Golf Oklahoma: Most popular stories of 2019
From a competitive standpoint, it was another banner year for golf in Oklahoma. From junior ranks through the PGA Tour, Oklahoma golfers are making a huge impact on the game.
From an industry standpoint, the year saw the completion of huge restorations of both Southern Hills Country Club and Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club, both covered extensively in our print issues. Otherwise, we lost courses such as SilverHorn in Oklahoma City and White Hawk in Bixby among others as the national course correction continues to a once dramatically overbuilt market. The contrast between the support for city-owned municipal golf in Oklahoma City and Tulsa could not be more stark, as OKC gets set to build two huge clubhouses at Lake Hefner and Earlywine while Tulsa city officials continue to mull their support of Page Belcher and Mohawk Park. Tulsa County, meanwhile, sets a standard closer to the OKC model at LaFortune Park and South Lakes.
At the bottom of this page there are links to all of our print issues in 2019. Below are some of the more popular selections we pulled out of the thousands of stories we covered online only in 2019. Enjoy looking back at the stories readers found most interesting in 2019. Happy New Year and we look forward to another great year of covering golf in Oklahoma in 2020.
Bill to ease restrictions on golf course beer sales passes, April 5
Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame announces 2019 Class, April 18
Hermann, Edmond North win Class 6A crowns, May 2
Owasso closes strong to win Class 6A title, May 7
Dowell edges Goodman in playoff, Regent Prep wins Class 3A title, May 7
Stars battle to end, take fourth in NAIA National Championship, May 17
Hovland named winner of Ben Hogan Award, May 20
Oklahoma’s wild weather affects golf courses, May 23
Love it or hate it, NCAA Championship match play format here to stay, May 29
Dowell, Benn, Hopper win OGA Junior Championship, June 7
Southern Hills celebrates restoration of historic course, June 7
Scarberry fends off Dobson, Dierinzo to win WOGA Stroke Play title, June 11
OGA Foundation announces scholarship recipients for 2019, June 11
Home course advantage pays off for Gibson in OGA Senior State Amateur, June 14
Viktor Hovland earns U.S. Open low amateur status, June 17
Kamas steadies herself on back 9 to take WOGA Girls Junior Championship, June 19
Myers outlasts Tewell to claim OGA Stroke Play Championship at Oak Tree CC, June 26
Fuller’s surprise return thrills fellow competitors in Section Professional Championship, July 9
Former PGA Tour golfer and junior prodigy Joey Dills passes away, July 15
Jordan Wilson captures Oklahoma State Amateur, July 24
Youngblood edges Scarberry to win Women’s State Amateur, July 25
Scarberry, Milligan begin play in U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, Aug, 5
Cummins in the zone, wins Pacific Coast Amateur, Aug. 5
Fleming wins section senior title, Fuller, Combe also qualify for national event, July 31
Tulsa area golfers have last chance to let city know neglect is not okay, July 23
Hughett snares 22nd OGA title with defense of Senior Stroke Play crown, July 31
McGreevy holds off Stanley, Bauchou to win Oklahoma Open, Aug. 24
Hovland, Streb guaranteed PGA Tour cards, others on cusp, Aug. 25
Precise short game lifts Hudelson to OGA Mid-Amateur Championship victory, Sept. 5
Bo is back! Pain free, Van Pelt returns to PGA Tour this week, Sept. 23
Oklahoma team in fourth at PGA Jr. League Championship, Oct. 14
From Nicklaus to Roy D. Mercer, Matson treated all with respect, Oct. 24
Top Oklahoma talent headed to Big 12 powerhouses, Nov. 13