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Fang, Stout notch monumental victories on historic weekend

Ken MacLeod

What a weekend for Oklahoma! The Thunder win the NBA Championship in a dramatic Game Seven, prominently putting the state on the world stage. Before that, two huge victories on the amateur golf stage were registered by members of Alan Bratton’s national championship Oklahoma State team. And it looked for a long time like Weatherford native Quade Cummins was going to capture the Korn Ferry Tour event in Wichita.

On the PGA Tour level, Edmond native Austin Eckroat jumped out to a share of the first-round lead in the Travelers Championship with an 8-under 62 but had a frustrating ride thereafter. For example, in his final round Sunday he had three birdies and an eagle but played the two par-5s in four-over en route to his third consecutive round of 1-over 71. He finished tied for 25th.

Ethan Fang Earns Historic Victory At Amateur Championship

SANDWICH, England – Oklahoma State’s Ethan Fang made history on Saturday after becoming the first Cowboy golfer since 1967 to win The Amateur Championship, doing so at Royal St. George’s.

In a battle with Gavin Tiernan that went down to the 36th and final hole, the rising junior birdied the final hole of the match for a 1-up victory. In doing so, he became the first Cowboy to win the event since Bob Dickson.


With his victory, Fang earned the championship trophy, a gold medal as well as entry into the 153rd Open, next year’s U.S. Open and The Masters and a DP World Tour Event.

“I was hitting it good all day and I knew that if I stayed in it some putts would drop. He hit two really good shots and with it all tied on the last anything could happen, but I knew if I just birdied I could get the job done,” Fang said.

“I’m glad I can take a second to think about everything I’ve done this week and just enjoy it.”

During the morning session, Fang never led, while Tiernan took the match’s first lead at the fourth. Fang would square the match with a birdie at the eighth. Tiernan would move back in front with a birdie at the 12th before Fang would pull even again with an eagle at the 14th.

Tiernan would birdie the 16th to take a 1-up lead at the halfway point.

Fang once again tied the match at the 19th hole before grabbing his first lead at the 23rd. Two holes later, Tiernan would post an eagle to draw even. 

The duo would head to the final nine knotted up before Fang claimed the 28th hole to move in front once again. Two holes later, Tiernan would draw even with a birdie.

With a birdie at the 32nd and a par at the next, Fang would build a 2-up lead with three to play before Tiernan would mount one final charge. After rolling in a 30-foot birdie to cut the margin in half, he would draw even again with another birdie at the 35th hole.

However, it was Fang who would deliver the deciding blow, stuffing his approach shot on the final hole to five feet and converting the birdie to prevail.

Preston Stout Rolls To Northeast Amateur Title

RUMFORD, R.I. – Oklahoma State’s Preston Stout closed with a final-round 65 to cruise to victory at the 63rd Northeast Amateur Invitational on Saturday at Wannamoisett Country Club.

The rising junior fired a 4-under 65 to finish at 9-under 267 and eight shots clear of the field.

With his victory, Stout joins Peter Uihlein (2011) as Cowboys to win the event.

On Wednesday, Stout posted an even-par 69 to open play before matching the course record with a 61 on Thursday to climb 28 spots into first place.

The All-American’s record-matching round began with a par before he posted his lone bogey of the day at the second. He would reel off four consecutive birdies starting at the third before turning in 31. Stout would par the 10th before carding birdies at Nos. 11 and 13. Following an eagle at the 14th, he would tack on a birdie at the 17th to match the low mark.

After battling tough scoring conditions on Friday and finishing with a 72, Stout would enter the final round of play with a one-shot lead. He got going again early during his final round. After a birdie at the second, he would add another at the seventh for an outward nine of 32. 

Stout’s lone bogey of the day would come at the 12th. He responded with a birdie at the 14th and added two more at the 16th and 17th to pad his cushion from the field.

Oklahoma’s Jase Summy finished tied for 12th, Edmond native and OU golfer Ryder Cowan tied for 25th, Tulsan William Sides tied for 33rd as did OU’s Matthew Troutman while Muskogee native and New Mexico golfer Mesa Falleur tied for 47th. Complete results here.

Cummins fourth in Kansas Wichita Open

Quade Cummins, who has been playing his rookie season on the PGA Tour, dropped down to the Korn Ferry Tour for the nearby Kansas Wichita Open at Crestview Country Club and nearly walked out with a win, entering the final round tied for the lead but shooting a 1-over 71 to drop to fourth place. He was three shots behind winner Myles Creighton, who shot a 59 on Saturday.

It was good to see former Edmond resident Robert Streb have a solid week with a tie for 13th at 9-under including a final-round 65. Here are the complete results:

This week, Tracy Phillips, Willie Wood in U.S. Senior Open field

Tee times are not yet posted but two of the qualifiers for this week’s U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor were Tracy Phillips of Tulsa and Willie Wood of Edmond, both of whom made it through the Mesa, Ariz., qualifier held June 2 at Mesa Country Club.

 

 

 

Ken MacLeod

Publisher Golf Oklahoma | Oklahoma's No. 1 Golf Source