Wilkins tears up Meadowbrook with 61, heading for U.S. Mid-Amateur
Meadowbrook Country Club member Preston Wilkins shot a competitive course record 10-under 61 on his home course Monday, easily winning a qualifier for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.
Wilkins made eight birdies and an eagle, shot 29 on the front nine and did not have a bogey on his card.
Also qualifying were former University of Tulsa golfer Chris Noel with a 4-under 67 and Mike Hearne of Yukon, who won a playoff with Austin Schmidt of Tulsa after each shot 68. Schmidt is the first alternate, while Luke Phillips of Edmond is second alternate with a 69, having won a playoff with Draegen Majors of Dallas.
In the women’s division, Alisa White of Hereford and Scotland Lamb of qualified with rounds of 79 and 80, respectively. Full results here.
Wilkins, who played collegiately for Oklahoma Christian University, “is about a talented as any player I’ve seen in a long time,” said Meadowbrook teaching professional Pat McTigue. “And right now he is swinging with complete confidence. He is crazy long and hits accurate irons. We’ve been expecting him to shoot a sub-60 score out here and he nearly did it today.”
Wilkins, who played at OC from 2008 to 2012 and now lives in Bixby, became the third OC alumnus to qualify to play in the U.S. Mid-Am Championship, which is for amateur players who are at least 25 years old as of Sept. 25. He joins Danny Lovell (1999-2002) and Noah Lawson (2006-09).
A four-time NAIA All-American for the Eagles, Wilkins started on OC teams that won national titles in 2009 and 2011.
The U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship is Sept. 25-30 at Sankaty Head Golf Club in Siasconcet, Mass. The U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur is Sept. 25-30 at Berkeley Hall Club in Bluffton, S.C.