Scott R Chilcutt, Stillwater, OK (April 13, 2013) Home to nearly 25,000 students, Oklahoma State University and its Stillwater Campus sprawls just south of Lakeside Golf Course. OSU Athletics and its formidable golf program developed by Labron Harris from 1947 - 1973. Harris was the architect of Lakeside, home of OSU Cowboys Golf for nearly 50 years.
On this Masters weekend, where two former Cowboy Golfers made the cut at Augusta, the Oklahoma Tour and visitors from surrounding states gathered for the Cowboy Classic with soggy and windy conditions. With over 3 tenths of an inch of early morning rain, a closed range and carts relegated to the paths only, it took players out of there comfort zone and put a premium on mental and physical flexibility.
Augusta, KS member, Ernest DeBruler took home the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving of Lewisville, TX, two strokes clear of the Kickingbird Challenge trophy winner Tim Mathis of Edmond, OK and Dallas Tour visitor, Scott Sears.
RESULTS:
Championship Flight: Playing the par three's and four's in +3 each, James Fowler of Checotah, OK took advantage of the par 5 - 13th to set up his first of two birdies on the day to pick up his first win on the year. Three strokes back, first year Boston, MA native, Bill Robinson now residing in Tulsa, OK recorded his second runner up finish in three tries. Another three strokes back, 2012 Championship Flight Player of the Year, Steve Lusk of Ponca City, OK rounded out the top three in his first outing of 2013.
Palmer Flight: Four players finished within two strokes, where Jimmy Westfall of Oklahoma City, OK collected his tenth win on tour and first of the season. Westfall used a birdie on the par 3 - 8th and stayed away from the big numbers to win by one stroke over Edmond, OK first year player Dave Kirby. Kirby finished the back nine in +3 to edge out a pair locked in the third spot. Curt Howard of Sapulpa, OK and Norman, OK resident Bill McConnell shared the third place honors. McConnell, opting out of the Giant Skins, left two on the table including an eagle on the par 5 - 13th.
Hogan Flight: With only two starts on tour in 2012, Tony Miller of Edmond, OK made the best of his winter golf. Despite a double on the final, uphill par three, Miller carded his first win on tour five strokes clear at +9 - 79. In the second spot, the winner at the Forest
Ridge Classic, first year player Joe Deere of Catoosa, OK finished one stroke clear of third place Jason Thomas of Yukon, OK.
Senior Hogan Flight: Low trajectory, wind piercing ball flight vaulted Tim Mathis of Edmond, OK to his second win in as many tries. For the second sub 80 round on a par 70 course, Mathis ran out front of Tulsa native, Dallas Tour member Randy Sellers now from Lewisville, TX by four strokes. Sellers birdie on the par 4 -9th hole righted early woes to finish four strokes clear of third place finisher James Surber of Edmond, OK.
Sarazen Flight: Ernest DeBruler of Augusta, KS had a run from the fifth to eleventh holes in three under par to card his third win on tour, six strokes clear of a trio knotted up in the second spot. Christian Williamson of Edmond, OK played his last eight holes in minus one to catch up with traveling Dallas Tour member Scott Sears of Carrollton, TX and Arkansas Tour member Jay Williams of Van Buren, AR.
Jones Flight: Oklahoma City native, Brian Putnam now residing in Edmond started his Am Tour career playing out of Virginia. Set to play with the Oklahoma group during the summer of 2012, Putnam was transferred home just in time to be deployed to Afghanistan, thus setting back his debut in this part of the country to 2013. Putnam took the front nine to warm up, coming back to the club house in +4 to record his second win on tour. Five strokes back, Gary Chrisman of Yukon, OK and first year Oklahoma City member Jeff Ebbs shared the second place finish.
Senior Jones Flight: Ron Walker of Crescent, OK made it five. Walker's fifth win on tour and second of the season, Ron stayed two strokes ahead of Dallas Tour traveler Lloyd C Reid Jr. Reid managed his runner up finish by a stroke over another trio tied in the third place finish. Forced to play with the Senior Jones due to a lack of Snead participants, Rick Henthorn of Yukon split the third place honors with Terry Saxon of Norman, OK and visiting Belle Vista, AR member Dennis Baxter.
SKINS:
Giant Skins: 2 -- Ernest DeBruler, Augusta, KS. 1 -- James Fowler, Checotah, OK; Curt Howard, Sapulpa, OK; James Surber, Edmond, OK; Art Wiles, Oklahoma City, OK.
Championship /Palmer: 1 -- James Fowler, Checotah, OK; Roland Lewis, Tulsa, OK; Curt Howard, Sapulpa, OK; Bill McConnell, Norman, OK.
Hogan / Senior Hogan: 2 -- James Surber, Edmond, OK. 1 -- John Kang, Enid, OK; Tony Miller, Edmond, OK; Randy Sellers, Lewisville, TX; Art Wiles, Oklahoma City, OK.
Sarazen: 3 -- Ernest DeBruler, Augusta, KS. 2 -- Jay Williams, Van Buren, AR. 1 -- Christian Williamson, Edmond, OK.
Jones / Senior Jones: 1 -- Gary Chrisman, Yukon, OK; Kyle Kuykendall, Yukon, OK; Chris Manahan, Oklahoma City, OK; Rick Henthorn, Yukon, OK; Jeff Ebbs, Oklahoma City, OK.
