Golf in state hums along
As we get close to closing out 2024, it’s time for our annual look at the state of the game in Oklahoma and the ever-expanding impact our state is making on the national golf scene.
From a competitive standpoint, our cover story on Quade Cummins reflects the amazing continued success of Oklahoma juniors. Here’s a guy from a small town in western Oklahoma who by dint of incredibly hard work has earned a PGA Tour card for 2025. He grew up playing high school and Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour events and pretty much was completely unaware of the national events run by the American Junior Golf Association or the United States Golf Association. Yet here he is, joining Max McGreevy, Kevin Tway, Taylor Moore, Talor Gooch and Robert Streb as OJGT grads to reach the highest levels of professional golf.
next major championship to be held in the state. The hope of course is that Tiger Woods, in his second year of being eligible for the event, will want to continue to pursue USGA championships.
As for the next level, my prediction remains that the PGA Championship will return to Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa in 2032 and I would expect this announcement to be made before next summer. I’ve been wrong before, but probably not this time.
Quade Cummins is the latest OJGT grad on PGA Tour.
Most states our size are lucky to have one or two guys to cheer for at that level, we have all those plus more on the Korn Ferry Tour, in college and even high schools that have a great chance to join them. And this doesn’t even count all the great players who have adopted Oklahoma after coming here for college, like Rhein Gibson, Zach Bauchou, Michael Gellerman, Josh Creel, Chris Gotterup, Eugenio Chacarra and of course, Viktor Hovland, who can still frequently be found teeing it up at Oak Tree National.
The movers and shakers of golf in this state also continue to do a masterful job of bringing quality events to Oklahoma. Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club, with the hosting of the prestigious Stephens Cup this fall and the USGA Women’s Four-Ball next spring, is again showing off its Perry Maxwell gem to the world with national events. The Korn Ferry Tour remains in the state having switched from Jimmie Austin OU to The Patriot, where it will be a televised playoff event.
Longer term we have the 2027 U.S. Senior Open at Oak Tree National as the
Play at public courses and membership levels at private clubs both remain strong, perhaps not quite at their Covid peaks but the industry is rocking. Some rounds have leveled off just because other courses are back open. For example, the masterful $22-million restoration of KickingBird in Edmond, when completed drew rounds that had been going to the OKC public courses.
It’s good to see improvements continue at places like the public courses in Tulsa, where a bunker project begins this fall on the 36 holes at Page Belcher. Tulsa County now needs to figure out how to do the same at LaFortune Park, where the bunkers have been in disrepair for several years. In Bartlesville, historic Hillcrest Country Club is getting badly needed irrigation improvements while Adams Golf Course will close in late October for a complete rebuild of all 18 greens. Other improvement projects are ongoing throughout the state.
The new clubhouse at Earlywine Park in Oklahoma City opened this summer and it is really special. The city continues to invest in its facilities with another expansive new facility under way at Lake Hefner Golf Course.
The Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame will be announcing a truly outstanding class for 2025 in the spring. Stay tuned for that. And the Oklahoma Golf Trail continues to plan behind the scenes for a debut next year to bring golfers from other states here to enjoy the best of our diverse
See Publisher on page 17
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
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 Stanton kstanton@okgolf.org
Director of Handicapping and Course
Jay Doudican jdoudican@okgolf.org
Director of Junior Golf Kyle Flinton kflinton@okgolf.org
Director of Rules Bob Phelps bphelps@okgolf.org
"one of the most fulfilling municipal golf options in the country"
Bonaobra, Gregory are tops in OJGT
It was an exciting late summer/fall season for the Oklahoma Golf Association.
in the state when Oklahoma Golf & Country Club hosts the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball on May 10-14, 2025.
In the 110th Oklahoma Open, Owen Stamper, a former Middle Tennessee State golfer and Kentucky native, captured the title on the East Course at Oak Tree Country Club. His final-round 64 included four birdies and an eagle that gave him a 54-hole total of 196 and a four-stroke margin of victory – his first as a professional. His winner’s check was $10,000.
The Oklahoma Golf Association was proud to be involved in the USGA U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship held at Southern Hills Country Club on Aug. 5-11. Our OGA staff and volunteers were referees, starters and forward observers. We would like to recognize the staff at Southern Hills on its tireless work during the event as well as the members for being such gracious hosts. We would also like to congratulate Rianne Malixi for her exceptional play on the way to the title. We look forward to our next USGA Championship
The Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour (OJGT) has been in full swing this fall. The boys division has been dominated by Sam Bonaobra from Broken Arrow. He has three wins on the season, and has only finished outside the top 10 in one of his 10 events so far. There is a similar narrative with the girls division. Harlow Gregory from Norman has two victories and has yet to place lower than 10th in any event. We are proud to announce both of these individuals as our 2024 OJGT Players of the Year.
We still have a lot left on our calendar. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, we rescheduled our inaugural Net FourBall Championship for Oct. 21 at FireLake Golf Course in Shawnee. It should be a fun event and the golf course at FireLake is in fantastic shape. There will be three different divisions: Championship, Senior Men’s and Women’s.
The Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour (OJGT) team will be competing against the Texas Junior Golf Tour (TJGT) team in the 20th version of the Red River Team Challenge. It will take place at historic Dornick Hills Country Club in Ardmore on Oct. 26-27. The OJGT currently holds the cup and has a 10-9 series lead.
There also will be a Ryder Cup style event, the Red River Cup Matches, against the Texas Golf Association on Nov. 20-21 at the Territory Golf & CC in Duncan. The team members representing Oklahoma will be:
Mid-Ams: Harley Abrams, Kyle Hudelson, JR Hurley, Heath Myers, Cole Stephenson, Conrad Walcher, Austin Quinten, and Dustin Wigington.
Seniors: Blake Gibson, Mike Gotcher, Kirk Maynord, Ron Roden, Peter Vitali and Stephen Siegenthaler Women: Leigh Ann Fore, Jill Johnson, LeeAnn Fairlie and Michaela Dierinzo.
Our staff is currently working on the schedule for 2025. It should be released by early December. Please check OKgolf. org, and we hope you will play in an OGA event in 2025.
Ann Watkins WOGA friend and icon
The Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association lost a true friend in Ann Durand Watkins when she passed away on October 9 at the age of 76. Ann began her WOGA history in the 1960’s playing in the Girls’ Junior State Championship. Her commitment and support spanned over 65 years and she became an icon in the Oklahoma women’s golf world.
Ann was a fierce competitor in the WOGA Junior and State Amateur Championships, winning the WOGA Senior Championship in 2002. She was a 9 time Stillwater Country Club Champion and a 3 time Handicap Tournament Champion. She qualified for the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur in 2004.
president of the Stillwater Women’s Golf Association, assistant sports chair for the Central Women’s Golf Association and a big supporter of the OSU women’s golf program.
Our Ann was all about giving back. Over the years she was a WOGA Treasurer, a District Representative, a Fore State Captain, and a 15-year course rater. She was a volunteer at Stillwater High School as an assistant girls’ golf coach,
In 2004, she and Ann Pitts Turner made their dream a reality when the Women’s Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame was born. Under her leadership, 21 inductees were honored. Ann should have been included as an inductee but she would not allow it! She never wanted honors, recognition or personal gain. She was all about the success of the organization.
Ann’s interests did not stop at the golf course as she was a member of the Stillwater Domestic Violence Council that covers a tri-county service area. She was a part
of this council since its inception in 1997 and worked tirelessly for youth in Stillwater and surrounding communities. These programs included junior golf, little league baseball, softball, football and soccer, and she offered sponsorships of the programs to insure every youth had the opportunity to participate.
For a lifetime, her husband, Eddie, and Ann were each other’s best friend and biggest supporters. They have 2 sons, Chad and Jeff, and 7 grandchildren; Caleb, Rand, Chloe, Garrett, Brevan, Brinlee and Gentri who brought her endless joy.
Ann, you were an inspiration to us all and will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Eddie and the family.
WOMEN’S OKLAHOMA GOLF ASSOCIATION
LOUISE BLUMENTHAL JOHNSON President WOGA
Ann Watkins with Louise.
Ann Watkins
Sam Bonaobra Harlow Gregory
Playing by the Rules
For the past couple of years, I have written on various rules topics trying to educate golfers on how to properly apply the rules. However, for most golfers, a strict adherence to the rules of golf is not important. They simply want to get out on the course, enjoy the outdoors, and hopefully make a par or two. And many others are being drawn to the game through non-traditional forms like TopGolf and indoor simulator golf, where the rules of golf either don’t apply or are automatically applied. So, while I work in tournament golf and must know and apply the rules of golf properly during our tournaments, I truly do not care if someone I play with improves their lie, drops a ball in the fairway for a ball OB, or gives themselves four-foot putts. I want more people to enjoy this game in the way that brings the most enjoyment to you. But, for the small percentage of golfers who either must play by the rules of golf or simply want to play by the rules of golf, the following are a couple of situations where I see a lot of mistakes made and encourage you to study up on over the off-season.
NEAREST POINT OF COMPLETE RELIEF
Most players recognize when they are in a free relief situation. Very few understand how to properly determine the one spot on the course, the nearest point of complete relief, that must be determined first. This spot will determine the size and shape of the area where the player must drop the ball. And this spot can be different for different people depending on whether the player is right or left-handed, the direction of play, the type of shot, etc. Start with the following video to gain a better understanding of determining the Nearest Point of Complete Relief: Rules of Golf Explained (2023): Nearest Point Of Complete Relief (youtube.com)
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A BALL IN MOTION IS DEFLECTED OR WHEN A BALL AT REST IS MOVED
a ball at rest that is moved is replaced 99 percent of the time. But there are exceptions, and it depends on what part of the golf course the ball lies so there is confusion with players. Please study Rule 9 for a better understanding of what to do the next time your ball at rest moves. Rule 11 covers those situations where your ball in motion is deflected. And even expert certified rules officials will refer to the book when dealing with these situations. But the rule of thumb is still true most of the time, a ball in motion that is accidentally deflected is always played from where it comes to rest except when the deflection happens after a stroke from the putting green. The two main questions to ask yourself the next time your ball is deflected; 1) Did the deflection happen on the putting green or elsewhere, 2) Was the deflection accidental or deliberate. Your answer will be in Rule 11 but reading and understanding it will make your head spin.
Rocking With the Golden Oldies
by tom bedell
“Gulliver’s Travels” author Jonathan Swift usually gets the credit for the line, “Everything old is new again.” For our purposes this issue, we’ll merely thank two publishers for reissuing three books that are old and older, but remain vibrant and rewarding classics, must-haves in any respectable golf library.
They may be on your shelf already, but each of the three are in new editions with some additional material along with the original, and in a word, they’re all marvelous.
I’ve expressed my admiration for Michael Bamberger’s books in these pages several times, and never having read his early work, “To the Linksland” (Avid Reader Press, $30). was happy to receive a new 30th Anniversary Edition, which comes with a foreword by Michael Murphy of “Golf in the Kingdom” fame, and an afterword by Bamberger that updates us on some of the characters in the book.
even more pages about it all and left readers satisfied. But that’s only the half of it.
In trying to find the spark that once existed in his own game, Bamberger leaves the tour and the couple settles for a time in Scotland. He seeks out John Stark, the pro at the Crieff Golf Club whom a tour player had put him on to as a master teacher. Stark takes Bamberger on and the book takes off on more adventures.
Stark, who teaches in a gnomic, Shivas Irons kind of way, sends Bamberger off to classic courses like Cruden Bay, Royal Dornoch, Machrihanish, while taking him to Auchnafree, a six-hole course built by a shepherd and which seems like a portal to another world.
An enchanting world, too, as anyone fully under the spell of golf knows.
Bamberger has the religion, and he puts it to magical good use here.
THE DEFINITIVE EDITION
I say characters, since the book reads like a novel, but it’s not. The people mentioned are real, even if there’s an almost mythical tone (like Murphy’s book, which is a novel) to this account of Bamberger’s journey abroad to caddie on the European Tour, and then roam around Scotland in search of his lost golfing self.
