Turn Around or The End of the Trail?

Turn Around or The End of the Trail?
Bailey Ranch Open Recap


Scott R Chilcutt, Owasso, OK (August 7, 2010) Bailey Ranch Golf Club a city of Owasso run facility just northeast of the downtown Tulsa area was deep in the heat on tournament day. Owasso is an Indian word meaning “Turn Around” or “End of the Trail”

The tournament committee raced around the track just a week earlier and while the fairways, that didn’t have winter kill, were getting a little bare the greens rolled pretty well. Consistent 100+ degree temperatures during the last week appeared to have signaled the “End of the Trail” for most all of that bent grass that was present on the previous Saturday.

While the course may have its end of quality play with this heat still around, Yukon’s Jerry Hardin continues his “turn around” setting him up for the final two Oklahoma tournaments of the year including the Tour Championship.

Hardin picked up his 1st Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Labor Finders, after missing out just two weeks earlier at the Edmond Summer Classic in a scorecard playoff. Hardin’s net 66 edged out Kirby Rogers by a stroke and two strokes over Roland Lewis and Ryan Cummings for the vase.

Results:

Championship Flight – In spite of obvious heat distress, Sapulpa’s Curt Howard was able to shoot 2 over par on the back nine to tie up James Fowler from Checotah for 73’s and more play. In his 2nd sudden death playoff in as many tournaments Fowler “turned around” an earlier loss at Kicking Bird and prevailed with a birdie on the 1st hole of extra play for his 4th win of the season.  Brad Kerr from Claremore started out hot with a birdie on 1 but got a little shaky going out at 5 over and came to the clubhouse with solid pars on the back to shot 6 over par.

Palmer Flight – Coming off his top 10 at the TPC Sawgrass Open Major, presumably a warm up for the National Championship, Tulsa’s Roland Lewis shot a two over 74 to take the top honors. Despite Roland’s slight pull into the hazard off the 18th tee for a double bogie, he bested Texhoma, TX’s Mel Yates who racked up another 722 travel miles shot a 75. Broken Arrow’s David McDaniel finished 3rd.

Hogan Flight – Chris Blankenship from Stigler shot an 8 over par 80 to take the top spot and his 4th flight championship of the year. In addition to the win, Chris leap frogs’ Edmond’s Tim Mathis for 2nd place in the Callaway Year End Merit points edging closer to Tulsa’s Todd Chapman. Mathis finished tied for 2nd and took the scorecard playoff for gift certificates over Lon Norton from Moore. In his first tournament of the year, Michael Coleman from Moore knotted it up with Chapman on the 18th hole with a birdie for a 4th place tie.

Senior Hogan Flight – Elk City’s Craig Phelps took advantage of the “Turn Around” in Owasso, starting with a triple bogie 8 on the 1st hole. Craig would gather himself to play the next 12 holes in 1 over par with two birdies, finishing out the round with a personal tour best 7 over 79 squeaking out a 1 shot victory over Tahlequah’s Mike Johnson. The top two in Senior Hogan points, Bill Copeland from Tulsa and Edmond’s Michael Hicks finished 3rd and 4th respectively and held those positions.

Sarazen Flight – Arkansas tour player, Kirby Rogers from Muldrow, OK won his 3rd Oklahoma Tour event in as many tries and his 6th top spot in 2010. Kirby went out in 1 over and came in 2 over for a 75 just 3 strokes ahead of a hot Ryan Cummings from Stillwater. Cummings was one over after 14 holes before he found trouble on the 15th. After that short but painful disruption to his round, Cummings would leave that behind finishing the final three holes in even par with a birdie on 18 taking a record skin amount. Robert Lakey from Sayre and Jay Williams from Van Buren, AR tied for the 3rd spot.

Jones Flight – Chalking up his 3rd win of the season, Stigler’s Jimmy Smethers held out over 2nd place Gary Chrisman from Oklahoma City and Tulsa’s Scott Bundrick finishing 3rd. With the win Smethers takes back the top spot in yearend award points by a slight 5 points over Gary.

Senior Jones Flight – Coming out blazing, firing 1 under par through 10 holes, Yukon’s Jerry Hardin didn’t let term THE END get in his way after taking a 9 on the par 5-11th. Hardin kept the round going by going plus 2 over the last 7 holes with a birdie on the par 3 -17th. Five over par 77 was Hardin’s Golf Channel Am Tour career low round besting Mark Helms from Broken Bow and Yukon’s Rick Henthorn in the process.



SKINS:

Championship/Palmer – James Fowler – 3: David McDaniel – 2: Brad Kerr – 1:

Hogan / Senior Hogan / Sarazen – Ryan Cummings – 1: Kirby Rogers – 1:

Jones /Senior Jones – Jerry Hardin – 7: Scott Bundrick – 1: Jimmy Smethers – 1:

For a pictures visit –  HERE



For more information:
Scott R Chilcutt
schilcutt@gcamtour.com
405-513-1467