Scott R Chilcutt, Norman, OK (August 20, 2011) The University of Oklahoma is no stranger to National Championships, with 7 NCAA Division I Football Titles. Just blocks from the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium sits the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club where today Oklahoma members had National Championships on their minds, Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships that is.
The Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club, collegiate home to current PGA Tour card carrying members, Anthony Kim, Glen Day, Grant Waite, Hunter Haas and Todd Hamilton, was our home for the Tour Oklahoma Championship. For many members on the Oklahoma tour this was the final opportunity to qualify for the Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships but tour year end prizes were also on the line this Saturday.
The original Perry Maxwell design, underwent a rework in 1996 by Robert E. Cupp and extensive renovations in preparation for the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and proved to be a great venue for an Oklahoma Tour as a record 65 members took to the first tee where the event saw five first time winners. 2008 Senior Hogan National Champion, Kelly Smith from Sentinel, OK took home his first Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Labor Finders firing a net 3 under par 69.
RESULTS:
Championship: Jeff Boyer from Oklahoma City made it six. Six wins for the year with a steady two over par 74, one birdie, three bogie's and the rest pedestrian pars. Sapulpa, OK member Curt Howard made it six as well. Six runner up spots on the year to go with a his lone win at the HOU - Redstone Spring Classic in February. Howard who went out in two over par, never really made a charge on Boyer but kept the 2nd place spot one stroke clear of Al Swanson from Edmond, OK. Swanson, playing in his 26th event (13 majors) on tour this 2011 point season punched his National Championship ticket in December 2010 by winning the Winter Championship in Orlando.
Palmer Flight: 35 year old Muskogee, OK resident D'Wayne Lowery couldn't have won his first tournament on the tour at a better time. With Lowery's win by one stroke over Allen Sawvel from Broken Arrow he snatched an invite to the National Championship at PGA West. Sawvel's round rolled along pretty well until taking a seven at the par three 12th still stayed in front of T3 players Lance Berland from Salina, KS and Yukon, OK member Joseph Hendrix. With the 3rd place finish, Hendrix qualified for the Nationals by finishing 2nd in the Callaway Order of Merit points.
Senior Palmer Flight: Traveling over 10,000 miles in 2010, Texhoma, TX member Mel Yates won his first event in his abbreviated 2011 schedule. Qualifying for the National Championship in March at the TEXAS OPEN at Horseshoe Bay Resort Yates played his sixth Oklahoma tour event firing a three over par 75 to stay two strokes clear of Tulsa, OK player Roland Lewis. Lewis, who qualified for the Nationals with his top 5 finish at the 2010 Senior National Championship at TPC Sawgrass, had an eagle and three birdies to wind up 4 strokes ahead of Hank Darcey from Oklahoma City. Darcey secured his Senior National Championship invite at the Doral Classic with a win in extra holes.
Hogan Flight: Another first time winner Bradley Uhles from Chickasha, OK needed extra holes to solidify his National Championship invite and flight champion trophy. Texas Masters at TPC San Antonio winner Brook Lister from Tulsa finished with pars on the final two holes to force the playoff but couldn't finish Uhles off. Bradley and Brook finished the round four strokes ahead of Del City, OK member Travis Klein and Ryan Cummings from Stillwater, OK. Cummings qualifies for the Nationals with a 2nd place Callaway Order of Merit point finish and a T-5 finish by Zack Whitlock from Tulsa, OK grabbed him the 2nd Half of the Year Points award.
Senior Hogan Flight: Kelly Smith from Sentinel, OK birdied the final two holes in regulation to force the second of two playoffs on the day with Tahlequah, OK member Jim Crawford. Smith already qualified for the Nationals trying to schedule in two more tournaments for eligibility prevailed in the extra holes. The pair would finish 4 strokes ahead of another Tahlequah member Mike Johnson. With Smith, Michael Hicks from Edmond, OK and Bill Copeland already qualified for the Nationals it opened up spots for Crawford, Johnson and fourth place finisher Bruce Callich of Checotah.
Sarazen Flight: The third in five first time winners on the day, Lawton, OK Jeff Banner narrowly edged out David Price from Pawhuska, OK despite Prices birdie on the final hole. Dallas tour members, Gabriel Brisco from Mesquite, TX and Arlington, TX player Ricky Gates tied up for the third spot with Player of the Year recipient Jay Williams from Van Buren, AR. With Banner's National qualification it opened up points invites to Price and Williams.
Senior Sarazen Flight: Bob Moreau from Plano, TX played the final nine holes in two over par to win his 2nd tournament of the year by one stroke over Robert Lakey from Sayre, OK. Lakey held the 2nd spot by two strokes over Frisco, TX player Jamie Sansom. Sansom would birdie the 17th to get him in a tie with Lakey but ran into trouble on the 18th finishing with a double bogey. Stan Wilson from Jones, OK would finish in 5th with enough points to pick up the 2nd half of the year top spot punching his ticket to the Nationals.
Jones Flight: Another first time National Championship qualifier, Crescent, OK member Ron Walker picked up his first win since March 2010 by one stroke over Dallas Tour member Burnie Rodgers from Haslet, TX. Fairview, OK player Kent Montgomery shot a 3 over par 39 on the back to stay two strokes ahead of fellow Dallas Tour members, Ron Hardy from Lewisville, TX and Garland, TX member Bob Eustice tied in the 4th spot.
Snead Flight: Shooting the best score of his Am Tour career, Edmond, OK player Mike Camp cleared the field by five strokes. Another two Dallas Tour members made there presence known when McKinney, TX Larry Tolson and Douglas Pritchett from Fort Worth finished second and third.
SKINS:
Championship /Palmer: 2 -- Al Swanson, Edmond, OK. 1 -- Brandon Henry, Pauls Valley, OK; Allen Sawvel, Broken Arrow, OK; Joseph Hendrix, Yukon, OK.
Senior Palmer: 3 -- Roland Lewis, Tulsa, OK. 2 -- Bill McConnell, Norman, OK; Mel Yates, Texhoma, TX. 1 -- James (Bud) Surber, Edmond, OK; Hank Darcey, Oklahoma City, OK.
Hogan Media: 2 -- Brook Lister, Tulsa, OK. 1 -- Tim Mathis, Edmond, OK; Ryan Cummings, Stillwater, OK; Todd Chapman, Tulsa, OK; Mitch Day, Perryton, TX.
Senior Hogan: 2 -- Kelly Smith, Sentinel, OK. 1 -- Bruce Callich, Checotah, OK; Mike Johnson, Tahlequah, OK; Michael Hicks, Edmond, OK.
Sarazen/Senior: 2 -- Ricky Gates, Arlington, TX; Jamie Sansom, Frisco, TX. 1 -- David Price, Pawhuska, OK; Stan Wilson, Jones, Ok; Robert Lakey, Sayre, OK; Bob Moreau, Plano, TX.
Jones / Snead: 2 -- Kent Montgomery, Fairview, OK. 1 -- Rick Henthorn, Yukon, OK; Ron Walker, Crescent, OK; Chris Manahan, Oklahoma City, OK.
Next Up - The Dallas Tour finishes off the year with its Tour Championship at Cowboy on August 28th. National Championship and Senior National Championship to be held September 17th - 27th at PGA WEST and La Quinta Resort & Club.
For more information:
Scott R Chilcutt
Tour Director
Dallas / Fort Worth - Oklahoma
GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467 - 972.302.9478
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