Bamberger was lucky in love; his newlywed wife, Christine, quit her job in New York advertising while he took a leave of absence from his Philadelphia Inquirer post so they could throw caution to the winds for the year’s odyssey, which took them all around Europe. Bamberger talked a journeyman pro, an American named Peter Teravainen, into letting him caddie for a round, and it went well enough that it became a regular gig.
Teravainen is such a quirky and compelling figure, and the logistics of caddying and traveling on the tour often downright comedic, that Bamberger could have filled
In one talk with Bamberger, Stark mentions how Hogan came to Scotland for his sole Open Championship win in 1953 (one of his nine majors) and changed the game there forever with his analytic dissection of Carnoustie.
Four years later, with the assistance of writer Herbert Warren Wind and artist Anthony Ravielli, Hogan put down in print the basics of his swing. It started out as a five-part series in the relatively young magazine, Sports Illustrated. It worked out well for all. The series was enormously popular, which led to the book, and as far as I know, “Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf,” has never since been out of print.
Trevino noting how he devoured the series while on a marine troop ship sailing from San Diego to Yokohama. It made an impact. When the eventual six-time major winner wrote his own instructional book, “Groove Your Swing My Way,” he dedicated it to Hogan.
What’s in the new edition? The five lessons, of course, with the original text and Ravielli’s incisive drawings: The Grip Stance and Posture
The First Part of the Swing The Second Part of the Swing Summary and Review
Hogan was a supreme tactician, notorious for practicing hours at a time. As far as the lessons go, readers will find them useful or abstruse, or both. A little minutiae goes a long way, but all five lessons are presented in a tidy 109 pages, buttressed by Hogan’s all caps belief: THE AVERAGE GOLFER IS ENTIRELY CAPABLE OF BUILDING A REPEATABLE SWING AND BREAKING 8O.
This “average golfer” shows up quite a bit throughout the text, and if his attention starts to wander, Hogan does drop in a few biographical and playing anecdotes to enliven matters.
But what this edition really delivers on is a new section called “History, Context and Legacy” that adds almost 100 pages of old and new articles and appreciations about Hogan — columns by Red Smith, Dan Jenkins, Dave Anderson and, what do you know, Michael Bamberger. There’s an interview with Ken Venturi, and an introduction from James Dodson’s book “Ben Hogan: An American Life.” There’s even a John Garrity nod to Herbert Warren Wind, one of the more elegant writers on the game.
DARWIN ON GOLF
Now we have “The Definitive Edition” from Avid Reader Press ($28.99), which includes a new introduction from Lee
An apt essay not in the book is “That Small Colossus: Hogan at Carnoustie,” a 1954 piece by England’s Bernard Darwin (“… here was such a player as occurs only once in a generation or indeed once in a lifetime...”). Luckily, it can be found in
“Bernard Darwin on Golf” (Lyons Press, $26.95), edited by Jeff Silverman.
When it first appeared more than 20 years ago, Travel & Leisure Golf magazine called it the best golf book of all time.
Silverman, who is here in a new edition with a new preface (and a foreword by Brad Faxon), knows it has little to do with him, and everything to do with Darwin, the most elegant writer on the game. And, yes, the grandson of Charles Darwin, but with a scant allotment of any of his ancestor’s scientific genes, a subject of one of the early pieces in this generous collection of almost 80 of his essays.
Darwin was relentless in his regularity; the pieces are culled from weekly golf columns he wrote for The Times and Country Life magazine from 1907 into the late 1950’s, as well as from other magazine pieces and his books.
Darwin was a good player himself and all the pieces are informed by his love of and deep understanding of the sport. But he knew the game can be fickle. He writes with a certain British gentility, to be sure, poised and calm, but shot through with a bracing dry wit and self-deprecation.
The graceful prose is a sheer pleasure to read — a literary delight, really, that will also up your literary game. The essays are replete with literary allusions that will surely have you dashing to Google. But most of them will have something to do with Dickens’ characters; Darwin was also an expert Dickensian.
He writes about the greats of his time — Hogan, Bobby Jones, Francis Ouimet — great courses, course architecture and course etiquette, the travails of the high handicapper, and in a particularly poignant closing piece, about giving up the game (in his case, due to arthritis). But the particular topic almost doesn’t matter. If you love golf, you’ll know you’re in good hands.
Tom Bedell has to give up the game each year due to winter. Good books help him through.
Hoyo de Monterrey Collection 2024 Rojo
by mike crabtree & laramie navrath
General Cigar is introducing two new cigars to its portfolio, the Hoyo de Monterrey 2024 Collection Rojo and Oscuro. The launch of these cigar blends pays respect and honors the brand’s deep-seated foundation in Honduras.
The move signals a new beginning and zeal for the brand which has been a staple throughout the last 60 years, especially with the Excalibur line. These two new cigars are rolled at STG factory in Danli, Honduras.
This review dives into the Rojo blend which has a beautiful reddishbrown wrapper grown in the Jamastran Valley region of Honduras. The cigar contains a Nicaraguan binder with fillers from the Dominican, Honduras and Nicaragua. This blend is an attempt to mirror its Cuba counterpart with strength and
complexity that is consistent from beginning to completion.
The Hoya de Monterrey Rojo toro has plenty of flavor, with medium-bodied notes of dark fruit, citrus, nuttiness, and a bit of earth. Nice spicy notes linger on the pallet with every puff.
The body of the cigar remains a solid medium in strength from start to finish. It has great construction with no need for any touch-ups to the foot. This cigar is great for the golf course and comes in a friendly 10-count box.
The Hoyo Rojo Toro is gentle on the wallet with a price point under $8 a cigar, making it a must-have for a cigar enthusiast.
Great Gifts for Golfers
by ed travis
It’s not too early to start thinking about that perfect gift for the golfer on your list.
Golf Oklahoma’s staff, all of us being golfers, have thought about it and come up with a few items we like and wouldn’t mind receiving ourselves.
We hope our choices will help you zero in on just the right item and if nothing else at least gives you an idea of the categories you might want to consider.
Blue Tees Series 4 Ultra Laser Rangefinder: We like the Series 4 Ultra since it does everything you want by making use of the latest technology, including an OLED display with brightness control for the 6x magnification view. The case is weather resistant, easy to grip, and the buttons including slope on/off are well placed. The flaglock feature works out to 350 yards with the display featuring auto-focus and autodepth and the case magnet facilitates attaching to a cart. $299
Callaway Apex Ai300 Irons: The Apex Ai300 irons for recreational players have a hollow cavity back body of forged 1020 steel that includes internal weighting placed during manufacture by the MIM (Metal Injected Molding) technique. They use the latest version of Callaway’s Ai Smart Face which was designed using artificial intelligence software on a supercomputer and the sole has a shaped profile to smooth turf interaction at impact. $200 per club
G/FORE Daytona Plus Stand Bag: Looks may not be a part of the decision to buy a new bag, but they don’t hurt and the Daytona Plus not only looks good but has the features you want. Manufac-
tured from high grade polyurethane, it weighs 4.65 pounds with a four-way top and a specially designed rotator stand for stability. The convertible double strap is self-adjusting, and the neoprene hip panel gives all-day comfort. Six pockets plus umbrella holder. $375
MGI Ai 500 Electric Caddy:
If you are looking for the latest in high-tech walking carts, the Ai 500 Electric Caddy is worth considering. Weight with the battery is 31 pounds and it folds by moving a single lever. The 4-inch GPS screen is easy to see, even in strong sunlight, and shows distances to selected parts of the course with 40,000 detailed course maps available using the free MGI app that is included plus the Ai 500 connects via Bluetooth to your phone. $1,449
Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal Irons: The updated Hot Metal family includes the HL model engineered to satisfy the needs of slow-to- moderate swing speed players. The cast nickel chromoly 4335 body has a large cavity back which redis- tributed weight to the perimeter, and the variable thickness face cup of stainless steel uses the company’s elliptical Cortech design which is 30 percent thinner than previous models and produces more flex at impact. $150 per club
PING Hoofer Monsoon: It rains on the golf course and knowledgeable players want a bag that will keep clubs and valuables dry and still is easy to carry like the Monsoon stand bag from PING. It is water repellent but as importantly its six pockets are seam-sealed, and the rain hood is tethered for quick access. The 5-way top separates your clubs for access whether the bag is on your shoulder or standing.
The Monsoon
weighs only 5.5 pounds. $330
Shot Scope GPS Watch X5 Stealth Black: The X5 has a large color touchscreen that’s bright enough to be read in full sunlight and displays GPS distances plus a green view and adjustable pin placement for any of the preloaded 36,000 worldwide courses.
Hazard yardages are shown to the front and to carry and there is a digital scorecard. Users will like the X5 comes with 16 shot tracking tags for recording 100 statistics of each round. $300
Sun Mountain Ridgeline 3 Push
Cart: It’s become common to walk a round of golf with your bag on a push cart and Sun Mountain, a leader in this category for years, has the Ridgeline 3 model which we really like. It weighs just 18 pounds., folds quickly and easily to 26” x 15” x 16.5” for transporting in your car’s trunk. The upper bracket fits all size bags, and the three wheels have stainless steel bearings and are spaced for stability on any terrain. $350
TaylorMade P-770
& P-
7CB Irons: Here’s an addition to the TaylorMade iron lineup targeted for better players. The compact cavity back design head of forged P-7CBs have a co-forged tungsten toe weight and the P-770s use a forged carbon steel head and a stainless-steel face with tungsten weighting. Since both have a similar appearance at address and the stock lofts are close to being the same, composite sets are a good possibility. $200 per club.
Titleist GT Series Drivers: The GT Series consists of three models targeting players of varying skill levels and we ze-
Series 4 Ultra
TaylorMade P-770 & P-7CB irons
Ridgeline Push Cart
roed in on the game-improvement GT2. It has a wraparound crown of carbon fiber and an engineered polymer that significantly reduces weight. Internal weighting is rear and low in the head for improved stability, more initial spin and higher launch. The variable thickness face is surrounded with a titanium ring to enhance ball speed. $650
Tour Edge Exotics
E725 Driver: This new driver for recreational players has extremely high MOI or resistance to twisting at impact, just what average golfers need to help straighten out their tee shots. The 18g movable weight located in the rear skirt can be adjusted to one of three different positions for ball curvature bias — fade, draw, neutral. The clubhead has carbon fiber crown with a titanium perimeter and the face is a variable thickness design. $400
Patriot thrilled to host Compliance Solutions Championship
by ken macleod
The new Compliance Solutions Championship will be held Oct. 2-5, 2025, at The Patriot in Owasso and will be third leg of the four-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals, it was announced at a press conference on Sept. 13 at The Patriot.
It will have a 120-player field competing for a $1.5 million purse – half as large as a normal KFT event. The field will be cut to the low 65 following Friday’s round. All four rounds will be televised by The Golf Channel, a key factor for Compliance Solutions CEO Mark Lammert in his decision to move the event from its two-year run at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Course in Norman in June to the fall in northeastern Oklahoma. The new contract with the Patriot is for three years.
to The Patriot. Folds of Honor joined the 2024 event as one of two official charities along with Autism Oklahoma.
“We are thrilled about the future of the Compliance Solutions Championship at its home in Owasso,” Lammert said. “We look forward to expanding our partnership with Folds of Honor and Lt. Col. Dan Rooney as we continue to bring world-class golf to the state of Oklahoma.”
Patriot founding partner and tournament chairman Sanjay Meshri said the club was thrilled to have the event and credited Lt. Col. Dan Rooney of the Folds of Honor Foundation with being the key driving force behind the move from Jimmie Austin
The switch to the fall and the television package will mean far greater exposure for Lammert’s company, which provides detailed tax solutions to companies of all sizes, as well as for the Folds of Honor, which has now awarded more than 51,000 scholarships totaling around $240 million to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled military or first responders since Rooney, a former fighter jet pilot and a PGA professional, started the foundation in 2007.
Should all subsidiary sponsorships be
See Patriot on page 16
Dan Rooney
Titleist GT2 Driver
Tour Edge E725 Driver
Jerry Benedict
THOUGHT HE COULD AND WAS USUALLY RIGHT
by ken macleod
The Brush Hogs, as they were known, are no longer sweeping in chips and putts from everywhere or keeping the bartender up late while the cards fly.
