Oklahoma Tour Opens at KickingBird

Scott R Chilcutt, Edmond, OK (March 16, 2013) Visitors from Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia and Texas were welcomed to the Oklahoma Tour 2013 Season Opener for a full field at the KickingBird Challenge.

KickingBird Golf Course, the site of the season opener for the third straight year on the Oklahoma Tour, once again did not disappoint.  While the Bermuda grass fairways and rough are still in the dormant state the BentGrass greens rolled smooth and fast.  Mostly sunny skies and light southerly breezes helped kick start the temperatures into the high 70's, but gave way to a late afternoon cool down with winds shifting from the north and changing the complexion of the layout.

Oklahoma Tour local,  Tim Mathis of Edmond, OK captured his first Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving by three strokes over a pair in the second spot.

RESULTS:

Championship Flight:   Stockton, CA native John Navarro now residing in Edmond, OK went out in even par, overcame a tough stretch on 10-12 with a birdie on the dog legged right par 4 - 13th to win his first event on tour.  Tulsa, OK Bill Robinson another new comer to the tour, finished four strokes back, with another Edmond local Chad Benoit rounding out the top three two back of Robinson. 

Palmer Flight:    Brad Cooper of Lawton, OK picked up his sixth win on tour and first since his two win season in 2010.  Cooper started the day with a birdie on the par 4 - 2nd, but his par on the long par 4 -18th made the difference in the one stroke advantage over Broken Arrow, OK member Allen Sawvel.  Jameson Bradford, of Plano, TX player went on a birdie run from eight through ten but fell one stroke short to Sawvel finishing in the third spot.

Senior Palmer Flight:  Sapulpa, OK member Curt Howard, with his son Tams in town on a visit from Minnesota on the bag, went for his third win in as many attempts.  Howard playing the first eleven holes in -2 on three birdies, held out a two stroke advantage over local Edmond player Dave Kirby.  Kirby making his second start on tour after working on the tournament committee the last two years held on to his runner up spot by a stroke over a surging Clayton Badger of Drumright.  After a slow start Badger, played the last 10 holes in even par to settle with the show position finish.

Hogan Flight:   Jeffrey Banner of Lawton, OK picked up his third win on tour and first since the 2012 Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay.  Oklahoma City, OK tour rookie, Ronnie Draper, a winner in his first time out over a strong field at the Hill Country Tour Kerrville Championship @ Comanche Trace evened things up with a birdie on the par 4 - 13th, but fell short by a stroke at the end of the day.  Edmond, OK local Brandon McCool finished two strokes back for his second third place finish on the year.       

Senior Hogan Flight:   Home field advantage proved important when Edmond, OK partners in crime, Tim Mathis and James Surber had the one, two finish.  Mathis with a tournament low, +3 - 73 grabbed his seventh win on tour four strokes clear of Surber with three birdies on the day.  Surber a winner at the 2013 Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay played the back nine in one over par to hold on to a three stroke advantage over traveling Dallas Tour member Myles Gallemore of Irving, TX.     

Sarazen Flight:   Imran Siddiqi, another local from Edmond, finished out his last three holes in even par to over take Wichita, KS traveler Gary Schuessler for his fifth win on tour and first of the season. Schuessler, coming into his own with a win and two runner up finishes on the points season held on to the second place spot by one stroke over Augusta, KS traveling partner Ernest DeBruler.  DeBruler parred his final two holes to stay out front of a pair of players in the T4 finish.     

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Denver Tour visitor, Tony Solano from Aurora, CO carded his ninth win on tour in his first outing of the points season.  Solano maintained a one stroke advantage over Oklahoma Tour first year member Vincent Gonzalez of Oklahoma City.  Davis Noble of Lake Kiowa, TX just south of the Red River recorded his best finish of the points season rounding out the top three.

Jones Flight:  Gary Chrisman of Yukon, OK bogied the final hole to force an early evening playoff with Crecent, OK member Ron Walker.  With darkness lingering on the first playoff green, Walker appeared to be ready to concede defeat, but after prodding from Chrisman drained a 30' putt for his fourth win on tour.  The pair finished two strokes ahead of another pair knotted up in the third place spot.  K.C. Montgomery of Fairview and Yukon, OK player Kyle Kuykendall split the third and fourth place points.

Snead Flight:  Just one week after walking off the course at an event in Dallas to join his wife for the birth of a new son, Sammie Martin of Elgin, OK commanded his second win on tour. Martin the 2012 Player of the Year in the Snead Flight outlasted 2012 Senior Snead Player of the Year Rick Henthorn of Yukon, OK with a late round birdie on the par 4 -17th.  Henthorn with a birdie of his own on the par 5 -12th stayed three strokes ahead of tour rookie William Perkins of Grand Prairie, TX finishing in the third spot.

SKINS:

Giant Skins:  1 -- Gary Hayes, Chickasha, OK; Tim Mathis, Edmond, OK; Art Wiles, Oklahoma City, OK; Chico Robinson, Powder Springs, GA; Ron Walker, Crescent, OK.

Championship / Palmer / Senior Palmer:  2 -- Allen Sawvel, Broken Arrow, OK. 1 -- Brad Cooper, Lawton, OK; Curt Howard, Sapulpa, OK.

Hogan / Senior Hogan:  2 -- Tim Mathis, Edmond, OK. 1 -- Gary Hayes, Chickasha, OK; Allan Barnett, Cheyenne, OK; Randy Sellers, Lewisville, TX; Rod Haddock, Siloam Springs, AR; Robert Lakey, Sayre, OK; Art Wiles, Oklahoma City, OK.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:  1 -- Christian Williamson, Edmond, OK; Melvin Wilson III, Dallas, TX; Dewayne Madison, Edmond OK.

Jones / Snead:  2 -- K.C. Montgomery, Fairview, OK. 1 -- Ron Walker, Crescent, OK.

 

Next Up:  The Oklahoma Tour backs up the opener with the Forest Ridge Classic in Broken Arrow, OK on March 30th.   The Dallas Tour resumes action at the Frisco Lakes Challenge on March 30th at The Golf Club at Frisco Lakes, registration closes Friday, March 22nd.   Hill Country Tour hits the links after a break for the Texas open on March 24th Round Rock Open on Friday, March 15th.

For More Information:

Scott R Chilcutt

Tour Director
Dallas / Fort Worth Tour - Hill Country Tour - Oklahoma Tour
GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467 - 972.302.9478
schilcutt@gcamtour.com