COM PET I T ION ROUN DU P
Voegeli makes sterling run in
State Amateur Jamie Voegeli is first mid-am to win State Amateur since 2006. by ken macleod
OWASSO – Aided by a caddie who put aside his own bitter disappointment at missing a golden opportunity to play his close friend in the final, Jamie Voegeli completed his improbable maiden journey in the Oklahoma Golf Association State Amateur Championship with a joyous champagne-soaked ending. The 31-year-old member of Meadowbrook Country Club and a sales engineer at T.D. Williamson birdied the 17th hole to complete a 3 and 1 victory over 18-year-old Charlie Jackson of Norman, who will begin his freshman season at Abilene Christian this fall. Voegeli navigated his first five matches on his own, but after losing the first hole and pushing his drive badly right, waved Tyler Hunt into his cart. Hunt moments earlier in the semifinals July 23 had been poised to defeat Jackson. He was 1 up hitting a 52-degree wedge from 117 yards over the canyon on the 18th hole at The Patriot, but hit a flyer that sailed over the green into trees and was never found. He lost that hole and the subsequent playoff hole with another lost ball, missing the chance GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020
to square off against his good friend and but was burned out on golf after college and played only a few rounds for the next frequent four-ball partner in the finals. five years. It was at the There was a stunning reinsistence of Hunt that versal of fortune in Voegehe started playing and li’s semifinal match as well. enjoying the game again. He trailed Jaxon Dowell The two teamed up to of Edmond by a shot on win the Tulsa Golf Assothe tee of the par-3 17th. ciation Four-Ball ChampiDowell pulled his tee shot onship in 2017 and have left and part way down a since played in numerous hill leading to a bogey. Tied events at their respecon 18, Dowell, who had hit tive clubs and around the nearly every fairway in five state. matches, pulled his tee shot “Tyler really is the realeft again and though he son I’m here,” Voegeli clambered into the canyon said. “He got me started to pitch his second shot playing again.” backwards, it again led to a The two both decided bogey and sent Voegeli into to enter the State Amathe finals. teur and joked when they “That was really dissaw the draw that the appointing because I feel only way they would get like I gave it away,” said to play each other was in Dowell, bound for the Jamie Voegeli and caddie the final. University of Oklahoma. Tyler Hunt. “I’m sorry I couldn’t hold “I missed my target a little up my end, but I’m so happy for Jamie,” left and it just kept going left.” Voegeli grew up in Muskogee and played Hunt said. After surviving the match against Dowfour years for Missouri Southern (2007-11), W W W.GOLFOKL AHOMA.ORG
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