With the August retirement of Jerry Benedict, now 78, after 38 years of service at Adams Golf Course in Bartlesville, one of the colorful subsets of PGA professionals to roam Oklahoma has seen its last active member call it a day.
Benedict, Fred Forbes of Lakeside in Stillwater, Dan Pryor of Stillwater Country Club, Brent Goodger of Oak Tree National in Edmond, Vince Bizik of Cherokee Grove and a handful of others were in the group that would gather at section tournaments and events throughout the state. Forbes said they were called the Brush Hogs because they mostly couldn’t hit it very far or straight but all had good short games and could brush in putts like crazy.
“We had a lot of good times,” Forbes said. “Jerry was a good pro and a good player. We spent many hours on putting greens, been to a lot of tournaments, played a lot of cards. He did a great job for the folks in Bartlesville and the golfers at Adams.”
Benedict moved to Oklahoma after playing golf for Ferris State in Big Rapids, Mich., for two years, and walked on to an Oklahoma State team coached by LaBron Harris Sr. and featuring players such as Oklahoma Golf Hall of Famers Doug Tewell and Danny Edwards. He didn’t get in
many tournaments but he learned a lot from his coach and teammates.
An early stint as an assistant to Mark Kizziar at Adams was followed by 11 years as the head pro at Westwood Park in Norman. There his gang held court in a little bar where a young Toby Keith would play.
“Goodger said maybe we ought to back that guy,” Benedict said with a rueful smile.
The head professional job at Adams came open when Kizziar left for the PGA of America. Benedict was torn about leaving Norman, but the Westwood job was mostly commission with no salary. Forbes set him straight.
renovations in which the city invested, but not for the next one. Adams will close this winter to rebuild all 18 of its bent grass greens.
“Fred made me go back up there,” Benedict said. “He told me it was a hell of a contract.”
Benedict led the operation at Adams for 38 years. He was in charge, receiving all revenue from green fees, cart fees, pro shop, restaurant and lessons but also was responsible for all expenses, including staff, purchasing carts, maintenance budget, etc. The city is currently evaluating how it will operate going forward.
The pro and the course, one of the more entertaining public courses in the state, are now intertwined in history. Benedict was there for all the major course
“Adams is a special place and so is Bartlesville,” Benedict said. “The city has invested and we’ve raised a lot of money through private donations. From a conditioning standpoint, it was not good when I came back but we’ve made a lot of progress over the years.”
Adams has a dedicated group of senior golfers who can be seen picking crabgrass out of the greens by hand among other volunteer efforts. It has a strong men’s and women’s golf association as well.
The course is solid, although Benedict bemoans that many of the trees he planted years ago are now being removed in the name of sunlight and air flow. A couple of holes have a creek that intersects the fairway more times than makes sense, but otherwise it’s always a treat.
Living in a house by the 17th green, Benedict and his wife raised three boys, including two prominent in the golf business in Oklahoma. Luke is a rep for EZ Go and lives in Owasso, while Nate is the pro at Briarbrook Golf Course in Carl Junction, Mo. Brandon works for Patterson Drilling in Spring, Texas.
Benedict has lived his life by the credo of
Jerry Benedict loves to play with his friends and fellow pros.
Jerry Benedict ready for action.
his favorite poem, Thinking, by Walter D. Wintle, an otherwise obscure 19th century poet, and it’s one he is happy to recite on demand.
“If you think you are beaten, you are If you think you dare not, you don't, If you like to win, but you think you can't It is almost certain you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost For out of the world we find, Success begins with a fellow's will It's all in the state of mind. If you think you are outclassed, you are You've got to think high to rise, You've got to be sure of yourself before You can ever win a prize.
Life's battles don't always go To the stronger or faster man, But soon or late the man who wins Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!”
Benedict always thought he could and he
ADAM S COURSE NOTES
All 18 greens at Adams Golf Courses in Bartlesville will be rebuilt beginning in November. The new greens will be designed by Conor Cummings of Heckenkemper Golf and constructed by JonesPlan of Tulsa. Cummings said the construction work will be done over the winter and the new bent grass greens seeded in the spring with the course reopening at some point in the summer of 2025.
The work will also involve some tree
MB_3893-Ad_Golf OK_Tee Time.pdf 1 3/18/24 1:05 PM
MATTERS AT MABREY
strategic and fit the natural settings. They will not be as heavily contoured as say the new greens that he designed recently for John Conrad in Midwest City a year ago.
Since Benedict’s retirement, the course has been managed by Jason Dochney, an assistant at Adams since 2021. He said the city has formed an advisory board and also hired golf analyst JJ Keegan to help it determine whether to replace Benedict with a PGA pro or to turn management over to an outside golf management company, a tactic
YOU MATTER AT MABREY
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Adams Golf Course about to get all new greens
sold, including a $750,000 presenting sponsorship and five Proud Patriot sponsorships of $350,000 each as well as other less expensive corporate opportunities, the tournament should raise over $1 million for the charities, Meshri said. In return, the Folds of Honor will help the tournament by providing office space and other amenities at its new corporate headquarters next door.
Meshri and his team along with Lucas Fox, the tournament director with HNS Sports Group, the Dublin, Ohio-based tournament operations and event management team hired by Lammert to run the last event at Jimmie Austin and continuing on, are already busy planning how to hurdle logistical challenges inherent in running a PGA Tour-level event at The Patriot.
The majority of the fan and corporate experience will be centered around holes 7-12 as well as 17 and 18. The Patriot, which opened in 2010 after numerous delays due to flooding and other challenges, is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design with most of the detailed on-site work done by his associate Jay Blasi. One of the most scenic courses in Oklahoma, it swoops through deep canyons and upland prairie settings. Golfers and caddies will likely have to be
shuttled from the first tee to the first fairway far below and from the 16th green to the 17th tee up a massive hill. Spectators will likely have to stop at the 13th tee on the back nine unless a way is found to
park and enter below on 46th Street North, which would put some spectators on the par-5 15th and 16th holes.
“There are some challenges but we have time to figure them all out,” Fox said.
Lammert said in his remarks at the press conference that Jack Nicklaus, who attended the event this summer at Jimmie Austin, would return. HNS Sports Group also operates The Memorial in Dublin, the tournament Nicklaus founded in 1976. He also said the tournament would be provid-
ing free Braum’s ice cream, a popular feature this year, as well as Coney dogs from Coney I-Lander.
The Tulsa area, led by Southern Hills Country Club, has strongly embraced golf events, including of late the 2021 PGA Senior Championship and 2022 PGA Championship, both at Southern Hills, and a LIV Golf event at Cedar Ridge CC in Broken Arrow in 2023. The USGA held the 2024 Women’s Amateur Championship at Southern Hills. It is expected the PGA of America will announce a sixth PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
The event will be a huge one for players with Oklahoma ties battling for top-30 spots which will earn PGA Tour cards in 2026 and for those looking to keep full KFT status for the next year.
Involved in the Korn Ferry playoffs in 2024 were Oklahomans Quade Cummins and Max McGreevy, whoe went on to earn their PGA Tour cards, as well as Zach Bauchou, Morgan Hoffmann, Rhein Gibson, Kris Ventura, Josh Creel, Brendon Jelley, Tag Ridings, Robert Streb, Logan McAllister, Garrett Reband and Patrick Welch.
Go to www.compliancesolutionschampionship.com for more information on ticket, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities.
Sanjay Meshri The Patriot Tournament Chair
Mark Lammert Compliance Solutions CEO
News around the state sponsored by
Pfefferkorn is 2024 Everett Dobson Award winner Basford is headed to Augusta National
Angelica Pfefferkorn walked on to the Oklahoma State women’s golf team knowing her odds of playing much were slim. She was consistently shooting in the high 70s or low 80s, hardly the scores that would benefit a team with the competitive aspirations of the Cowgirls.
By her senior season, however, Pfefferkorn, through diligent hard work during and outside team practice hours, had improved enough to move into the starting lineup and be a vital contributor. And she did this while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average in a premed degree program and serving as a volunteer for numerous organizations.
“Her story is truly amazing,” said OSU coach Greg Robertson.
in 2019 to see if she could be a walk-on. He let her know how difficult the road ahead would be for her to earn playing time.
“We told her there were no guarantees and frankly she was way behind the others when she came in,” Robertson said. “But she just kept working and getting better.”
Pfefferkorn said her teammates were her inspiration and what allowed her to make the progression she made.
Previous Everett Dobson Award winners
2023: Natalie Gough; Oklahoma City University, Mikaela Rindermann; Southwestern Oklahoma State University
2022: Kaylee Petersen, Northeastern State University
2021: Kaitlin Milligan, University of Oklahoma
2020: Sydney Youngblood, University of Oklahoma
“She didn’t get in the lineup for three years and knew she wasn’t going to be a pro. But she kept working and working to get better. Last year she really helped us get through regionals and into the NCAA Championship.”
2019: Elizabeth Freeman, Oklahoma Christian University
“Honestly the girls were so motivating to be around,” she said. “They were my best friends and a huge motivating factor. They were so kind and celebrated every player’s individual wins, whether that was in competition or just making improvement.
2018: Rylee Reinerston, University of Oklahoma
2017: Drew Posada, Oklahoma Baptist University
2016: Jordan Niebrugge, Oklahoma State University
“I knew my end goal wasn’t to play professionally, I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was a little girl. But I really wanted to play and contribute and that’s what drove me.“
Wyatt Basford of Tuttle dominated the Boys 12-13 division of the Drive, Chip and Putt regionals at Fields Ranch in Frisco, Texas, to earn a spot in the DCP Finals on April 6 at Augusta National just prior to the 2025 Masters.
Basford, who is 12 and a seventhgrader at AmberPocasset School, won his division by 30 points. His total score was a 163 (63 on driving, 30 on chipping and 70 on putting).
He was the only competitor from the PGA South Central Section (Oklahoma, Arkansas, southern Kansas) to advance to the finals.
Basford, who plays out of Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club in Norman, is a force in PGA Junior League and South Central Section junior events. His other main hobby besides golf is showing pigs through the AmberPocasset 4-H Club.
PUBLISHER cont. from page 6
Pfefferkorn was named recently as the winner of the 2024 Everett Dobson Award by the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame. The Dobson Award is a $5,000 cash award that goes to help a recent graduate of an Oklahoma college or university get a start in their post-graduate career. Pfefferkorn is currently back in her home state of Indiana working for an ophthalmologist while applying to medical schools.
“Oklahoma has so many talented young people that have been influenced by the game of golf.,” said Lew Erickson, chair of the scholarship committee for the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame. “What Angelica accomplished while obtaining her degree at OSU was remarkable. We are proud to award her the 2024 Everett Dobson Award.”
“With so many quality applicants it is always a tough choice for the committee,” said Hall of Fame chairman Tom Jones. “Angelica is an outstanding pick by the committee and she has a great future.”
Robertson originally recruited Pfefferkorn at Carmel, Ind., when he was at Kent State and she contacted him when he took the OSU job
She was put on scholarship in 2022 and made 11 starts as a senior, shooting a careerlow 66 in the Jim West Challenge and making seven birdies in the final round of the regional tournament in East Lansing.
In addition to golf and school, she volunteers for numerous organizations related to both golf and medicine.
About The Everett Dobson Award:
The Everett Dobson Award is named for the Oklahoma City businessman, philanthropist and avid golfer and champion of the game who provided the initial impetus and funding to start the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame.
Dobson, who played his collegiate golf at Southwestern Oklahoma State and is a former president of the Oklahoma Golf Association, is the owner of Oak Tree National, among other business and philanthropical interests.
Criteria for the award include that the recipient should exemplify strong citizenship, sportsmanship and character – attributes that the OGHOF believes are engendered by the game of golf. Golf accomplishments are considered, but are not the sole or determining factor for this Award.
course offerings.
Another huge story in golf for 2024 has been the rise of simulator driven off-course facilities. While the threestory GolfSuites facility in Tulsa closed, the Creek nation simultaneously opened indoor bays at its new sports bar in the River Spirit Casino.
And the Tulsa area has seen the advent of indoor facilities such as Birdie Bay, Twisted Tee, Scratch Golf and Super Fly Golf Lounge joining the established Tour Quality Golf as options for those who prefer to play inside.
