Around the globe, from Hovland to Chacarra to Sides to Gogel and Van Pelt, another huge weekend for players with state ties
Another weekend where players with strong Oklahoma ties made a huge impact on the global golf world.
First off, of course, is Viktor Hovland, former Oklahoma State Cowboy and current member at both Karsten Creek in Stillwater and Oak Tree National in Edmond, where he is building a spectacular new home. Hovland defeated world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in a one-hole playoff this morning for his eighth career PGA Tour victory. Another former Cowboy, recent U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, was in contention until dunking his second shot on the 17th hole.
Not to be outdone, Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa had a member making history as well. Former Cowboy Eugenio Chacarra won the Italian Open by five shots, his second consecutive victory on the DP World Tour. That earned him a spot in the Open Championship and cemented the 26-year-old’s status as one of the hottest golfers on the planet.
https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/49206899/eugenio-chacarra-wins-italian-open-receives-open-bid
Speaking of Southern Hills members, Will Sides of Tulsa made his second start on the Korn Ferry Tour after earning status through his excellent play at Southern Methodist. Sides shot 20-under par (68-65-66-65) to tie for 10th at the Memorial Health Championship at Panther Creek GC in Springfield, Ill. He has finished top 15 in both his start, a very encouraging beginning to his professional career.
https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour/leaderboard
On the Champions Tour, two of the top five spots in the Dicks Open in Endicott, N.Y., were former Tulsa resident and Bishop Kelly graduate Matt Gogel, third place at 17-under, and current Tulsa resident, Southern Hills member and OSU grad Bo Van Pelt, tied for fifth at 15-under.
https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions/tournaments/2026/dicks-open/S2026008/leaderboard
Coming up this week, keep an eye on the 2026 U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club in
Columbus, Ohio. One of the qualifiers for the championship was the amazing Tracy Phillips of Tulsa and this could be a course that suits him well.