Eckroat, Wood, Burrows, Richardson reach State Amateur semifinals
Photo: Mike Hughett and Hayden Wood.
By Ken MacLeod
OWASSO – Austin Eckroat was a steamroller while Oklahoma State teammate Hayden Wood walked a tightrope.
The result was the same, as both advanced to the semifinals of the Oklahoma Golf Association State Amateur Championship at The Patriot Golf Club Wednesday.
Eckroat, from Edmond and a rising sophomore at OSU, made a slew of birdies and the occasional eagle in 5 and 4 victories over Max Roberts and Trae Elias. He was 7-under par through seven holes against Elias, a member at The Patriot.
Wood needed a 16-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to edge Oral Roberts University golfer Jack Howes in his morning match 1 up, then came back from two down through 11 holes to defeat 59-year-old Mike Hughett 2 up in the quarterfinals.
Wood will meet Cody Burrows of Chickasha, the 2017 runner-up to Brendon Jelley. Burrows, who will be a senior at ORU, rolled to a 6 and 4 win over Southern Nazarene senior Rhett Bechtel, then won 3 and 2 over Hudson Hoover of Sapulpa in the quarterfinals.
Facing Eckroat will be Brady Richardson of Tulsa, who edged Austin Enzbrenner of Owasso 2 and 1, then nipped McCain Schelhardt of Edmond and UMKC 1 up. Richardson won the 2017 OGA Stroke Play Championship.
Semifinal matches begin at 8 a.m. with the championship match at 12:30 p.m.
Hughett had Wood on the ropes after taking a 2 up lead on the front nine, matching Wood’s birdie on the par-5 10th, and had a short birdie putt on the par-3 11th to go 3 up. He missed, then hit drives into the woods on the next two par-4s to allow Wood to tie the match on hole 14. Both players birdied the par-5 15th hole, then Wood drained an eagle putt on 16 to take the lead.
After both made par on 17, Hughett hit his drive right on the par-4 18th and was unable to clear the gulch on his second shot. Hughett has won 21 Oklahoma Golf Association titles, the most of any player.
Oklahoma Golf Association
State Amateur Championship
July 17-19, 2019
Day 2 Results
Round — (Round of 16)
Austin Eckroat, Edmond, Okla. (1) def. Max Roberts, Fitzhugh, Okla. (16), 5 and 4
Trae Elias, Owasso, Oklahoma (24) def. Brody King, Tulsa, Okla. (8), 2 up
McCain Schellhardt, Edmond, Okla. (13) def. Daniel Langley, Shawnee, Okla. (36), 4 and 3
Brady Richardson, Tulsa, Okla. (28) def. Austin Enzbrenner, Owasso, Okla. (44), 2 and 1
Cody Burrows, Chickasha, Okla. (2) def. Rhett Bechtel, Edmond, Oklahoma (18), 6 and 4
Hudson Hoover, Sapulpa, Okla. (23) def. Casey Paul, Tahlequah, Oklahoma (7), 3 and 2
Hayden Wood, Edmond, Okla. (19) def. Jack Howes, McKinney, Texas (3), 1 up
Michael Hughett, Owasso, Okla. (59) def. Lane Wallace, Yukon, Okla. (11), 4 and 2
Round — (Quarterfinal)
Austin Eckroat, Edmond, Okla. (1) def. Trae Elias, Owasso, Oklahoma (24), 5 and 4
Brady Richardson, Tulsa, Okla. (28) def. McCain Schellhardt, Edmond, Okla. (13), 1 up
Cody Burrows, Chickasha, Okla. (2) def. Hudson Hoover, Sapulpa, Okla. (23), 3 and 2
Hayden Wood, Edmond, Okla. (19) def. Michael Hughett, Owasso, Okla. (59), 2 up