In the OKC area, a Five Iron facility will open this fall in El Reno and a Swing Zone is under construction in Edmond. There are rumors that a Pop Stroke, the outdoor putting facilities owned by Tiger Woods, will be built though the company is currently denying that there is a contract.
All in all, more and more Oklahomans are finding enjoyment in the game and our options to do so are ever increasing. Those are all good things.
Angelica Pfefferkorn
Wyatt Basford
SBERNING
LINCOLN PARK TO GOLF IMMORTALITY
usie Maxwell Berning, who passed away Oct. 2 at 83, was a member of the first class in 2005 of what was then the Women’s Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame, later merging with the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame. You can see her induction video at www.oklahomagolfhof.org.
Louise Blumenthal Johnson, the current president of the Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association, said Maxwell-Berning was an icon for golfers in Oklahoma and throughout the world.
“She was an icon, a mentor and an absolute friend to everyone in Oklahoma,” Johnson said. “She was an inspiration to all of us as she managed to play on the tour, raise a family and win multiple championships, all at the same time.”
Most know the story of how young Susie Maxwell came to be tutored by legendary Lincoln Park Golf Course head professional U.C. Ferguson. She owned two horses on her family’s rented property near Lincoln Park, and riding and caring for them was her passion. One got loose and decided to roam the course. Mounted on her other horse, she gave chase and the two managed to churn up several of the greens in the process.
After the grounds crew threatened to call the police and Ferguson severely scolded her, Susie begged to be allowed to caddie, like her brothers Roger and Bill, to work off
her debt. Ferguson had a different idea. He volunteered to give her lessons if she would take up the game. So Lincoln Park became her home away from home as she played and practiced continuously.
Susie’s favorite practice area was on the Lincoln Park grounds on a hill overlooking a creek. Retrieving her own balls she had saved up, she would endlessly practice, trying to keep from having to wade in the creek for errant shots. She also chipped and putted on what she called “the slowest green in the world.”
Perhaps practicing so much on rough conditions toughened her for a career that included three U.S. Open Championships and four majors overall among her 11 victories on the LPGA Tour.
She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2021 along with Tiger Woods, architect Marion Hollins and former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.
“I’m extremely honored,” Maxwell Berning, 78, said at the time. “Frankly I never thought it would happen to me. To be in the Hall with Mickey (Wright), Judy (Rankin) and Patty (Sheehan), all great friends, is quite an honor.”
It was another Patty who, along with Ferguson, inspired Susie to make golf a career. Soon after Ferguson showed her the fundamentals he called her to a clinic Patty Berg was giving at the course.
“Watching her made me think that hey, there’s really something to this game,” Maxwell Berning said.
Her hard work paid off quickly as she won three consecutive high school titles before going off to play on the men’s team at Oklahoma
City University. Now recognized as the top NAIA women’s program with eight national championships since 2005, there was no women’s team at that time. Coach Abe Lemons, better known for his wit and basketball playing and coaching, listed her as S. or Sam Maxwell when going to tournaments.
“Abe was great, a wonderful sense of humor,” Maxwell Berning said. “He would drive the van to the tournaments and we would have a great time. The boys would be surprised when they found out S. Maxwell was a girl, but they were mostly all right with it.”
After college she received an invitation from then-Southern Hills professional Doug Smith to come up and practice at the famous course. A member put her up in an apartment and her game really began to blossom. She won the Oklahoma Women’s Amateur Championship in 1963 and entered her first LPGA event – the Muskogee Civitan Open in 1964, finishing eighth and collecting a much-needed $450. She came back in 1965 and won the tournament for her first tour victory and also that year won the Women’s Western Open, then considered an LPGA major championship. She won twice in 1967 and broke through with her first U.S. Open Championship in 1968, shooting 5-over to defeat Wright by three shots at Moselem Springs Golf Club in Fleetwood, Pa. She thrived on tight, difficult courses where par was a good standard, winning the Open again in 1972 at Winged Foot and 1973 at Rochester CC. She said she won a total of $16,000 for those three Open victories.
“I didn’t make a lot of birdies, but on the tougher courses I made a lot of pars,” she said. “And I was a good putter, particularly on fast greens and especially when the putt was for par."
Edmond Junior Golf Hall of Fame to induct seven
The Edmond Junior Golf Hall of Fame has announced a class of seven new individual inductees and one great team from the past for its Class of 2024.
The 2024 induction ceremony is 6 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Event Center at KickingBird Golf Course in Edmond.
Go www.edmondjuniorgolf. org to purchase tickets.
School (2020); Austen Fuller of Edmond North (2011); Sam Humphreys of Edmond North (2014); Zac Schaefer of Oklahoma Christian School (2014); Olivia Schmidt of Bishop McGuinness (2018) and Connor Wilson of Edmond North (2018).
Mike McGraw
The evening will be emceed by Baylor men’s golf coach and Edmond junior golf legend Mike McGraw.
Scheduled for induction in this class are Jordan Cook of Edmond Memorial, class of 2005; Jaxon Dowell of Oklahoma Christian
Also honored is the 1995 state champion Edmond North boys team coached by McGraw. Members were Chris James, Kurtis Ronck, MaCrae Brunker, Scott Kennedy, Derrick Taylor, Tosh Hays, Dustin Freeman, Greg (Bubba) Hart, Matt Moore, Brandon Pearson, J.J. Belcoff, Tyler Willey, Bryan Schones, and Ryan Butts.
Already in the Hall as individuals from
that team are James, Brunker and Hays.
The Edmond Junior Golf Hall of Fame is run by the Bill Nicklas Memorial Junior Golf Foundation.
The Foundation was started in 1992 upon Nicklas’ passing by his family, friends, junior golfers and their parents to continue his legacy of avidly supporting junior golf.
The 2024 Bill Nicklas Award for contributions to junior golf will go to Craig Benjamin.
Steve and Todd McCollum at Edmond Golf Store have housed the Wall of Fame for the past 29 years. The Wall will be moving soon to the Event Center at KickingBird.
Tickets for the evening are $75. Click on the Hall of Fame tab on the website to register.
BustaJack vs. Burly Boys
at The Battlefield at Shangri-La
Shangri-La Resort has scheduled what should be a fun and entertaining event highlighting the latest golf craze, the power of YouTube golf.
The Battlefield Shootout will be held Oct. 26 on The Battlefield, the resort’s scenic and award-winning par-3 course. One team will boast former University of Oklahoma stars Brad Dalke, now a member of the Internet sensation Good Good golf team, with his one-time teammate Quade Cummins, who this year earned a promotion from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA Tour, where he will
be a rookie for 2025.
Taking them on is the BustaJack duo of Cole Lantz and Mason Nutt, who both attended Oklahoma State as collegians before launching their own popular YouTube and social media business in 2021.
BustaJack has 210,000 subscribers to its YouTube channel, while Good Good boasts a following of 1.7 million. Dalke’s own YouTube channel is approaching 77,000 followers.
“Shangri-La Resort is excited to host The Battlefield Shootout with four great players
with Oklahoma ties to showcase the brilliant design of our Battlefield par-3 course, which has been called the ‘best short course in the country’ by multiple travel writers,” said Shangri-La’s PGA Director of Golf Ryan Snyder. “Book your weekend package early for this special event. There’s already a buzz around this spirited match that will pit OU legends against the BustaJack guys who spent their college years at Oklahoma State. This match, teeing off at high noon on October 26, promises to be a memorable experience for our members, resort guests and golf fans from throughout the region.”
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Cummins, a Weatherford native, began his OU career as a redshirt freshman in 2015 and was part of the Burly Boys as a Sooner that also included Dalke and Blaine Hale Jr., and a contributor to the team that won the NCAA Championship in 2017. He turned professional in 2021, earned his Korn Ferry Tour card in 2022 and though he hasn’t won in 72 events, he has nine top-10 finishes including a runnerup and secured his PGA Tour for next year before the KFT Playoffs even began.
On paper, it may seem like a bit of a mismatch, but both of the BustaJack partners carry plus handicaps and it won’t be about driving distance, but accuracy with a variety
See Burly on page 21
USGA offers grants for national development program
The window for competitive golfers ages 13-18 to apply for 2025 grants being awarded by the USGA’s U.S. National Development Program is now open, go to USGA.org to determine eligibility.
The USNDP is the new and growing program by the USGA to develop a national golf program similar to those offered by other nations. It includes grants up to $10,000 to players and their families who don’t have the resources to assist with a range of needs in helping players reach their potential.
“The grants are not to replace a player’s instructor or team but to provide resources beyond instruction, to accelerate the development of skills and strategies that can enhance their performance on and off the golf course,” said Dr. Beth Brown, the Senior Athlete Development Specialist for the USNDP, who is based in Norman.
development program. The national team is already up and running and six of its members played in the recent U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Southern Hills, including finalist Asterisk Talley. Emerie Schartz of Wichita, a frequent competitor in Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour events, is on the team.
“There are five tiers to our program,” Brown said. “Right now we’ve launched two of those tiers, with the grant program and the national team. There will eventually be state teams, regional teams and other opportunities.”
The USGA awarded 71 grants in 2024 including two to Oklahoma residents, although Brown said she was not at liberty to disclose the recipients. It will award 100 grants in 2025 and up to 300 by 2033.
college level and beyond.
“We’re really the only country that has golf in the Olympics and no federation,” Brown said. “From an outcome base we want to see more Americans at the top of leaderboards. Even in college, we’re seeing that ½ the numbers at the elite college level are Americans and ½ from other countries. We want to foster future generations of American golf talent and provide resources to parents and players.”
The USGA program is not in competition with other golf organizations, such as the American Junior Golf Association, but is striving to collaborate and partner with such entities that focus on providing competition to its participants.
The overall goal is to help promising players develop and eventually they will have opportunities to play for their state or national teams as the USGA fleshes out the national
The state teams has pilot programs in seven states and that number should grow by seven or eight states per year until all have a team by 2035.
The goal, Brown said, is to help young U.S. golfers be more successful at the elite
“Our goal for grant recipients and their families is not just to provide dollars for competitions, but to also provide support, consultations, webinars, sports psychology and more,” Brown said. “We will direct them to people we’ve vetted and trust.”
To apply for the grants, male golfers must have a USGA handicap index of 2.4 or better and females 5.4 or better. For more information on the program, go to usga.org/usndp.
Left to right, Brad Dalke, Quade Cummins, Mason Nutt, Cole Lantz
Dr. Beth Brown
of irons and of course putting on the wildly undulating greens designed by Tom Clark and built by United Golf of Tulsa. And it will be about having fun and, of course, creating YouTube content.
On Friday evening, Oct. 25, Shangri-La Club members and guests will have the opportunity to mingle with the players at a dinner reception starting at 6:30 p.m. on Doc’s Patio at Shangri-La. Tickets that include access to the dinner and a Battlefield Shootout Grounds Pass are available for $49. Grounds passes for the golf match are available for $20. Parking is complimentary. Tickets are limited and the event will sell out.
The growing phenomenon of YouTube golf has brought an enthusiastic and unexpected new fanbase into the golfing space and has made a growing number of talented young golfers into bona fide celebrities.
The 3,000-yard Battlefield layout is a short course of creative, articulated scale and vision, constructed on an exceptional piece of land that features more than 100 feet of elevation change across its acreage. The scenic and strategic course was constructed for $15 million with each hole named in honor of an Oklahoma veteran of WWII. The Battlefield has its own clubhouse and turn
house concessions and golf carts, as well as a short warm-up facility and an expansive putting green.
Designed by architects Tom Clark and Kevin Atkinson, with building designs by Mark Thomas, The Battlefield features Bermuda grass fairways, and bent grass greens, just like the 27-hole championship course at Shangri-La.
“The Battlefield is a beautiful, captivating, and purposefully designed short course like no other,” said Snyder. “It’s an endlessly fun and engaging experience for golfers of every skill level that also recognizes our brave military personnel, with special commemorations to World War II veterans on every hole. The course has an energy and excitement that, along with our renovated, world-class 27-hole championship course, elevates the golf experience at Shangri-La into the ‘Must Play’ category among the nation’s destination resorts.”
Shangri-La Resort’s general manager Lance Funderburk added, “The Battlefield Shootout is going to be a fun-filled event we’re proud to offer our members and guests from throughout this part of the United States on the amazing Battlefield course; so be sure you grab your tickets and book a room for the weekend so you don’t miss any part of the great times.”
