Top seeds fall early in OGA State Amateur
It was a quick exit for the two top seeds in the 114th Oklahoma Golf Association State Amateur Championship Tuesday at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club.
Oklahoma State golfer Jaxon Bandelier of Austin, Texas, who led qualifying Monday with a 7-under 64, lost in the first round to local member and frequent club champion Ben Blundell 5 and 3.
No. 2 seed Asher Whitaker of Wichita, a former Oklahoma Sooner who has transferred to Colorado, lost to Tyler Hunt of Tulsa 1 up as Hunt drained a 40-foot birdie putt on the final hole.
Blundell and Hunt didn’t make it to Wednesday’s quarterfinals however. A talented mid-amateur in Bryan Vahlberg of Norman sent Blundell packing with a 1 up victory. Hunt went to the 18th hole again before losing to Argentinian Exequiel Rodriguez Barri, who plays for Oklahoma Christian.
Vahlberg will face Collin Bond of Norman in the quarterfinals Wednesday morning, Bond advanced with a 5 and 4 win over Carson Scrymgeour of Jenks and a 2 up victory over Jack Lee of Edmond.
C.J. Phillips of Edmond, looking to add the match play title to the OGA Stroke Play Championship he won in 2025, defeated Benton Manly of Tulsa 4 and 3 and Ian Wilcoxen of Tulsa 3 and 2. Phillips, who has transferred to Tulsa for his senior season, will face Jake Hopper of Norman. Hopper, who plays for Middle Tennessee State, defeated Bliss Newton of Healdton 2 and 1 and then knocked off fifth seed Ben Latrhop of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma State in 19 holes.
Blake Trimble, who recently won the OGA Mid-Amateur at Battle Creek, stayed on a roll with victories over John Ryan Bonaobra 2 up and then took out Cooper Watson of Lawton and Baylor. He will play Barri in the quarterfinals.
It could be an all-Owasso tussle in the final bracket. Ben Stoller survived a 22-hole war with Rhett Hughes of Edmond in the morning and then defeated Kale Flinton of Edmond while Sooner Cameron Cheek won 4 and 2 over Christopher Crawford of Oklahoma City and then downed Hudson Hobbs of Ardmore 4 and 3.
The quarterfinals will be played Wednesday morning followed by the semifinals in the afternoon. The championship match will be Thursday morning.