Cowan edges Wilson in three-hole playoff to win OGA Stroke Play Championship

Ryder Cowan of Edmond squandered a two-shot lead on the final hole of regulation but recovered to win a three-hole playoff with good friend and fellow Oak Tree National member Jordan Wilson to become the 2023 Oklahoma Golf Association Stroke Play Champion.

It was a bit of a Bedlam battle as Wilson is entering his junior year at Oklahoma State and Cowan will be a freshman this fall at Oklahoma. The two Edmond junior stars pulled away from the rest of the field on Thursday at The Territory in Duncan.

Wilson shot a 5-under 67 to finish at 16-under. He made up three shots in the final two holes of regulation. He hit a cut 4-iron from 225 yards to 7 feet and made birdie on the par-3 17^th, and a par at 18. Cowan made par on 17 and still just needed to par the par-4 18^th for a two-shot victory and a spectacular round of 63. But he pulled his tee shot left into a grassy area, took four shots to reach the green and two-putted for a six. He settled for a 7-under 65 that matched his opening round and matched Wilson at 16-under.

“I made a mess of 18 and he had all the momentum,” Cowan said. “I went in and washed my face and tried to regroup. I knew he was playing well and I had to shake that off.”

Both players made par on the first two playoff holes. Cowan ended it by hitting his approach shot on the par-4 third hole from 135 yards to two feet, while Wilson hit his approach shot to about 6 feet. Wilson missed and Cowan rolled his in for the victory.

Wilson began the day tied with Mesa Falleur of Muskogee at 11-under and two shots ahead of Cowan. Falleur shot even-par in the final round to finish five shots back in third. Willliam McDonald of Oklahoma City closed with a 71 to take fourth at 8-under, while James Roller of Jenks and 14-year-old Emerson Majma of Edmond tied for fifth at 5-under.

Wilson and Cowan play frequently together at Oak Tree National, often joined by Viktor Hovland. They are accustomed to watching each other make extremely difficult shots look routine.

In shooting 31 on the front side and reaching 9-under, Cowan hit his tee shot to 5 feet on the 225-yard fourth hole, made a 30-footer for eagle on the par-5 seventh after Wilson had hit his second shot within tap-in range for his own eagle, then hit another brilliant tee shot on the 200-yard par-3 13^th to within a few feet for a key birdie. He made a 20-footer for birdie on 16 to cap Wilson’s birdie.

“It was a lot of fun and we both played well,” Cowan said. “Jordan’s a really good player and I’m proud of the way he played today.”

“It was just like a lot of our rounds at Oak Tree,” Wilson said. “We always have a good time playing against each other and this was no different.”

– Ken MacLeod