RULES cont. from page 9
LOCAL RULES
I’ve written about this before, but I continue to see a lot of confusion on what Model Local Rules are in effect for the specific competition. Some organizations use Model Local Rules that others don’t, and some courses or holes require Model Local Rules that others don’t. And if the Model Local Rule is not specifically written, it is not in play for that course of competition. Common examples are: can we use range finders, do I have to play the same brand of ball, do I get relief from sprinkler heads near the putting green, do I get line of play relief from the greenside fan, do I get relief from cracks in the ground, etc.? The best advice I can give you is to become familiar with the Model Local Rules section of the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf. As a reminder, the Rules of Golf and the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf can be accessed for free through the USGA Rules of Golf App. Start by scrolling through the various MLR’s to familiarize yourself with the ones you see frequently and become familiar with those you find interesting or for specific situations. And remember to read that rules sheet before starting tournament play. Until next season, feel free to reach out if you have questions.
"IT'S SURREAL"
Grit, determination lift Cummins to PGA Tour
by ken macleod
It’s been a long road with a few detours from Weatherford in western Oklahoma to the PGA Tour, but Quade Cummins picked up a lot of believers along the way. One of them was himself.
Cummins, earned his PGA Tour card for 2025 by finishing 11th in the season-long points race on the Korn Ferry Tour, an absurdly high finish without a victory but one that attests to his consistency, determination and love of the grind. He played in 25 of 26 possible events, made 21 cuts, was a top-25 finisher 14 times with six top10s and one runner-up.
That’s a lot of consistent high-level golf. To those who know him best, that’s just a reflection of the man he’s become since he arrived way back in 2015 as an uncertain freshman at Oklahoma.
Not uncertain because he had no accomplishments. He was a two-time Class 4A state champion, two-time OGA Junior Boys Stroke Play Champion and had done well on the Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour. But many of his teammates like Brad Dalke, who committed to OU as a 13-year-old, had much higher national profiles.
“I didn’t even know that tournaments like the U.S. Junior Boys existed,” Cummins said. “It’s pretty crazy looking back to my childhood in Weatherford and only playing OJGTs. Playing in the Oklahoma Junior Boys was like our major.
“I got lucky enough to go to an OU program that was just hitting its stride with guys from Oklahoma and Texas. And getting exposed to the Big 12 and national championships, Walker Cup and Palmer
Cup. It’s pretty special that it all started in Weatherford. I remember playing my first tournament at Riverside in Clinton and now getting to go the PGA Tour is surreal. It means a lot to my family, my grandpa. It’s just a really cool story to have.”
Cummins and former OU teammate
“I don’t think Quade left his dorm room his first semester at OU,” said Blaine Hale, his OU teammate and later roommate who is wrapping up his rookie season on the PGA Tour this fall. “He didn’t say much. We got a house together after that year and he
started opening up. We became really close.
“Once he started to crack, he became Quade pretty quick. He’s just one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I know and genuinely cares about his friends and family. Just a great guy to have in your corner. My wife asked me if I could go to dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be and I said Quade. She said really, anyone in the world? I said yes, he’s one of my best friends, extremely inquisitive and thorough and cares about people. And we have a good time and just laugh our heads off at anything, like friends do.”
Cummins redshirted in that 2015-16 season and played sparingly in 2016-17, which culminated with OU winning the national championship at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill. He had arrived at OU with a sweeping hook developed in the gusty winds of western Oklahoma, but coach Ryan Hybl told him to work on rebuilding his swing to move the ball left to right, a task he immediately set to work on with instructor Ryan Rody, then at Gaillardia and now at Southern Hills.
“He had started working on the transformation and gave me an opportunity to help with his swing,” Rody said. “He was just so fun to work with because he put so much work in. Once he understood how to get the takeaway not to be so far inside, to open the chest up, he really took off quick. He enjoyed the challenge of learning how to work the ball the other way and loves that fade now.”
By his redshirt sophomore year, Cummins had gained confidence that he belonged and over the next four seasons including a Covid year went on to essentially
Quade with OU coach Ryan Hybl.
Max McGreevy both earned cards with stellar play on the Korn Ferry Tour.
rewrite the OU record book, finishing first in school history in career scoring average (71.34), career rounds of par or better, low round (62) and many other marks. He was a four-time All-American, played on the 2020 U.S. Palmer Cup team and the 2021 U.S. Walker Cup team.
“Quade always had so much talent, you could see that from Day One,” Dalke said. “But he stayed in that Oklahoma bubble as a junior and didn’t think he had proven himself yet. As time went on and he made the starting lineup, he really grew in confidence and self-belief. It’s been really cool to see that transformation in him and he’ll have a heck of a PGA Tour career.”
Hybl said, “The thing about Quade is he loves the game of golf. He’ll play every single day. He’s a lot like Scottie Scheffler in that he just loves the game. Once he finds his comfort zone, he’s hard to beat. Now
together on the victorious Walker Cup team, but their friendship deepened when Cummins moved to Edmond to start playing and practicing at Oak Tree National, home to an impressive collection of young PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, LIV Golf and collegiate talents. Eckroat and Cummins spent endless hours playing during the Covid shutdown year of 2020 when there was little else to do.
Their wives Sally Eckroat and Rian Cummins are best friends. They live about 1,000 yards apart at Oak Tree and are constantly hitting balls in Quade’s garage or swimming in Eckroat’s pool. The two families look forward to travelling and staying together at many stops next year on the PGA Tour. Eckroat, of course, earned his card with his play as a collegian and is already a PGA Tour winner and exempt for all the elevated events and majors in 2025. He is thrilled for his friend but expected nothing less.
he’s even more of a changed man, married and very social and outgoing. He literally hid in his dorm room early in his college career, but that all changed and he became one of the team leaders in getting the guys involved in all kinds of things.”
One of those things was the Netflix show, “Driven,” which took an inside look at the OU and OSU programs and their rivalry. Cummins’ time at OU happened to coincide with one of the greatest teams in OSU history with Viktor Hovland, Matthew Wolff, Austin Eckroat, Kris Ventura, Zach Bauchou, Brendon Jelley and Hayden Wood. Though they said the right things for the cameras, the players on both sides also had a secret text thread going in which they were chuckling at what they were being asked to do for the show.
“Quade has done a lot, even over the last 24 months, to improve his game,” Eckroat said. “He’s constantly thinking about it, loves the game and is obsessed with getting better. He spends a lot of time out there, even more than I do and it’s good when he’s around because he makes me practice harder.
“To finish at 11 on the points list without a win is so impressive. I’m super excited for him.”
In addition to all his hard work on the course, Cummins has been working with a mental coach, Dr. Raymond Prior of Chicago, who works with numerous tour players and other athletes and authored the book, “Golf Beneath The Surface.”
“He’s helped me stick to a process instead of worrying so much about results,” Cummins said. “You can drive yourself crazy thinking about results. Stay steady, put in the work that you want to get in and that works a lot better for me.”
felt like that day, I think I won by four, and it was a big tournament for me. I shot 20-under at a pretty hard course. On the Korn Ferry Tour, you can’t have even one day where you shoot around par or you have no chance. All four rounds have to be high quality.
Cummins was second on the Korn Ferry Tour in scoring average at 68.39 and second in putting average at 1.690, both behind threetime winner and points leader Matt McCarty.
“I played really solid, I just never got to feel the heat when you’re coming down to the final three holes with a chance to win,” he said. “It feels good to get all the top 10s, but I would like to win.”
Those who know him will not be surprised when that happens. And he says he’ll owe a large debt to Hybl when it happens.
“Coach Hybl is the big reason I’m still playing golf,” he said. “He just hammers you with the philosophy that you’ve got to be the toughest team out there, even if you’re not the purest ball striker. Can you get up and down one more time? Can you make one more 15-footer to save par? The want factor, the grind, that is what he preaches and that is what you see with guys like Max (McGreevy) that refuse to be denied.”
PGA Tour notes: Also earning a promotion to the PGA Tour was another former Sooner and Cummins teammate in McGreevy, who has previously had two seasons on the Tour and this year won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour.
That sparked a friendship between Eckroat and Cummins that far transcended the Bedlam rivalry. The two had played
One result that has eluded Cummins since July 26, 2019, is a victory. That day he won the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship in Albuquerque and it’s been a steady stream of near-misses since, in college and professional tours.
“It’s definitely been a little frustrating,” Cummins said. “I still think about what it
With McGreevy and Cummins, the players who came up through the OJGT ranks with PGA Tour cards now includes Eckroat, Taylor Moore, Kevin Tway and Robert Streb, with Talor Gooch on LIV. But the groups that may gather at Oak Tree any given day for money games also includes players like Hovland, OU’s Chris Gotterup, and KFT players like Bauchou, Rhein Gibson, Josh Creel and Logan McAllister.
“It’s pretty cool to see the FedEx Cup (which Hovland won in 2023) sitting in the clubhouse and to get to play and practice against those guys,” Cummins said. “And yes, Viktor is really, really good.”
Austin Eckroat
Burly Boys Quade Cummins, Brad Dalke and Blaine Hale.
These are the voyages . . .
by ken mac leod & gregg dewalt
There’s a reason for the dual byline here and it’s a disappointing one.
For the first time in 32 years of running this magazine, I became ill on a golf trip, this one to Northern Alabama, home to several great facilities on the Robert Trent Jones Trail, several more excellent public facilities, a range of fun accomodations and some truly fascinating activities off the course to flesh out the trip.
While I caught a bug and had to cut my portion short, Gregg Dewalt, a long-time friend and colleague, summer golf trip
warrior and an actual resident of northern Alabama, where he was a sports writer and editor for decades, stepped in to describe what I missed.
Before we get to the golf, one thing I didn’t miss is one of the most interesting places in the country, and that is the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. This is where all the important testing and development of the space program took place and Huntsville remains a key player in NASA. The center has everything from
the full-scale recreations to actual space shuttles and rockets as well as more than 1,500 artifacts, including the Apollo 16 capsule. It gives you a sense of the absolute daring of the early astronauts and the creativity of the engineers working with primitive software and hardware to win the race to space. Leave yourself a full day to explore this place.
Another place not to miss is the Unclaimed Baggage store in Scottsboro where items from all over the country that are somehow lost in airline transit wind up and are sold for discounted prices. It’s a city block long and the museum show-
Goose Pond Colony is one of the delightful public courses to explore in Northern Alabama.
Famous Muscle Shoals recording studio.
U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville.
casing some of the more unusual items to wind up there is particularly curious.
This area showcases how versatile the state is for golf, as we’ve written many times about Gulf Shores and the other RTJ attractions. But you can have a quality trip, experience great food and unique places to stay hundreds of miles from the nearest beach.
The golf began with a trip to the par-3 course at Hampton Cove on the Robert Trent Jones Trail, followed by a round the next morning at the Lake Course at Goose Pond Colony Resort, hard by the Tennessee River and a place with great riverside cabins and a huge marina and restaurant serving great steaks and specializing in shrimp and grits.
The Lake Course is a 1971 George Cobb design, very fun with lots of elevation change, some severe doglegs and well-placed water hazards. Enjoy the areas where you can run the ball into the greens, because you will need your full aerial arsenal once you reach the RTJ properties.
shots in the proper section of the putting surface can be the difference between having a legitimate birdie try or just hoping to two-putt on a course that can play up to 7,428 yards from the tips.
One of the original RTJ Golf Trail sites, Hampton Cove, has two 18-hole courses and an 18-hole short course. The best of the two is the Highlands Course, featuring Bermuda grass fairways and bentgrass greens.
The Highlands Course is ripe with doglegs and elevation changes, and its original greens complexes remain loyal to what David Bronner, the head of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, wanted when he first devised the plan for the Trail. In other words, they’re tough. Getting approach
Because of the elevation changes, there are a number of uphill approach shots throughout the 18 holes, making club selection difficult. There are a couple of standout holes on the back nine: the tee shot on No. 10 comes from an elevated plateau and requires precision to a fairway with water protecting along the right side and a large bunker on the left. A medium-length approach to an elevated green awaits to another large green.
