ELK CITY NEWS MAKERS 2011...

Barring some late heroics from anyone, our 2011 list of News Makers is complete.

1.- ANYA ALVAREZ had everyone in Elk City watching the U.S. Women's Open last July. It was her first year as a professional and the first time she tried to qualify for the biggest prize in golf. Anya made the cut in a nail biter, when after 10 holes in her second round (which was delayed 36 hours for her group) she reached 10 over par. With eight holes to go and needing to finish 3 under par at the tough Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, she went eagle, par, par, birdie, par, bogey, birdie, par in the last eight holes to make the cut "on the number". Despite a bad 3rd round, Anya finished with an even par round of 71 in a tie for 61st. Anya also qualified for the NCAA Championships where she finished inside the top 30 and ended up with the 3rd lowest scoring average at the University of Washington. She also holds the record at her Alma Matter for the lowest scoring record in one year and the lowest tournament score in any event played by the team (13 under par in Boulder City, NV).

2. JOBY GRAY. Not the first time a 16 year old wins a club championship somewhere, but to our knowledge, first time in Elk City. However, it is not his age that made his feat that made the news, but the fashion in which he won makes him one of the best local champions ever. Joby scored two 65's for a 12 under par 130 and won by 14 shots. Joby placed 4th in the state tournament earlier in the year and had several top three finishes in the Oklahoma Junior Tour. As well, he got his first taste of U.S.G.A. competition when he competed in the qualifiers for the U.S. Juniors (75-75 at Jimmy Austin) and the U.S. Amateur (75-72) at the Oklahoma City Golf & C.C.

3.- ANN COWAN. This avid golfer won the Women's Champiosnhip. The 58 year old held college golfer Haley Gunkel. Ann also competed in several other events, winning her flight in the Women's Southern Amateur in South Carolina playing 5 very tough matches. Here is the deal with Ann: if the temp is 40 or more, you can bet she'll be calling her friends to play  a round of golf. Only one person plays more than Ann, but he doesn't have a job... yet!

4.- ZACH POOLE. Shot 66-69 and held off Cory Smith's sharge on the second day of the "4th of July" Tournament. It was Zach's only tournament in Elk City of 2011.

5.- CORY SMITH. Our quiet and sweet swinger former club pro, playing very little golf during the year and limiting his play to "for fun" rounds and a few scrambles, almost came back to win the longest individual tournament in Western Oklahoma, Elk City's "4th of July" Tournament. Cory shot rounds of 69-67 and lost by one to Zach Poole (Oklahoma City). Cory also led his team (Sean Cowan, David Dawly & Joel Burleson) to win the fun KECO Invitational with a nifty 51. With Brother Russ, he won the Wendy Nagle Benefit with a score of 57. With two different partners, Cory helped win the Bedlam Cup in October. Those were the only four events Cory participated in.

6.- HARRY PAYNE. This was the fist time that Elk City had a "Senior" flight for the Club Championship and Harry, 70, made the best of it by scoring 75-73 and winning by two shots. Harry beat some stiff and younger competition and you couldn't have been around a happier champion.

7.- DAVID DYSON & TAYLOR NEIDY beat some really stiff competition from the brother sister Dustin & Haley Gunkel and husband wife team of David & Rachel Poole. David and Taylor scored 61-56 and won by two over the other two teams (for the record, David and Rachel won the playoff for second place).

8.- PAUL GUNKEL & DON MURPHEY. These two avid golfers and close friends, won their respective flights in the Club Championship; Paul won the "A" flight, Don won the "B" flight.

9.- ELK CITY TEAM WINS OPENING GPN BANK BEDLAM CUP. A new tournament was hosted in Elk City, an interclub event in which this year, only two teams participated. A total of 38 local players participated in different age group flights and Elk City won 3 out of 4 flights.

10.- HOLES IN ONE are the dream shot of most golfers. First mention here goes to Logan Gore (age 15), who made two this year! (#7, #10); then you have Brock Walker who aced #13; Jeremy Gray and Rick Rex, both of whom aced #17; Mitch Kendall aced #5; Michael Womack aced #7 and last, but not least, on a visit to his family during the summer, Billy J. Smith aced #10.

CONGRATULATIONS

TO ALL!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

MORE UPDATES.....LPGA "Q-SCHOOL"

Anya & I before Round 3

--- As most of you know, as you were all suffering a cold front in Elk City, I was caddying for Anya in Daytona Beach in the finals of the "LPGA Q-School" in temperatures of 75 degrees and winds of up to 25 mph. It wasn't to be this time, a bad second round of 83 in high winds that went from bad to worse, was almost impossible to overcome. She needed a 70 on the last round, but scored a 76. The other two rounds were 74 and 73. None of the rounds were her best golf. The strange thing is that the 83 was on a day where she missed only one fairway with a driver that was working all day long, long and straight and was hitting her irons solid (never missed the center spot on the club), but somehow, just could not get the right club in her hand and ended up in horrible places from where par was all but impossible. Golf, like nerves, is unpredictable.

Being someone optimistic about her future and someone who makes lemonade out of any lemons given to her, not everything is "doomsday": she has full status on the Futures Tour which she intends to use and is determined to qualify from there so she does not have to go to "Q-School" again. She will also be playing other tournaments, including some state opens.

Mac & Kathy Steen swing
in front of their fernery.

While in Daytona, we met some amazing people. We were invited to stay at private housing with Mac & Kathy Steen. Kathy, a retired teacher, has been a volunteer at the LPGA finals for several years, but it was the first time they opened their home to a visiting player. They are both occasional golfers. Mac is a retired orthodontist turned "fernery" (beautiful tropical plants) owner, grower and operator. They also have all the citrus fruit trees you can imagine. Their house is right on the edge of Lake Charles in Deland, FL, and they were great hosts to Anya and myself. Thank you!

--- On Saturday night, as all "Okies", we watched the "Bedlam Game" where Oklahoma State made a statement for the National Championship by stumping on the Oklahoma Sooners (winner of our poll and my favorite college team). We'll see what the powers to be have to say. Of course we all want OSU to play LSU, but it will be a tough sell for all those Easterner coaches (O.S.U. beat 5 top 25 teams while Alabama only 2, in additon, their only loss was a week after a tragedy where it was obvious the team was playing with a heavy heart), who might want a repeat of a 9 to 6 boring game. Regardless, congratulations to well known OSU fans at Elk City golf and C.C.: David Dyson, Bob Maine, Mike Clinton, Ricky Nagle, Brad Gilbert and all the rest of you who bleed orange: this was your happy year! (and we hope it gets happier for you!)

--- So Tiger Woods wins for the first time in a little over two years. His fans hope it is the beginning of another run to his quest to break Jack Nicklaus record, his detractors hope he is just another Fred Couples who was great in the "silly season" (all the after season tournaments). Now, this is not a "tournament", it is an exhibition of sorts, so while he should be happy for his play, the field only included 18 players. No question he was the best golfer on earth for about 10 years and one of the best of all time, and like him or not, it is kind of boring to watch a tournament without him around the leaders: there are those who watch to see a loss, and there are those who worship him and want him to win everything. That aside, perhaps he is able to learn from all that happened the last two years, makes things right (or as right as he can), and become the person his fans would like him to be, and the role model he can be, and, perhaps, like Ben Hogan (for far different reasons) 55 years ago, he is able to win some new fans... if that happens, it can only be good for golf.

--- Pro-Shop will remain open during the winter months as we will have some specials for Christmas in balls, accessories and several other house and office gifts.