OCU, Southwestern Christian finish 1-2 in birdie fest at Lake Hefner
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University took the top spot in the team standings of the Southwestern Christian Invitational on Wednesday at Lake Hefner Golf Course. Southwestern Christian closed with the day’s best round, a 17-under 271, to finish six shots back in second.
Oklahoma City had two players, Tres Hill and Leandro Mihaich, tie for second individually. The Stars, ranked 11th in NAIA men’s golf, took the win for the second week in a row. Thanaphon Suwannapratheep of Dodge City Community College won the individual title at 17-under after rounds of 68-66-65.
The Stars came up with the winning score of 265-268-278–811 on the par-72, 6,970-yard course. OCU’s three-round total matched the school record score shot in the Battle of the Primm on March 19-20, 2018 in Primm, Nev., and broke the score against par mark (53 under par). Oklahoma City went 37 strokes under par in the 2021 U.C. Ferguson Classic. Southwestern Christian, ranked 16th, finished six strokes behind OCU.
Gus FritzHill and Mihaich both ended 16 under par. Hill, a sophomore from Elk City, finished with a score of 64-66-70–200, and Mihaich, a freshman from Cordoba, Argentina, carded a 68-66-66–200. Mihaich only had one bogey on the round. Overall, Mihaich finished with 17 birdies, one eagle, and a bogey free first round. Hill finished with 19 birdies and the best par- 4 average at 9 under.
Will Fore, a senior from Southlake, Texas, came away in eighth place with a score of 66-66-73–205. Ben Thionnet carded a 69-68-69–206 for a tie in ninth and supplied 18 birdies. Thionnet, a junior from Edmond, had his finest finish as a Star.
Bosten Benn, a junior from Edmond, and Alex Bloxham, a freshman from Broken Arrow, tied for 20th. Benn scored a 66-71-73–210, and Bloxham added a 69-72-69–210.
Cameron Lopez had a 24th-place finish and a score of 67-70-74–211. Caleb Allen scored a 78-77-78–233, and Carson Breckenridge finished with a 81-77-81–239.
Host Southwestern Christian had two players in the top five. Philipp Pakosch, a transfer from Oral Roberts University, took fourth at 14-under (69-67-66) while Jon David Pitts tied for fifth at 13-under (64-73-66). Gus Fritz was also in the top 10 in a tie for ninth at 10-under (68-69-69.).