No. 16 is a demanding par-3 that can play
259 yards from the purple tees or 211 from the orange. Water guards the front and right side of a long, angled skinny green. A bunker guards the left side. When the pin is in the back right and a north wind is blowing (common in the spring and fall), take it on at your own peril.
No visit to north Alabama is complete without a stop in what is commonly referred to as the Shoals, a four-town conglomerate consisting of Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield and Tuscumbia. Known for its rich musical heritage – you might not know that the Swampers reference in “Sweet Home Alabama” was a shout out to a group of now-legendary session musicians known as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm
Hole 10 at The RTJ Golf Trail at Hampton Cove.
Hole 18 at The Shoals Fight Joe.
If you’re looking for challenging play and beautiful scenery, you’ll find both in abundance in Mississippi. Our state boasts true destination courses designed by Nicklaus, Palmer, Fazio, and other luminaries, with a number of stunning courses located at our casino resorts. Learn more at VisitMississippi.org/Golf.
#VisitMS
Mossy Oak Golf Course | West Point, Mississippi
Section that backed up visiting artists such as Bob Seger, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon and a host of others.
The area’s golf scene ain’t half bad, either. The premier facility is, of course, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at the Shoals, a 36-hole complex featuring the Fighting Joe and Schoolmaster courses. The Shoals facility was among the last of the Trail sites to open (2004) and does not feature a short course. It does have one of the best clubhouses on the Trail, overlooking scenic Wilson Lake, which is a part of the Ten-
nessee River system, and is also a popular wedding venue.
Each course is distinct – Fighting Joe, named for Confederate General Joe Wheeler who later became a congressman from Alabama – was routed through cotton fields. Ready to challenge your game? Step back to the black tees and try your luck from 8,092 yards. While Fighting Joe is mostly flat, water is one of its primary features, coming into play on 13 of the 18 holes. Like the other RTJ Golf Trail sites, Fighting Joe has wide fairways, large bun-
kers and huge greens with subtle slopes. The finishing hole, No. 18, is one of the most photographed holes on the Trail. A par-3 ranging in distance from 101 yards to 200 yards, the angled green sitting high above Wilson Lake is guarded by a front left bunker and a deep chasm on the right. Shots pulled to the left hit into a large embankment and funnel down toward the green.
The site’s other course, Schoolmaster, was the nickname of President Woodrow Wilson, who was instrumental in the building of Wilson Dam. Schoolmaster is also not for the faint of heart from the black tees, where it comes in at 7,971 yards. Cut from among hardwood forest, Schoolmaster is more of a traditional parkland course with numerous elevation changes. Water is in play on only five holes, but the bunkering and greens complexes are similar to Fighting Joe. One of the best holes is No. 14, a par-4 with water running down the right side and fronting a shallow green.
JOE WHEELER STATE PARK
Joe Wheeler State Park is about 30 minutes from downtown Florence. Known for its camping, hiking and fishing, Joe Wheeler also has The General golf course, an Earl Stone design that opened in 1974. It measures 7,251 yards from the tips and is set among the region’s rolling hills. There is a smattering of bunkers and water comes into play on only one hole. It features a solid set of par-3s ranging from 160 yards to 202 yards (white tees).
Although the course sits next to Wheeler Lake, views of the lake are limited. The General is a solid test and on the plus side is that it is not uncommon to see a variety of wildlife roaming the fairways and in the trees. A recently completed cart-path project has helped with the turfgrass. Playable for under $50, the General offers good value for visitors.
Hole 11 at Hampton Cove Highlands.
Great green north beckons
by dan vukelich
The Land of 10,000 Lakes isn’t the first place you think of for a golf road trip, but there’s some great golf up there in the North Woods, with two distinct destinations you should consider.
Destination No. 1 is Brainerd, Minn., about 2 1/2 hours northwest of Minneapolis.
In and around Brainerd, you’ll find most of Minnesota’s consensus top-10 public courses, all within 15 to 20 minutes of one another. All are affiliated with old-line Minnesota resorts clustered around Gull Lake.
The courses are: The Classic at Madden’s Resort, Breezy Point Resort’s Deacon’s Lodge course, and the Grandview Resort’s Pines Course.
ties. Eric Peterson, general manager of Cragun’s, said he regularly fields inquiries from repeat visitors looking to play elsewhere. “We’re rivals but we’re friendly rivals and we’ll gladly line up tee times at the other resorts,” he said.
Also in Brainerd are the Cragun’s Resort & Conference Center’s two new Tom Lehman designs, the Lehman Course and the Dutch Course. Both, unveiled in 2023, are likely to find their way into the state’s top-10 lists as the national golf magazines’ raters take note.
Although they are rivals, the resorts will book tee times for guests at other proper-
Destination No. 2 is farther north, north of Duluth, where you’ll find the consensus top two courses in Minnesota: Giants Ridge and the Wilderness at Fortune Bay, which are 30 minutes apart. Stay at the tribally owned casino hotel at The Wilderness or in one of the cabins at Giants Ridge and play those two courses, plus Giants Ridge’s second course, the Legend, which was previously ranked in the state’s top 10.
All of these courses are bargains considering the design quality and conditioning, with rates running between $115 to $160, with the three up north costing $115 to $130.
When should you go? Minnesota’s golf season runs from May through October, but the best chance of good weather is June through September. Rates drop near the end of the season.
Here’s your guide to the best public golf
in Minnesota:
Cragun’s Resort’s Lehman and Dutch courses: This resort, established in 1940, used to have two rather difficult Robert Trent Jones Jr. courses. For a drastic makeover, the resort called in Minnesota native Tom Lehman, who in 2022 bulldozed both. The resort’s two new courses afford players generous fairways and few forced carries. Both are eminently playable resort courses, but the Dutch Course (destined to be a 27hole rotation by next summer) is enough of a test to host a PGA Tour Americas event over the Labor Day weekend.
Cragun’s course stats: Lehman Course Par 72, 7,258 yards, white tees rating/slope: 74.4/134; Dutch Course Par 72, 7,491 yards, 70.2/129.
The Classic at Madden’s Resort on Gull Lake: The Classic is one of several of Madden’s golf offerings, one of which dates to 1926. But by all accounts, The Classic, which opened in 1997, is the best of the lot. It’s ranked by Golfweek at T2 among public courses in Minnesota, and it’s a long-time fixture on Golf Digest’s list of the top-100 public courses in the United States. Madden’s is an uphill-downhill parkland-style affair with tight tree-lined fairways which can prove difficult for bogey golfers.
The Classic’s course stats: Par 72, 7,102 yards, white tees rating/slope 71/136.
Breezy Point Resort’s Deacon’s Lodge Course: This Arnold Palmer/
The 14th hole on the Quarry Course at scenic Giants Ridge.
Second hole, Craguns Dutch.
Photo by Evan Schiller
Maddens Classic, ranked second best public course in the state.
Ed Seay design, which opened in 1999, is unique among Brainerd’s courses in that neither houses nor the sound of nearby roads intrudes on your round. Tee shots that miss the course’s elevated fairways can lead to severe sidehill lies in thick hay. Deacon’s Lodge is the other T2 on Golfweek’s best-of-Minnesota list, and it was formerly ranked among Golf Digest’s list of the top-100 U.S. public courses.
Deacon’s Lodge course stats: Par 72, 6,943 yards, white tees rating/slope 70.1/130.
Grandview Lodge’s Pines Course: This tree-lined parkland course, one of two at the resort, has a friendly, local country club vibe. Its three nines are the Lakes, Woods and Marsh, with the longest combination being the Lakes-Woods – a deceptively difficult layout that’s quite tight with plenty of water. For big hitters, it’s best to play conservatively off the tee during your first round.
The Pines Course’s Lake-Woods combi-
Valley of Sin on The Wilderness at Fortune Bay.
nation stats: Par 72, 7,003 yards, white tees rating/slope: 70.6/1.
Giants Ridge Quarry and Legend courses: The Quarry owns the top spot in Minnesota. Opened in 1997 on the site of a former sand and gravel quarry and an iron mine, some of the terrain features employed by designers Jeffrey Brauer and Lanny Wadkins are evocative of golf in Ireland. The signature hole, No. 13, a short downhill par-4, features a blind approach over a tall ridge running across the fairway, echoing The Dell at the Old Course at Lahinch. Also opened in 1997, The Legend, another Jeffrey Brauer design, is a kinder, gentler version of the Quarry. It has few visual tricks and is a “What You See is What You Get” course, even if your eye is often drawn to intimidating ravines between the tee and its generous fairways. The Legend has had its own turn on Golf Digest’s top100 U.S. public courses list.
Giants Ridge course stats: Quarry Course Par 72, 7,301 yards, white tees rating/slope 70.5/132; The Legend Course: Par 72, 6,930 yards, white tees rating/slope 70.2/132.
The Wilderness at Fortune Bay: Wide fairways plus the occasional split fairway and numerous exposed rock outcroppings are the Wilderness’ most notable features. The elevation changes are significant and the greens are wildly undulating, two-tiered affairs. Notable is the green of the par-4 5th hole, which has its own Valley of Sin, a 4-foot-deep swale that bisects the putting surface. This 2005 course, also by Jeffrey Brauer, is a visual feast.
The Wilderness at Fortune Bay course stats: Par 72, 7,207 yards, white tees rating/ slope 70.4/131.
Dan Vukelich is the online editor of AlabamaGolfNews.com. He lives in Albuquerque, N.M. Reach him at dan@alabamagolfnews.com.
Bunkers next step at Page Belcher
by ken macleod
The recent improvements to Page Belcher golf course in Tulsa will continue this fall with a bunker renovation project that will replace every bunker on both the Olde Page and Stone Creek courses.
United Golf of Tulsa will rebuild the bunkers while Conor Cummings of Heckenkemper Golf will be the architect. Cummings said the both the number of bunkers and the imprint will be reduced for long-term sustainability and the new bunkers will have new sub-surface drainage added and use the Better Billy Bunker lining system.
lion in Covid relief funds would be provided if the same amount could be raised in private donations.
The bunkers will require nine holes of each course to close for an indeterminate period of time this fall. Cummings said the plan is to have all four nines done by the end of the year.
The new bunkers, Cummings said, “will
allow more access to the center of the fairway, allowing more risk-reward on the second shots over a pond in front of the green. Randy Heckenkemper, who is on the golf course improvement committee that helped raise the $1 million in private funds, said the bunker project is the next step in bringing Page Belcher back toward its former glory as one of the state’s top public facilities.
Bunkers on both courses have been a remaining eye sore since recent improvements to turf grass, sodding, tree trimming and a more generous watering budget have sent conditions at Page Belcher shooting up the scale from horrible to pretty darn good. Superintendent Jason Casey and his staff deserve credit for taking the work done by JonesPlan and expanding on it.
The improvements were partially funded by a $1 million match program put forth by the Tulsa City Council in which $1 mil-
sit in the landscape a little more naturally and have a connection to the green, not just look like an afterthought.”
They will not be exceptionally large or deep, reflecting the needs for speed of play and long-term maintenance. Several bunkers, such as the fairway bunkers on the left side of the 11th hole at Olde Page, will be eliminated, as they add nothing to the hole. Perhaps the most impactful bunker on the entire 36 holes is the fairway bunker that pinches the landing area on the par-5 ninth hole and it will be lessened in size to
“Since our committee got involved and helped raise the $1 million in private funds that showed how much Tulsans care about their public courses, much improvement has been made,” Heckenkemper said.
“With the bunker project on both courses, we think Page Belcher is well on its way to becoming what it was in the late 1990s and early 2000s when it was one of the best public courses in the state.”
As for the city’s other facility at Mohawk Park, a new pump station has been installed, but more specific improvements will be formulated in the next year as city bond money becomes available and a degraded irrigation system is addressed. Without working irrigation, any other improvements to the course would be a waste of money, Heckenkemper said.
The fairway bunker on the ninth hole at Stone Creek will be reduced in size for those who try to reach this green in two.
Bunkers on the par-3 13th hole on Stone Creek will again be playable.
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM OF GOLF.
