Kamas, OCU triumph in Kyle Blaser Invitational at Gaillardia CC
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University rolled to its fifth victory of the season and Maddi Kamas picked up her fifth career individual title as the Stars won the Kyle Blaser Invitational by 57 shots over second-place Oklahoma Christian Tuesday at Gaillardia Country Club.
The Stars, ranked third in NAIA women’s golf, shot 278-278-304–878 on the par-72, 5,918-yard course. Oklahoma Christian, ranked 20th in NCAA Division II, finished second place with a 305-307-313–925. The golfers fought through cold and windy conditions as the temperature climbed from the upper 30s to upper 40s by the conclusion of the tournament with 15-20 mph winds.
Kamas, a sophomore business administration major from Kingfisher, sealed the outcome by knocking in a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-3, 185-yard No. 15 hole. Kamas nailed five of her tournament-high 13 birdies Tuesday.
Kamas came up with the only under-par 54-hole score of the tournament with a 1-under-par 72-74-71–217 to rally from one shot down entering the last round. Kamas polished off a five-stroke victory.
Four OCU golfers held the top four slots, while all five Stars were among the top seven in the individual standings. The Stars’ Natalie Gough and MaKayla Tyrrell came in tied for second, while Logan Allen took the fourth spot. Paige Wood nabbed seventh.
Gough put up a 71-73-78–222. Gough, a graduate student working towards a business administration degree from Bixby, Okla., collected her sixth birdie of the tournament on the 10th hole during the final round. Gough delivered a hole-in-one, the fourth of her golfing career, on No. 4 during round 1. She landed the ace using an 8-iron on the par-3, 134-yard hole.
Tyrrell, a freshman marketing major from Southlake, Texas, came through with a 77-68-77–222. Three of her nine birdies this week came in the last round. Tyrrell’s second-place effort accounted for her season-best tournament finish.
Allen, a freshman from Las Vegas majoring in university studies, provided OCU with a 73-72-78–223. She made her seventh birdie of the week on No. 3 Tuesday. Wood, a sophomore studying broadcast journalism from McKinney, Texas, carded a 71-75-84–230 with nine birdies in the tournament and three in round 3.
Oklahoma City entered a second team, which had a 329-316-328–973. Each of the Stars on that squad were among the tournament’s top 25. Jamie Welsh, a sophomore cell & molecular biology major from Coppell, Texas, led the squad with a 73-80-81–234, good for 11th place.
Aubrey House added an 81-79-82–242, while Blaine Bruton supplied OCU with a 91-77-79–247. Meghan Charles finished with an 84-80-86–250.
Sarah Sherrard led Oklahoma Christian with a tie for eighth at 232 (80-73-79). Alex Bennett finished 10th at 233.
Redlands Community College place fourth, led by a tie for eighth by Clara Peake (73-79-80).
The Stars return to action in the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic on April 10-11 at Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City in the 2022-23 regular-season finale.