Scarberry fends off Dobson, Dierinzo to win WOGA Stroke Play title

By Ken MacLeod

A whiff of tension may have been in the air as former University of Tulsa teammates ShaeBug Scarberry and Taylor Dobson battled down the stretch of the Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association Stroke Play Championship Tuesday at Hillcrest Country Club in Bartlesville.

Dobson, of Broken Arrow, will be a junior on the TU squad this fall. Scarberry left the team last month after her freshman season and transferred to Troy, coached by former TU coach Randy Keck (2007-14). Watching the final pairing to support Dobson was current TU coach Annie Young.

The two were tied through seven holes, but a double bogey by Dobson on eight combined with a Scarberry birdie on 11 gave the Purcell native enough of a cushion to hold on. Both players closed with rounds of 75 on the challenging course, as did the third member of the threesome Michaela Dierinzo, of Owasso. As Michaela Cavener, she was also a successful TU golfer, concluding her career in 2008.

Scarberry finished at 7-over 151 (76-75) while Dobson was second at 153 (78-75). Dierinzo was a shot back in third at 154 (79-75).

“I didn’t hit it that great but I was able to get up and down a lot for pars,” said Scarberry, who said she has been working hard on her short game. “It’s a tough course with fast greens and that shows my putting has been coming along.”

Scarberry birdied the sixth hole after a nice 6-iron approach to 3 feet and rolled in a 30-footer for birdie on the 11^th. She said she was excited about continuing her career at Troy and playing for Keck.

“I think he’s a good coach and will really be able to help me with my short game,” she said. “It’s going to be a good fit for me.”

After the double on eight, Dobson played solid down the stretch but could not make enough birdie putts to catch Scarberry. She said it would have been nice to overtake her former teammate.

“We’re still friends, but we were better friends (as teammates)” Dobson said. “We both played pretty well in tough conditions.”

Also playing well was Dierinzo, who took time off from her job at Conoco Phillips in Bartlesville to compete in what were only her fifth and sixth rounds played since last September. She and husband Will, who works at The Patriot in Owasso, have two sons ages 1 and 3.5 and that precludes a lot of golf.

However Dierinzo, who grew up playing on the tree-lined fairways of another Perry Maxwell design at Ponca City Country Club, said she loves Hillcrest.

“I hit it pretty well but was a little rusty around the greens in that first round,” she said. “It was pretty challenging conditions with the wind and the greens, but I really like this course, it reminds me a lot of Ponca City CC.”

Hillcrest Country Club

Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association

2019 Stroke Play Championship

Final Results

OVERALL CHAMPION (Gross)

ShaeBug Scarberry                     76 – 75         151

Mid – Amateur Champion (Gross)

Michaela Dierinzo                        79 – 75         154

Championship Flight (Gross):

2^nd       Taylor Dobson                       78 – 75                       153

3^rd       Faith Hopkins                                    84 – 74                       158

4^th       Faith Belmear                                    82 – 77                       159

5^th       LeeAnn Fairlie                                   81 – 80                       159

6^th       Rachel Eckert                         85 – 78                       163

7^th       Emma Shelley                                    84 – 80                       164

8^th       Adeline Norton                      84 – 81                       165

“A” Flight:

(Gross)                       1^st        Tammy Fairchild                   86 – 85                       171

(Net)               1^st        Darian Kedy                          77 – 76                       153

2^nd       Pam Bonifield                                    75 – 82                       157

“B” Flight:

(Gross)                       1^st        Laurie Campbell                    85 – 92                       177

(Net)               1^st        Diane Doornbos                    76 – 78                       154

2^nd       Carolyn Martin                      80 – 75                       155

“C” Flight:

(Gross)                       1^st        Loren Ogburn                                    83 – 88                       171

(Net)               1^st        Fran Derrick                          69 – 84                       153

2^nd       Diane Schmidt                                   79 – 76                       155

“D” Flight:

(Gross)                       1^st        Adrene Linehan                    113 – 111      224

(Net)               1^st        Chris Massey                                     80 – 76                       156

2^nd       Kay Graves                             84 – 89                       173