In the tapestry of American resilience, Folds of Honor stands as a beacon of hope, providing educational scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders. In response to this growing need, we have introduced Folds of Honor Friday—a powerful collaboration with select PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and Korn Ferry Tour events. This initiative is more than just a day; it’s a celebration of our freedoms, a tribute to those who serve, and a lifeline for families who deserve our support.
Folds of Honor Friday transforms tournament grounds into a sea of red, white, and blue, creating an electrifying atmosphere that resonates with fans and sponsors alike. It’s an opportunity to come together as one with a greater purpose. Fans in attendance are encouraged to wear red, white and blue as an outward display of unity and an inward commitment to meeting sacrifice with hope for America’s fallen or disabled military and first responders.
Homeschool prep team could be best in Oklahoma?
by ken macleod
When the Class 6A state championship is conducted next May, the best high school team in the state may not be in it. Nor will it be in Class 5A or the rest of the classes.
With high schools finally getting to enjoy some of Oklahoma’s best golf weather by playing a limited fall schedule, it appears the deepest high school team in the state is most likely the Oklahoma City Storm, a collection of home-schooled golfers that are not eligible for the OSSAA state championship, but have been competing in select high school events.
spring we’ll be even stronger.”
Hughes and Majma is quite a duo to lead off with. The others were not as heralded but have shown vast improvement.
“Tripp Anderson came to us as a middle schooler shooting in the low 100s,” Nix said. “Now he’s broken par for us a few times. Bryce Dunlap is in his sixth year in the program and is a similar story. He’s a real sweet kid but he can absolutely bomb it.
In the Putnam City North tournament at Lake Hefner North, the Storm Gold shot a ridiculous 266, 22-under par and that was without one of their top two players.
Second place went to Bixby, 23 shots behind at 1-over 289.
Granted that tournament was not on the most difficult course and the state’s top powers such as Edmond North, Owasso, Norman and others were not competing.
But the team coached by former Oklahoma Christian golfer Brian Nix is pretty special.
In the Lake Hefner event, junior Tripp Anderson shot 7-under 65, sophomore Emerson Majma fired a 66, senior Bryce Dunlap shot 67 and junior John Helzer added a 68.
Majma has been a force on the national
junior scene for several years and is generally regarded as one of the state’s best young players along with Chase Hughes of Oklahoma City. Hughes has been playing a national schedule but plans to play in most of the Storm’s events in the spring. He recently played with the team in an event in Texas and shot 7-under and later in October finished fifth in the AJGA's Ping Invitational, locking up Rolex All-America honors.
The Storm also played an 8 v. 8 match recently against Gregg Grost’s Norman High School team and prevailed 7.5 to 4.5 after singles and four-ball matches.
"John Helzer is in his fourth year with us and he started off shooting in the high 90s. But he’s got a great attitude, great work ethic and his coming out party was this summer when he shot 8-under 64 in the first round of the Oklahoma Golf Association State Amateur Championship at The Patriot in Owasso."
Nix said all of his players are truly home schooled and he doesn’t recruit any players and why would he. Those who play for the Storm are giving up the opportunity to etch their names in the record books as state champions.
As to whether they truly are the best team in the state, however, this spring will tell a lot as they are playing a full slate of high school events in Oklahoma.
“I’m extremely humbled to be coaching these guys,” Nix said. “I really do think we’re as good as anyone in the state. As strong as we are now, with Chase this
“We have two guys playing for us whose potential is unlimited,” he said. “Their mechanics are impeccable, they work very hard. The other guys work very hard as well and have improved so much.”
Left to right, John Helzer, Emerson Majma, Tripp Anderson, Ryan Hansen, Bryce Dunlap and coach Brian Nix.
Coach Brian Nix
Phillips ties for third in Senior PGA Professional Championship
by ken macleod
SUNRIVER, Oregon (Sept. 29, 2024) –Alan Morin had come close several times before in the Senior PGA Professional Championship, but he never quite finished at the top of the leaderboard — until this Sunday.
Morin (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) registered an impressive 6-under-par 65 on Sunriver Resort’s Meadows course Sunday to finish the week at 14-under-par 271 and win by two. His 65 matched the record for the lowest fourth round score in Championship history.
Meanwhile, Tracy Phillips of Tulsa continued his remarkable late career surge with a tie for third at 11-under. The finish guarantees Phillips a spot in the 2025 Senior PGA Championship along with the other top 35 competitors.
One of those will be Tim Fleming of Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club, who shot a final-round 68 to move up into a tie for 26th. Chris Tidland of Stillwater Country Club shot a final-round 70 to finish at 285 and in a 35th. In a playoff Tidland earned the third alternate spot.
Phillips shot rounds of 69-69-66-70 over the four days of competition at two courses at the Sunriver Resort. He said the courses, not overly long but tight, suited him well and he putted well throughout except for some missed opportunities in the final round.
“I really thought I had a good chance at winning this but just drove it into the first cut and wasn’t able to get it as close as I
needed to, leaving myself a lot of long putts in the final round,” he said.
Phillips, age 62, is exempt into the final stage of qualifying for the PGA Tour Champions in December at TPC Scottsdale and said he is likely going to give it a go as he did in 2023. He said he is putting much better now then he was at this time a year ago.
Where one great course leads to another
Tracy Phillips at the Senior PGA Professional Championship.
Griggs chases pro dream through first stage
by ken macleod
BROKEN ARROW – When Rory McIlroy misses a putt to win the U.S. Open, you can see how pressure affects even the game’s greatest.
Imagine knowing that every putt or chip or drive could determine whether you even have the opportunity to play the game you love for the next year, at least at the professional level you desire.
That’s what every contestant in the First Stage of Korn Ferry Tour qualifying faces, and through 72 holes of qualifying concluding Friday at Indian Springs Country Club, there were tales of heartbreak and joy as 20 golfers earned the right to advance to second stage.
Gupta finished with a 2-under 69 to earn one of the final spots at 4-under.
Former Oklahoma Sooner Grant Hirschman of Phoeniz came through with a final-round 68 to finish at 6-under and move on.
Carson Griggs of Sand Springs, who was 2-over through 36 holes and outside the cut line, turned it around with rounds of 6665 to move to 8-under and finish tied for seventh.
For those who moved on, earning a coveted spot on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour is still a long shot. Second Stage events are next followed by the final stage. But for several players with local ties, the four days at Indian Springs were a huge success.
Former Oklahoma State golfers Hazen Newman of Las Vegas and Aman Gupta of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., advanced. Newman shot an 8-under 63 in the final round Friday to win the event at 17-under while
In the what-if category is Jared Strathe of Owasso, who finished with a 3-under 68 to finish at 3-under overall, but was one shot back of the top 20.
“This is about as nerve wracking as a tournament can get for someone at our level,” said Griggs, who was coming off a summer of playing in All Pro Tour events, including one at Indian Springs that he said helped him prepare for this. “This determines where you are going to be playing for the next year, or at least partially. You can easily have one bad day and feel like it was almost a waste of a year. So it feels good to come out and perform like you’ve trained all year long to do.”
Griggs said his knowledge of Indian Springs helped especially in the first two rounds when his swing was off, but he found something late in the first round
and by the third round was back to how he performed early this summer when he was among the APT leaders.
After the 66 Thursday moved him just inside the cut line, Griggs drained a 50foot birdie putt on the first hole Friday, a long par-4 that the members play as a par-5 and a hole he struggled with in the APT event.
“For me today was about conservative targets and aggressive swings,” Griggs said. “Shooting 3-under on the front freed me up to not be so high strung over the golf ball. That’s what everybody hopes for is to take some of that weight off your shoulders as you’re playing. The tone was set on with that 50-foot birdie, that gave me a big confidence boost of ‘hey, we can do this.’ “
Griggs, whose father Guy caddied all four rounds and took some of the physical toll off him, said the course had improved tremendously, particularly the greens.
“It was just fantastic,” he said. “The greens were so much better than they were a few months ago. You always love to go to a site where the course is playing the absolute best that it can.”
In a First Stage event in Nebraska, former Cowboy Rayhan Thomas was among the top 20 to move on. At another First Stage event in Arizona, former Jenks and Oklahoma State star Brendon Jelley shot 9-under to tie for seventh.
Putting his stamp on Oklahoma Open
Owen Stamper of Scottsville, Ky., just a few months removed from his collegiate career at Middle Tennessee State, fired a 6-under 64 in the final round to finish at 14-under and win the Oklahoma Open by four shots over Tucker Allen of Tolar, Texas.
Stamper is not the first relative unknown on his way up to win the Open and put his name alongside famous Oklahoma pros such as Gil Morgan, Bob Tway, Danny Edwards, David Edwards, Tom Jones, Mark Hayes, Willie Wood, Robert Streb and Max McGreevy. A young man just out of college named Lucas Glover came through in 1981 to win the Open and he’s done all right.
Stamper collected the first place check of $10,000 after shooting rounds of 65-67-64 in the dominant win. He shot 32 on each nine Saturday and was never challenged down
the stretch.
The top Oklahoma finish went to veteran Logan McCracken of Tulsa, who tied for fifth at 7-under with Joel Thelan of Hudson Oaks, Texas. Jared Strathe of Owasso tied for ninth at 5-under and Andres Brictson of Edmond and Tyson Reeder of Edmond tied for 12th at 4-under.
McCracken, who played collegiately at the University of Tulsa after transferring from Texas Tech, has been waging the mini-tour war for 11 years. Now 33 with a child due in September, he is ever hopeful that the next year will provide the break that will lift him from mini-tour
obscurity to the heights. Meanwhile, however, he just loves the game and loves to compete.
His final hole Saturday may encapsulate the journey. After a great drive on the par-4 18th, he blew a wedge over the green and onto a hillside above the hole. From there he hit an exquisite chip shot that danced down the slope and then gravity carried it until it plopped in the hole for a closing birdie.
“I feel like my game is close,” McCracken said. “Yes, there’s a lot of really good young players out there but I feel like I can compete with them.”
by ken mac leod
Carson Griggs
Owen Stamper
Focus and trust
My experience over the years of golf has told me that most golfers are focused during their rounds, but by and large are not focused on the correct concepts.
For example, when a golfer hits a bad shot, our human nature is to try to analyze what one did wrong. What do you think your odds are of accurately diagnosing a swing fault on the fly in the middle of a round?
Even if you’re right, you’ll undoubtedly make a different error in short order, and the downward spiral ensues. So, what should we go to when bad shots happen? Focus on proper tempo.
Years ago, I was watching an instruc tional segment on Golf Channel with Paul Azinger. His take was that we all have swing faults, but good tempo tends to negate swing flaws. I believe in that wholeheartedly, as I have seen the results in my own game. The key is to put tempo first on the list, not No. 5. How do we do that?
The key to tempo is the release of ten sion during the swing, allowing our sub conscious to take over and hit a reason able shot. Where does tension originate? Tension originates in our mind, and some thing is telling those muscles to be tense. In order to be physically tension free, our minds have to be tension free. As long as a golfer has the ability to produce a relative ly consistent shot pattern, you’re much better off focusing on tempo rather than mechanics.
I’ve had many golfers tell me they have a checklist of mechanical thoughts they run through during a shot. You can spot these golfers easily, as they’re the ones that are frozen over a shot. Now those mechanical thoughts may all be good things to work on, but trying to think sequentially through a shot rarely if ever works.
results. The stumbling block is that swinging free and loose is not 100 percent effective. But, swinging tight and tentative is nearly 100 percent ineffective (Thanks Dr. Rotella). Our failure rate in golf way outpaces our successes, much more than in other pursuits.
So, the goal is to get into a mindset to create the best possible opportunity to hit a good shot. (Probably not due to markings on a golf ball). Simply put, I want golfers to focus on what they
shot routine that includes identifying a small target focusing on that target. Get target oriented, not swing oriented. In other words, focus on execution, not technique. Swing like you don’t care where the ball goes. We all care where it goes, but we want to swing like we don’t. I believe this to be the essential mind game in golf, because it requires the ultimate in trust. Regardless of how untrustworthy our swing is, we will hit better shots if we relax and trust our swing. A difficult mind game for sure. In closing, I’ll refer again to Dr. Bob. His concept is the golf ball knows what you’re thinking. What are you
The optimal number of swing thoughts is zero. One is OK, as long as it is a positive, active thought in the through swing, while two or more is pushing it. That one swing thought should not be about the backswing, as one can make a perfect backswing and hit a horrific shot.
