Eckroat edges teammate Wood for 6A state title, Huskies romp by 57 shots

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By Ken MacLeod

The team race was decided early Monday, so the highly-competitive quintet of Edmond North golfers had one goal in mind when they returned to Karsten Creek Tuesday for the final round of the Oklahoma Class 6A Golf Championship.

The record 10th consecutive team title would eventually be won by an overwhelming 57 shots over Edmond Memorial. The individual crown was the prize highly sought by the Huskies, each of them already committed to Division I golf programs, as they started the final round.

In the end, it was precocious freshman Austin Eckroat who edged senior teammate Hayden Wood by a single shot. Eckroat came from five shots off the pace with a final-round of 1-under par 71, while Wood three-putted four times en route to a 77.

Wood, son of Champions Tour golfer Willie Wood and bound for Oklahoma State in the fall, is usually an excellent putter, but it betrayed him three times on the front nine. He played solid on the back and was tied going into the 16th hole when he hit his approach hole-high and about 18 feet away. He ran the first putt six feet past and missed it coming back for a bogey to trail by one.

Wood bombed a drive on the par-4 17th, leaving him just 118 yards. But he flared his second shot well right, leaving a near-impossible up-and-down and putting him two shots behind his young teammate, who was finishing off the 18th hole with his 15th par of the day to go with two birdies and just one bogey. Wood hit a brilliant 3-iron in on the par-5 18th after pushing his drive to the right to finish with a birdie but it was a bitter consolation.

Eckroat, just 15, has already given a verbal commitment to Oklahoma State coach Alan Bratton. The son of talented amateur golfer Steve Eckroat, he has been playing golf since he was four and didn’t take long to become accepted by his older teammates.

"We’ve known him for a long time and he’s just a really talented, smart golfer," said senior Nick Heinen, also bound for Oklahoma State. "He hits it incredibly straight and has a good short game. We’re happy for him."

Eckroat hit every fairway and missed just three greens in regulation Tuesday. He said in practice rounds his teammates routinely drive the ball well past him, but he competes by keeping it constantly in play. He has had numerous rounds this season where he hit every fairway and green in regulation.

"Playing against these guys every day has made me a better player," said Eckroat, whose pronounced goal is to win four consecutive state championships. "They’ve helped me a lot."

Wood was visibly upset with himself for the two late bogeys which cost him the individual title, but was gracious in regards to his young teammate.

"Austin played a great final round," he said. "I’m happy for him."

As the team element evaporated with the commanding lead, it placed Edmond North coach Jeff Doherty in the odd and a bit uncomfortable position of removing himself as the information bearer to his charges, particularly to Wood and Eckroat down the stretch as it become apparent one or the other was going to win.

"Hayden was playing well down the stretch," Doherty said. "But the little freshman, my gosh, 1-under in this wind and conditions, that’s golfing your ball. He went and got it and I think Hayden understands that."

As for the 10th consecutive team title, Doherty said it was a staggering accomplishment for the school. This edition may have been the deepest team in the run, with University of Tulsa signee Sam Humphreys watching from the sideline as all five of his teammates, including University of Oklahoma commit Griffin Pierce and OSU commit Tyson Reeder, finished in the top seven.

"We’ve never had a team that went this deep one through six," Doherty said.

Future Sooner Thomas Johnson of Norman North finished third, four shots behind Eckroat, after losing in a playoff in 2013. Spencer Smythe of Muskogee was a shot back at 228, followed by Heinen at 229, Pierce at 231 while Reeder tied with Jacob Bishop of Memorial and Preston Crawford of Jenks for seventh at 234.

Memorial finished seven shots ahead of Owasso for second place, while Jenks was a shot back in fourth.