Next Up: After a break for the Missouri Valley Championship, the Oklahoma Tour will resume play on May 11th at the Valley View Invitational in Farmington, AR. Hill Country Tour visits Vaaler Creek Golf Club for the first time at the Battle at Blanco on April 20th. The Dallas Tour makes introduces another new course for the Arlington Championship at Tierra Verde on Sunday April, 21st.
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
Oklahoma Tour Staff, Broken Arrow, OK (March 30, 2013) Forest Ridge Golf Club, annual home to the season opener in the Tulsa area was true to form for this time of year. Aerification scheduled a few weeks before each spring event had a little harder time healing this year due to some freezing temperatures, but most rolled well.
Overnight and early morning thunderstorms seemed to effect only the range, typically a flood zone during those torrential rains, but the course drained well, the sun broke through and the event went off on schedule.
Joe Deere picked up his first Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving with a personal record round. Giant skins winners came from Championship, Hogan, Senior Hogan and Jones Flight players.
RESULTS:
Championship Flight: First time tour player, Daniel Cannon of Tulsa, OK made an eagle three on the par 5 -18th to force a playoff with Checotah, OK member James Fowler. Fowler on hiatus from the tour since 2011 went out in +1 and looked to have things under control. Fowler then got on a bogey train from 14-16, bounced back with a birdie on 17, but took a six on the final hole to open the door to the playoff. On the second extra hole, Cannon birdied the par 4 -2nd as he had done in regulation to take home the trophy. One stroke back, Alma, AR first year member Brett Hubbard rounded out the top three.
Palmer Flight: Recently promoted to the Palmer Flight, Chad Schuchmann of Nixa, MO picked up his first win in the new flight and third of the year. Schuchmann, over came a couple of bad holes early on to play the back in two over par maintaining a seven shot advantage over a pair tied up in the second place finish. Tulsa, OK member Brook Lister and James Smith of Claremore, OK shared the runner up points.
Senior Palmer Flight: Okarche, OK new comer, Rick Herbst held on over a charging, Jimmy Westfall of Oklahoma City, OK for his first win on tour. Westfall, parred his final three holes to come within one stroke of the win and maintained a two stroke lead over third place finisher John Montazzoli from Edmond, OK.
Hogan Flight: Catoosa, OK resident, Joe Deere became another first time winner on the day. Deere came to the club house with a one over par back nine for a four stroke victory over Brandon McCool of Edmond, OK. McCool, with two birdies on the day maintained a nine stroke advantage over first time local Broken Arrow, OK player Jake Mills.
Senior Hogan Flight: Rod Haddock of Siloam Springs, AR, played the back nine in +4 - 40 to take the flight championship for the third time on tour and first of the year. Haddock, a winner last at the 2012 Hard
Rock Open @ Cherokee Hill Golf Club finished three strokes clear of Edmond, OK player Michael Hicks. Hicks played his final four holes in one under par with a birdie on the par 4 - 16th, to edge out Bruce Callich of Checotah, OK and fellow Edmond resident James Surber by a stroke.
Sarazen Flight: Battling an off season knee injury and surgery, Arkansas Tour member Kirby Rogers from Muldrow, OK seems to be back in form and in victory lane for the first time this year. Rogers parred the final hole to maintain a two stroke lead over 28 year old, first year Muskogee, OK player Chad Wheeler. Charging from a rough front nine, Rogers traveling Arkansas Tour partner, Jay Williams of Van Buren, AR went one under over the last three holes to round out the top three.
Jones Flight: Craig Merrill of Roland, AR commanded his eighth win on tour and second of the year by eleven strokes. Traveling Bakersfield, CA visitor Don Risner completed his 24th event on the points year and recorded his eighth runner up finish to go with his three wins on the year . Kyle Kuykendall from Yukon, OK finished just one stroke back in the third place finish.
SKINS:
Giant Skins: 2 -- Brett Hubbard, Alma, AR; Michael Hicks, Edmond, OK. 1 -- Daniel Cannon, Tulsa, OK; Brandon McCool, Edmond, OK; Bruce Callich, Checotah, OK; Sammie Martin, Elgin, OK; Ron Walker, Crescent, OK.
Championship / Palmer / Senior Palmer: 3 -- Brett Hubbard, Alma, AR. 2 -- Jimmy Westfall, Oklahoma City, OK. 1 -- Daniel Cannon, Tulsa, OK.
Hogan / Senior Hogan: 2 -- Brandon McCool, Edmond, OK; Frank Schield, Norman, OK; Michael Hicks, Edmond, OK; Bruce Callich, Checotah, OK. 1 -- Bob Hunter, Lee's Summit, MO.
Sarazen: 2 -- Stanley Emerson, Topeka, Kansas. 1 -- Dewayne Madison, Edmond OK; Tony Solano, Aurora, CO; Chad Wheeler, Muskogee, OK; Melvin Wilson III, Dallas, TX.
Jones: 4 -- Craig Merrill, Roland, AR. 2 -- Carl Eaton, Porter, TX; Don Risner, Bakersfield, CA. 1 -- Sammie Martin, Elgin, OK; Ron Walker, Crescent, OK.
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