The tough part is that even when we do everything correctly, we still can see poor
Pat McTigue
Paul Azinger
SCHEDULES & RESULTS:
OKLAHOMA OPEN AT OAK TREE CC (EAST), EDMOND (PAR-70) AUG. 22-24
1, Owen Stamper 65-67-64 – 196 ($10,000); 2, Tucker Allen 68-66-66 – 200 ($6,500); 3 (tie), Brandon Hoff 67-65-69 – 201 and Magnus Lomholt 64-68-69 – 201 ($3,400); 5 (tie), Logan McCracken 70-66-67 – 203 and Joel Thelen 69-64-70 – 203 ($2,250); 7 (tie), Brian Choe 67-71-66 – 67-71-66 – 204 and Derek Chang 67-68-69 – 204 ($1,800); 9 (tie), Jared Strathe 70-69-66 – 205, Brian Dwyer 68-6869 – 205 and Davis Cooper 69-66-70 – 205 ($1,400); 12 (tie), Brian Stark 70-69-67 – 206, Shawn Lu 66-70-70 – 206, Tyson Reeder 7066-70 – 206, Andres Brictson 66-69-71 – 206, Garrison Smith 68-65-73 – 206 and Griffen Locke 69-67-70 – 206 ($1,125); 18 (tie), Jansen Smith 71-69-67 – 207 and Jonathan Brightwell 66-69-72 – 207 ($906.67) and a-Luke Morgan 70-68-69 -- 207.
CLEAR CREEK SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP AT HILLCREST CC, BARTLESVILLE (PAR-72) SEPT. 30-OCT. 1 1, Cameron Chhim 68-66 – 134 ($1,500); 2, Amber Duke 70-70 – 140 ($1,000); 3, Brent Williamson 69-73 – 142 ($900); 4 (tie), Clint Colbert 68-76 – 144 and Jett Johnson 69-75 – 144 ($800); 6, Dylan Jackson 68-78 – 146; 7, Bobby Jacks 73-74 – 147 ($700); 8 (tie), Cary Cozby 76-72 – 148, Riley Seitz 68-80 – 148, Jim Young 76-72 – 148 and Aaron Kristopeit 71-77 – 148 ($525); 12, Ryan Rody 74-76 – 150 ($350); 13 (tie), Mark Meacham 72-79 – 151, Austin Peters 76-75 – 151 and Todd Pinneo 7477 – 151 ($200).
SOUTH CENTRAL PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AT OAKS CC, TULSA (PAR-71) AUG. 19-20
1, Cameron Chhim 72-69-67 – 208 ($3,000); 2, Tracy Phillips 70-69-70 209 ($2,500); 3, Austin Peters 71-71-70 – 212 ($2,000); 4, Chris Tidland 74-72-68 – 214 ($1,750); 5 (tie), Trent Rommann 75-72-68 – 215 and Seth Garner 78-68-69 – 215 ($1,375); 7, Jett Johnson 7072-74 – 216 ($1,000); 8, Riley Seitz 74-72-71 – 217 ($900); 9 (tie), Kevin Moberg 73-75-70 – 218, Zach Tucker 76-71-71 – 218 and Shannon Friday 73-71-74 – 218 ($800); 12, Amber Duke 74-72-73 – 219 ($700).
OJGT
LINCOLN PARK BEST OF THE WEST CLASSIC AT LINCOLN PARK GC (WEST), OKLA. CITY (PAR-72) OCT. 5-6
BOYS
1, Emerson Majma 66-66 – 132; 2, Jack Williams 68-65 – 133; 3, Samuel Bonaobra 71-66 – 137; 4, Ty Neatherlin 71-67 – 138; 5 (tie), Benton Manly 74-65 – 139 and Ian Wilcoxen 72-67 – 139; 7 (tie), Tripp Anderson 70-71 – 141 and Ryan McClanahan 69-72 – 141; 9 (tie), Coleman Sides 72-70 – 142, Kale Flinton 71-71 – 142, Benson Diehm 70-72 – 142, Bronxley Eesterline 68-74 – 142, Jacob Newsom 69-73 – 142 and Banks Cozby 69-73 – 142; 15 (tie), Benjamin Field II 74-69 – 143 and Gabe Jones 74-69 – 143.
GIRLS
1, Harlow Gregory 69-74 – 143; 2 (tie), Maggie Ruby 75-73 – 148 and Cara Cummins 72-76 –148; 4 (tie), Megan Kalapura 75-75 – 150 and Mackinlee Brunker 76-74 – 150; 6, Abbie Justiz 72-79 – 151; 7, Lana Bowen 76-78 – 154; 8 (tie), Kate Koehn 86-76 – 162 and Amy Reavis 77-85 – 162; 10 (tie), Madison Muniz 81-84 – 165 and Gabriella Gross 86-79 – 165; 12, Lilly Reid 8087 – 167; 13, Kennedy Parker 88-88 – 176; 14, Katelynn Powell 95-84 – 179.
LAKE HEFNER FALL CHAMPIONSHIP AT LAKE HEFNER GC (NORTH), OKLA. CITY (PAR-72) SEPT. 28-29
BOYS
1, Porter Finley 69-66 – 135; 2, Kate Flinton 69-68 – 137; 3, Kaden Leivian 71- 67 – 138; 4 (tie), Ty Neatherlin 72-68 – 140 and Ainslie Stanford III 70-70 – 140; 6 (tie), Emerson Majma 73-68 – 141, Jace Cheney 72-69 – 141, Grady Thompson 69-72 -- 141 and Gabe Jones 68-73 – 141; 10, Hayden Russ 73-69 – 142; 11 (tie), Benson Diehm 75-68 – 143, Gavin Elmore 73-70 – 143, Jones Vrska 72-71 – 143 and Jack Williams 72-71 – 143.
GIRLS
1, Reagan Plank 74-73 – 147; 2, Cara Cummins 74-76 – 150; 3, Sophia Lefler 77-76 – 153; 4, Maggie Ruby 77-79 – 156; 5, Kate Moore 77-80 – 157; 6, Mackinlee Brunker 82-76 – 158; 7 (tie), Brooklyn Bowman 78-81 – 159, Lana Bowen 79-80 – 159 and Gabriella Gross 82-77 – 159; 10 (tie), Kate Dixon 80-81 – 161 and Taylor Tevis 82-79 – 161; 12 (tie), Kate Koehn 83-80 – 163 and Audrey Ellis 85-78 – 163.
FIRELAKE JUNIOR OPEN AT FIRELAKE GC, SHAWNEE (PAR-70)
SEPT. 21-22
BOYS
1, Benson Diehm 71-32 – 103; 2 (tie), Samuel Bonaobra 67-36 – 103 and Lunden Esterline 710-32 – 103; 4, Charlie Dowell 72-33 – 105; 5 (tie), Seth Gilliam 73-33 – 106, Jackson Jones 71-35 – 106 and Carson Scrymgeour 70-36 – 106; 8 (tie), Charlie Haney 72-35 –107 and Preston Albee 71-36 – 107; 10 (tie), Ainslie Stanford III 74-34 – 108, Hayden Russ 73-35 – 108, Jack Ensey 72-36 – 108, Jones Vrska 71-37 – 108 and Gabe Jones 70-38 -- 108.
GIRLS
1, Amy Reavis 74-38 – 112; 2 (tie), Reagan Plank 76-37 – 113 and Maggie Ruby 75-38 – 113; 4 (tie), Beans Factor 81-36 – 117 and
Harlow Gregory 75-42 – 117; 6, Lilly Reid 7743 – 120; 7, Erika Burkhalter 82-41 – 123; 8, Lorelai Efaw 83-41 – 124; 9, Gabriella Gross 86-40 – 126; 10, Charlotte Haws 87-41 – 128.
PAGE BELCHER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP AT PAGE BELCHER GC (OLDE PAGE) (PAR-71)
SEPT. 14-15
BOYS
1, Garrison Whitworth 69-66 – 135; 2, Colt Farrow 69-68 – 137; 3, Samuel Bonaobra 65-75 – 140; 4 (tie), Banks Cozby 71-71 – 142 and Ethan Small 74-68 – 142; 6 (tie), Austen Mueller 71-72 – 143 and Grady Thompson 7271 – 143; 8 (tie), Wyatt Basford 69-75 – 144 and Reece Johnson 71-73 – 144; 10 (tie), Carson Scrymgeour 76-69 – 145, Noah Manly 76-69 – 145 and Cooper Watson 73-72 – 145. GIRLS
1, Kylie Fisher 79-74 – 153; 2 (tie), Reagan Plank 79-76 – 155 and Lorelai Efaw 73-82 –155; 4, Cara Cummins 76-81—157; 5, Taylor Tevis 80-78 – 158; 6, Lilly Reid 82-77 – 159; 7, Abby Chang 78-82 – 160; 8, Mackinlee Brunker 83-78 – 161; 9 (tie), Sophia Lefler 84-80 – 164 and Kate Moore 84-80 – 164; 11 (tie), Brooklyn Bowman 83-82 – 165 and Lana Bowen 82-83 – 165.
BAILEY RANCH BASH AT BAILEY RANCH GC, OWASSO (PAR-72) SEPT. 7-8
BOYS
1, Samuel Bonaobra 69-70 – 139; 2 (tie), Porter Hart 71-71 – 142 and Wyatt Basford 72-70 – 142; 4, Tommy McDowell 68-75 – 143; 5, Jacob Newsom 76-68 – 144 and Peyton Burbridge 76-68 – 144; 7, Riley Franklin 7273 – 145; 8, Seth Gilliam 75-71 – 146 and Kale Flinton 72-74 – 146; 10 (tie), Kaden Leivian 76-71 – 147 and Gavin Elmore 75-72 – 147; 12 (tie), David Shepherd 75-74 – 149 and Charlie Haney 70-79 – 149.
GIRLS
1, Megan Kalapura 80-70 – 150; 2, Kylie Fisher 77-76 – 153; 3, Amy Reavis 79-77 – 156; 4, Autumn McMahan 78-84 – 162; 5, Maggie Ruby 82-81 – 163; 6 (tie), Lana Bowen 8678 – 164, Taylor Tevis 83-81 – 164 and Kate Moore 81-83 – 164; 9, Nikki Pitts 82-86 – 168; 10, Abby Chang 80-90 – 170.
TALOR GOOCH JOHN CONRAD FALL CLASSIC AT JOHN CONRAD GC. MIDWEST CITY (PAR-72)
AUG. 31-SEPT. 1 BOYS
1, Samuel Bonaobra 65-69 – 134; 2, Cooper Watson 69-67 – 136; 3, Brock Jerman 6572 – 137; 4 (tie), Preston Albee 68-70 – 138 and Ryan McClanahan 70-68 – 138; 6, Jace Chaney 68-71 – 139; 7, Benson Diehm 67-73 – 140; 8, Ainslie Stanford III 70-71 – 141; 9, Tristan Parks 70-72 – 142.
GIRLS
1, Kylie Fisher 70-73 – 143; 2, Abbie Justiz 71-73 – 144; 3, Miah Luong 74-73 – 147; 4, Lilly Reid 70-81 – 151; 5 (tie), Megan Kalapura 79-75 – 154 and Maggie Ruby 79-75 – 154; 7, Amy Reavis 79-76 – 155; 8 (tie), Beans Factor 81-75 – 156, Kate Dixon 79-77 – 156 and Brooklyn Bowman 77-79 – 156.
OGA MID-AMATEUR AT WINTER CREEK GC, BLANCHARD (PAR-72) AUG. 12-13
1, Heath Myers 73-68 – 141; 2 (tie), Eric Fox 74-71 – 145 and Bryan Vahlberg 72-73 – 145; 4, Trent Mewbourn 76-71 – 147; 5 (tie), Caleb Price 74-74 – 148, JR Hurley 71-77 – 148 and Harley Abrams 73-75 – 148; 8, Kyle Hudelson 76-75 – 151; 9 (tie), Phillip Bryan 77-75 – 152, Cole Stephenson 74-78 – 152 and Justin Hoppock 75-77 – 152; 12, Austin Quinten 7479 – 153.
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