Rison wins OGA Mid-Amateur Championship; Rust claims inaugural OGA Pro Series event
Matt Rison of Edmond birdied the second hole of a playoff to edge Daniel Funk of Tulsa and win the Oklahoma Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship at Gaillardia Golf & Country Club Tuesday.
Rison, who played collegiate golf at Oklahoma City University, made a 7-foot uphill birdie putt on the second playoff hole after hitting a sand wedge in from 90 yards. Funk missed about a 15-foot birdie putt seconds earlier.
Rison celebrated his first OGA championship but also had sympathy for Jeff Coffman of Oklahoma City, who had a three-shot lead with three holes to play but, after making four birdies against one bogey through 15 holes, finished double bogey-bogey-quadruple bogey to shoot 76 and finish four shots out of the playoff.
Funk closed with a strong 69, playing the final 11 holes in 4 under par to force the tie and the playoff.
"I played solid," Funk said. "I’m glad I lost to a birdie. You hate to come back and get in a playoff and make a bogey."
Rison made a clutch 8-foot downhill par save on 16, then had two good looks at birdie on 17 or 18 but settled for pars.
"I haven’t won a tournament in a long time and it feels good to come out on top," said Rison, who recently moved back to Oklahoma after living in Richardson, Texas for three years. He plays out of Oak Tree Country Club in Edmond, while Funk plays a variety of courses in the Tulsa area.
"Gaillardia was in the best shape I’ve seen any course," Rison said. "Fairways were prefect, greens, roughs, they had the entire course in great shape."
This event marked the debut of the OGA Pro Series, a professional event designed for Oklahoma pros to keep sharp and work on their games in competition. Dillon Rust, who last week became the first professional in eight years to win back-to-back events on the Adams Tour, made it a trifecta of Oklahoma professional events by shooting a final-round 66 to edge Rhein Gibson by a shot.
Rust, of Edmond, shot 6-under par on the front nine, then held off a late charge by Gibson, the former Oklahoma Christian star who will be playing in the British Open in two weeks. Rust shot 6-under after opening with an even-par 72 while Gibson finished at 5-under (71-68) after birdies on the final two holes to pull within one.
Rust said his confidence is "through the roof," after the three consecutive wins and credited teachers Pat Bates and Doug Tewell with helping improve his swing mechanics.
"I knew I was getting close to playing well, but I didn’t know I would win three weeks in a row," Rust said. "I am really, really encouraged with my game and looking forward to continuing to try to pursue my goals. This has helped confirm my opinion that I do have the ability to play at the highest levels."
Rust said the new Pro Series was "a really fun event, like a big money game with all your friends. We’ve got to continue to work on getting all the best players out there."
There were 21 competitors in the inaugural event, with Rust winning $3,850 for first place.
Oklahoma Golf Association
Mid Amateur Championship
June 30-July 1, 2014
Gaillardia Golf & CC
Final Results
Matt Rison, Edmond, Okla. – 73-72–145 (won in playoff)
Daniel Funk, Tulsa, Okla. – 76-69–145
Joel Driver, Oklahoma City, Okla. – 77-69–146
Blake Gibson, Yukon, Okla. – 77-71–148
Jon Valuck, Edmond, Okla. – 75-74–149
Jeff Coffman, Oklahoma City, Okla. – 73-76–149
Kacey Threet, Grove, Oklahoma – 77-73–150
Brian Birchell, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – 73-78–151
Trent Hancock, Oklahoma City, Okla. – 79-73–152
Bradley Kropp, Edmond, Okla. – 77-75–152
Heath Myers, Kingfisher, Okla. – 76-76–152
James Reid, Edmond, Okla. – 81-72–153
Jeff Richter, Edmond, Okla. – 79-74–153
Tyler Willey, Edmond, Okla. – 77-77–154
Tom Nielsen, Edmond, Okla. – 76-78–154
John Stansbury, Edmond, Oklahoma – 80-75–155
Max Showalter, Oklahoma City, Okla. – 76-80–156
Stan Faudree, Edmond, Okla. – 79-78–157
Jeffrey Topp, Edmond, Okla. – 76-81–157
Ryan Munson, Edmond, Okla. – 84-76–160
Jay Smith, Edmond, Okla. – 78-82–160
Don Clark, Shawnee, Okla. – 86-76–162
Michael Koljack, Broken Arrow, Okla. – 83-80–163
Mike Vaughn, Purcell, Okla. – 81-82–163
Austin Hackett, Broken Arrow, Okla. – 87-77–164
Mark Mogelnicki, Oklahoma City, Okla. – 84-80–164
Daniel Ingram, Altus, Okla. – 83-81–164
Tony Woods, Owasso, Okla. – 83-82–165
Sky Rylant, Edmond, Okla. – 80-86–166
Larry Johnston, Washington, Okla. – 85-82–167
Brett Alcorn, Edmond, Okla. – 87-81–168
Randy Brown, Yukon, Okla. – 86-82–168
Blake Garland, Norman, Okla. – 85-83–168
Kevin Williams, Oologah, Oklahoma – 84-84–168
John Petersen, Enid, Oklahoma – 90-81–171
Pat Proctor, Norman, Okla. – 85-87–172
Eric Mowdy, Ardmore , Oklahoma – 87-87–174
Eric Evans, Bartlesville, Okla. – 90-85–175
Don Howard, Ponca, Okla. – 92-84–176
David Gilbert, Tulsa, Okla. – 92-92–184
Ryan Sands, Ponca City, Okla. – 93-92–185
Troy Caley, Owasso, Okla. – 92-97–189
Brent Taylor, Bartlesville, Okla. – 81-WD–WD
Jesse White, Edmond, Oklahoma – 91-NS–NS
Jason Faires, Norman, Okla. – 87-NC–NC
# # # # #
Oklahoma Golf Association
Pro Series #1
June 30-July 1, 2014
Gaillardia Golf & CC
Final Results
Dillon Rust, Edmond, Okla. – 72-66–138
Rhein Gibson, Edmond, Okla. – 71-68–139
Christopher Worrell, Jenks, Okla. – 73-67–140
Hunter Sparks, Oklahoma City, Okla. – 75-68–143
Jason Meece, Ardmore, Okla. – 78-66–144
Jim Woodward, Edmond , oklahoma – 75-71–146
Kevin Kring, Springfield, Mo. – 75-71–146
Cameron Meyers, Edmond, Okla. – 72-74–146
Cooper Barrick, Edmond, Okla. – 74-74–148
Phillip Bryan, Oklahoma City, Okla. – 73-75–148
Nathan Hughes, Bartlesville, Oklahoma – 76-73–149
Austin Bowman, Pryor, Okla. – 79-71–150
Chase Lindsey, Oklahoma City, Okla. – 76-75–151
Taylor Artman, Norman, Okla. – 73-78–151
Vilhelm Bogstrand, Edmond, Okla. – 79-74–153
Cameron Bishop, Tulsa, Okla. – 76-78–154
Baer Aneshansley, Edmond , Okla. – 75-79–154
JR Hurley, Norman, Okla. – 74-80–154
Jackson Ogle, Edmond, Okla. – 77-78–155
Jimmy Shaw, Oklahoma City, Okla. – 81-75–156
Andrew Green, Edmond, Okla. – 78-83–161