Wild eagles final hole to claim OGA Stroke Play Championship
By Murray Evans
SHAWNEE – As he recuperated from a back procedure in January, John Wild watched as his Oklahoma State teammates made another deep NCAA tournament run, advancing to the national semifinals.
He’s healthy enough now to be back on the course and took full advantage on Wednesday, using an eagle on the final hole at Shawnee Country Club to post a two-shot win over three others in the Oklahoma Golf Association Stroke Play Championship.
Wild, a fifth-year senior from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, finished at 7-under-par 135 in the event, which was shortened from three to two rounds after a blistering round of thunderstorms prematurely ended play on Tuesday. Golfers who hadn’t finished their second rounds on Tuesday returned Wednesday.
Wild posted a 4-under 67 on Monday and a 68 in the second round. His former OSU teammate, Grant Gudgel of Stillwater – who now plays for Iowa – joined future teammate Ben Lathrop of Oklahoma City and Hudson Hobbs of Ardmore in the three-way tie for second. Lathrop will be a freshman at OSU this fall while Hobbs just finished his freshman season at Arizona Christian University.
“This feels great,” Wild said. “It’s good to be feeling healthy, above all. My game feels like it’s in a good place. I can keep building off days like today.”
It was a crowded leaderboard on Wednesday, with at least eight golfers either in possession of, or within one shot of, the lead at various points. Hobbs, who shot a 65 on Monday, entered the day with the lead but a double bogey on the par-3 No. 12 dropped him to 4-under and he played catch-up most of the rest of the way.
But as the round ground on, the leaderboard began to resolve itself. A birdie on the par-5 No. 13 moved Wild to 5-under. That came about the same time as Lathrop bogeyed the par-4 No. 14. A double bogey on No. 14 took Parker Payne of Norman out of the running.
Lathrop bogeyed No. 14 and No. 15 to fall to 3-under, but closed with an eagle on the par-5 No. 18 to jump back to 5-under. Gudgel, whose 66 was the day’s low round, already was in the clubhouse at 5-under and a playoff seemed likely.
Wild, though, used a driver and 7-iron to put himself on the No. 18 green in two shots, then sank a 10-foot putt to move to 7-under.
“It’s one of those holes, it’s just a situation where no matter really where I am on the leaderboard, it’s not really going to dictate what I’m going to do,” he said. “I’m going to hit driver either way there on 18. If it was a hole where there was a lot of trouble or whatnot and I had a one-stroke lead, I might have played it differently, but I was going to play the hole the same way and (there was) no point to look at the leaderboard. I’ll just play my game.”
Hobbs birdied the par-4 No. 17 to move to 5-under and, as part of the final group, had a chance to tie Wild and force a playoff. Hobbs’ tee shot was in the fairway, but he shouted, “No! What was that?” after his second shot, which landed in a bunker in front of and to the right of the green. The bunker was mostly covered in water. He wasn’t assessed a penalty stroke for taking relief, but he ended up making par.
Gudgel, who started the round six shots back, had six birdies against one bogey.
Above, John Wild casually sinks an eagle putt on the 18th hole.
“I knew I had to be on my game today,” he said. “I knew it was going to be tough to catch whatever the leaders were and I made birdie on 18 and I was hoping it could be enough (to get into a playoff). But I know John and I know he’s got a lot of game, so I knew that it was going to tough. But I’m proud of the way I fought.”
During his time at OSU, Wild has made the Cowboys’ loaded starting lineup only sporadically, but he did win the Oklahoma Christian Individual Invitational last September at Oak Tree Country Club’s East Course in Edmond.
He’s hopeful the OGA championship will serve as a launching pad to greater things in the fall. Wild was granted a full, extra season of eligibility because of his back issues and intends to return to Stillwater in the fall, after he plays a few other events this summer, including the Illinois State Amateur.
“It’s tough playing (at OSU). Those guys are very good,” Wild said. “But that’s where you want to be. You want to be playing against the best. There’s really no better place to develop and get your game better.”
OSU coach Alan Bratton said he was proud to see Wild’s latest individual title.
“He’s worked his tail off every year at OSU,” Bratton said. “I’m happy that work has paid off so quickly after his back procedure. I don’t see John stopping here. This is a great springboard to the rest of his summer and his final season competing for Oklahoma State. We are blessed to have John as a part of our program.”