Hale takes second in Muskogee APT event, Burly Boys reunited

Former University of Oklahoma All-American Blaine Hale played the final 36 holes in 10-under par, roaring back from the pack to finish 1 shot behind the winner, Sam Fidone of Lukin, Texas, in the Bravado Wireless Real Okie Championship on the All Pro Tour Friday at Muskogee Golf Club.

It was the best finish in seven events on the tour for Hale, who lives in Dallas and plays out of the Dallas Athletic Club. He tied for second with Grady Brame and Greg Eason. Hale shot a 4-under 66 in the morning round in the rain-plagued tournament, then fired a 6-under 64 in the afternoon with six birdies and no bogeys.

It was a reunion of sorts for Hale, as his former teammate Brad Dalke played and tied for 13th at 13-under after a final round of 3-under 67. Dalke and Hale were known as the Burly Boys at OU for their imposing physiques and were members of Oklahoma’s national championship team in 2017.

Dalke had moved to Scottsdale, Ariz., this spring and was working with instructor George Gankas, based in California and long-time instructor to Matthew Wolff. He missed Oklahoma and moved back two months ago and now lives in Edmond and plays with dozens of other top pros and amateurs at Oak Tree National. He is working with swing instructor Ryan Rody at Southern Hills Country Club.

“Really my swing has been off for about six years,” Dalke said. “I’ve been coming in too steep and not hitting it at all like I did in my junior days. I’ve only been up to see Ryan a couple of times but I think it already feels better and I’m really hoping for better days ahead.”

Hale and Dalke, like the rest of the players on the APT, are pretty much in mini-tour limbo as the fall approaches due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There won’t be opportunities to play their way onto the Korn Ferry Tour for 2020-21 except for Monday qualifiers. But they are making the most of it.

“You’ve just got to play in whatever you can,” Hale said. “The APT is going to have events for us this fall and there are other tournaments. Just got to try to keep getting better.”

Brendon Jelley of Tulsa, who won an APT event last month, shot a 5-under 65 in the final round to move into a tie for eighth at 14-under. Also tied for eighth was his former OSU teammate Zach Bauchou.

Cody Burrows of Chickasha and Oral Roberts finished at 12-under and tied for 16th. Former OSU golfers Hayden Wood of Edmond and Sam Stevens of Fort Worth tied for 21st at 10-under. Mesa Falleur, 16-year-old junior player from Muskogee who earned a spot during a qualifier, shot a final-round 70 and placed 50th at 3-under.

APT – Bravado Wireless Real Okie Championship Results
Dates: Aug 11 – Aug 14
Muskogee Country Club

