The welcoming "horse race" on Friday, would have never predicted what was to come on Saturday and Sunday. Fourteen teams started, among them five very strong teams who on paper, should have been the top five, among them was Blake & Rikki Bergman good players who didn't look too sharp, were eliminated on the fifth hole. Another strong team, who recently took second in Weatherford, Brad & Dayva Spitzer were eliminated a hole earlier, allowing Robert & Linda Roggendorff and Steve & Annette Flaming almost overtake all of the favorites. Steve & Annette came in fourth and Robert & Linda came in fifth. One of the favorites, long hitting Dustin Gunkel playing with sister Haley, came in beating brother in law Tyler Windsor and wife Tori Gunkel Windsor in a playoff. In third place was the team of Rusty Wilson and daughter Kelsi ... If you were a betting man, you would have bet on these three teams making the 1,2,3 in the tournament as well, but it wasn't to be...
After day one, and with a 61, Blake & Rikki Bergman and Brian & Marrik Vandersee led Jeff & Janet Case's 62 by one, and three of our local teams by two shots, defending champions David & Rachel Poole who last year shattered all records by scoring 116 for the two days, could only manage a 63 along with Dustin & Haley Gunkel and Brad & Dayva Spitzer who was very sharp with her irons, winning two of the "closest to the pin" contests with shots to 2 feet (#10) and 6" (#7).
It all looked as it would be a shootout on Sunday, however, the shootout never happened, as Blake & Rikki shot a 60, while Dustin & Haley shot the second best round in the the Championship flight with another 63 and ended up in a tie for 3rd when close friend and brother in law, Tyler Windsor and sister Tori overtook them by adding a 59 (the best round of the day and of the tournament), to their opening 66 which "bumped" them from the "A" flight to the Championship flight, where they took second place. Brian & Marrik added a 65 to their 61 and ended up in a tie for third at 126. David & Rachel scored a 65 to be a distant fifth.
In the "A" flight, Eddie & Mary Jane Repp took advantage of the "bumping" of the Windsor's and won with a score of 66-64 / 130. Close in second place, was "Mr. Taylor Made" Steve Flaming & wife Annette who shot 68-63/131; by the way, Steve, the PGA South Central's Section's Taylor Made sales rep celebrated his 64th birthday in Elk City! (Happy Birthday!). Jeremy & Dezeree Gray came in 3rd place with two 66's for a 132 and in fourth, one of the pre-tournament favorites, Rusty Wilson and daughter Kelsi could only manage a 133 (67-66).
The "B" Flight was also close as well, and the team of Mike Cowan and mother Ann Cowan added a 65 to their opening 71 to score a 136, one shot shirt of being bumped to the "A" flight. They beat Mark Simpson and daughter Sarah by two (70-68/138). Three teams tied for third at 139: Rodney & Sarah Cloud (71-68), Aaron Kauk & Joyce Schones (71-68) and Brian & Stacy Fox (71-68) which required a playoff starting on #1. The Clouds were eliminated in the first hole and took fifth. The Fox's won the playoff on the second hole and took third place, leaving Aaron & Joyce in fourth .
In the "C" flight, seniors Dewey & Rita Coats outlasted the young couple of Matt McDown & Gena Morley in a playoff that lasted five holes! Dewey & Rita had scored 75-70/145 while Texas Hold'm experts, Matt & Gena had scored 77-68 for a matching 145. Jeff & Linda Rule had 76-71/147 and took third while Robert & Linda Roggendorff took fourth with scores of 76-73/149. According to Linda, it was the first time they "placed" in several years of visiting Elk City and close friend Ann Cowan. Well... good! Come back and maybe next year you take 1st place! (by the way, on Friday, during the horse race welcoming some of the early arrivals, Robert hit two of the best recovery shots I have seen in a long time, one was a 110 yard shot from the rough on #14 which he used a hybrid to keep it low and which ended only about 10 feet from the hole, and on the very next hole, when wife Linda put their ball -horse race is played in alternate shot format-, in the hazard fronting #15, Robert hit a 60 yard shot to the fringe which almost kept them in the race... never give up!!).
In the "D" Flight, Paul & Sharon Hill had the best score with 78-72/150 which unfortunately "bumped" them to the "C" flight where they tied for 5th. Meanwhile, Conley & Sheri Enrst ended up winning the flight with a score of 78-75/153. Tom & Pat Bender took second with scores of 79-75/154; third place went to Randall & Fae Wright who scored 79-77/156, and there was a tie for fourth place with a 157 among three teams: Ricky & Ashley Marr, Jerry & Karen Sizemore and Jim Thomas & Brenda Holland. All three couples decided to skip playoff and share the winnings three equal ways.
With the hard work of Ann Cowan and Katy Womack and those who preceded them as tournament chairs, the tournament has truly become a favorite in Western Oklahoma... and we are now making plans to see what can be improved for 2014! Thank you to Myra Baker and her staff (Katie & Jessica) for the delicious dinner on Saturday night and thank you to Ed Hughes and his staff for setting up the golf course for a fine tournament!
Looking forward to 2014!!!!!!