82 –152; 4, Elle Standlee (Prague) 72-83 – 155; 5, Kate Moore (Metro) 74-82 – 156; 6, Meredith Reid (Kingston) 76-83 – 159; 7, Katie Eisenhauer (OCS) 80-81 – 161.

CLASS 2A

At Prairie West GC, Weatherford (par-70) Team scores: 1, Turner 318-328 – 646; 2, Mooreland 390-410 – 800; 3, Hooker 416421 – 837; 4, Hobart 411-433 – 844; 5, Merritt 424-424 -- 848

Team scores: 1, Fort Gibson 330-347 – 677; 2, Marlow 356-355 – 711; 3, Clinton 362-373 – 735; 4, Pauls Valley 377-372 – 749; 5, Hilldale 381-389 – 770; 6, Perkins-Tryon 403-396 – 799; 7, Plainview 408-396 – 804; 8, Tuttle 407-405 – 812. Individual leaders: 1, Layne Ailshie (Fort Gibson) 81-81 – 162; 2, Paisley Eason (Sulphur) 82-83 – 165; 3 (tie), Kya Lamb (Dickson) 8086 – 166 and Katelyn Rigsby (Fort Gibson) 75-91 – 166; 5, Katelynn Powell (Cushing) 8683 – 169; 6 (tie), Gracie Young (Fort Gibson) 87-84 – 171 and Avery Haywood (Sallisaw) 83-88 – 171.

Individual leaders: 1, Avery Haddock (Okla. Chr. Academy) 73-77 – 150; 2, Jaci Hartman (Turner) 78-76 – 154; 3, Josey Cavitt (Turner) 79-77 – 156; 4, Braylee Foster (Turner) 79-86 – 165; 5, Emma Hardison (Roff) 82-88 – 170.

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