 1    Sam Fidone             Lufkin, TX               68-63-69-62--262 -18 $25,000.00
 T2   Blaine Hale            Dallas, TX               66-67-66-64--263 -17 $7,333.33
 T2   Grady Brame, Jr        Hammond, LA              62-69-65-67--263 -17 $7,333.33
 T2   Greg Eason             Kissimmee, FL            65-65-69-64--263 -17 $7,333.33
 T5   Charlie Holland        Dallas, TX               66-66-68-64--264 -16 $3,715.00
 T5   Kyle Pritchard         Castroville, TX          65-66-68-65--264 -16 $3,715.00
 7    Ben Geyer              Arbuckle, CA             66-65-69-65--265 -15 $3,440.00
 T8   Brendon Jelley         Tulsa, OK                66-69-66-65--266 -14 $3,115.00
 T8   Wesley Hunter          Mobile, AL               69-66-67-64--266 -14 $3,115.00
 T8   Sean Romero            Texarkana, AR            66-68-67-65--266 -14 $3,115.00
 T8   Zach Bauchou           Forest, VA               68-68-66-64--266 -14 $3,115.00
 T8   Austin Bautista        Clearwater, FL           63-68-68-67--266 -14 $3,115.00
 T13  Brad Dalke             Edmond, OK               66-68-66-67--267 -13 $2,715.00
 T13  Curtis Reed            Castroville, TX          68-65-69-65--267 -13 $2,715.00
 T13  Jake Hendrix           Austin, TX               68-64-67-68--267 -13 $2,715.00
 T16  Ryan Baca              Sugar Land, TX           66-68-69-65--268 -12 $2,365.00
 T16  Brian Rowell           Broussard, LA            66-69-65-68--268 -12 $2,365.00
 T16  Cody Burrows           Chickasha, OK            69-67-65-67--268 -12 $2,365.00
 T16  Sebastian Saavedra     Buenos Aires             66-66-67-69--268 -12 $2,365.00
 20   Cory Churchman         Fort Worth, TX           67-68-67-67--269 -11 $2,140.00
 T21  Zack Fischer           Texarkana, TX            67-68-68-67--270 -10 $1,915.00
 T21  Angelo Leyvani         San Antonio, TX          66-69-70-65--270 -10 $1,915.00
 T21  Sam Stevens            Fort Worth, TX           66-70-68-66--270 -10 $1,915.00
 T21  Hayden Wood            Edmond, OK               68-65-68-69--270 -10 $1,915.00
 T21  Tanner Napier          Paris, TX                65-71-64-70--270 -10 $1,915.00
 T26  Tom Gempel             Parker, CO               69-65-68-69--271 -9  $1,540.00
 T26  Zach Partin            Lewisville, TX           65-69-66-71--271 -9  $1,540.00
 T26  Jeremy Gandon          Fort Worth, TX           63-70-69-69--271 -9  $1,540.00
 T26  Zachary Olsen          Memphis, TN              65-68-70-68--271 -9  $1,540.00
 T26  Cory Whitsett          Birmingham, AL           67-65-70-69--271 -9  $1,540.00
 T31  Chandler Phillips      Huntsville, TX           64-71-69-68--272 -8  $1,202.50
 T31  Miguel Delgado         Palm Beach Gardens, FL   71-64-69-68--272 -8  $1,202.50
 T31  Hayden Foster          Pottsboro, TX            69-66-67-70--272 -8  $1,202.50
 T31  Bobby Hudson           Dallas, TX               70-66-68-68--272 -8  $1,202.50
 T35  Mark Walker            Hurst, TX                68-67-66-72--273 -7  $990.00
 T35  Jared Bettcher         Auburn, AL               67-69-67-70--273 -7  $990.00
 T37  Nick Arman             Ellisville, MO           66-68-67-73--274 -6  $791.67
 T37  Logan McCracken        Oklahoma City, OK        67-67-68-72--274 -6  $791.67
 T37  Gordon Neale           Dove Canyon, CA          69-67-71-67--274 -6  $791.67
 T37  Austin Smith           Russellville, AR         68-65-69-72--274 -6  $791.67
 T37  Cameron Peck           College Station, TX      68-69-68-69--274 -6  $791.67
 T37  Jon Trasamar           Blue Earth, MN           68-69-69-68--274 -6  $791.67
 T43  Brandon Pierce         Covington, LA            66-68-71-70--275 -5  $622.50
 T43  Sam Gillis             San Jacinto, CA          67-69-72-67--275 -5  $622.50
 T43  Brax McCarthy          Fort Worth, TX           70-66-70-69--275 -5  $622.50
 T43  Tyler Gann             Rockwall, TX             70-66-70-69--275 -5  $622.50
 T47  Franklin Corpening     Fort Worth, TX           68-67-70-71--276 -4  $541.67
 T47  Blake Pugh             Southlake, TX            65-68-69-74--276 -4  $541.67
 T47  Bennett Baker          Tallahassee, FL          67-69-69-71--276 -4  $541.67
 50   Mesa Falleur (a)       Sallisaw, OK             69-68-70-70--277 -3  
 51   Andrew Wyatt           Tulsa, OK                71-66-70-73--280 E   $515.00
 52   Chris Minton           Houston, TX              70-67-76-68--281 +1  $510.00
 53   Preston Stanley        Katy, TX                 70-66-73-73--282 +2  $505.00
 54   Tate Fleming           Pasadena, TX             73-64-70-78--285 +5  $500.00