Tag: Oak Tree National

Viktor Hovland continues winning ways at Oak Tree National Pro Scratch Invitational

Asked by Golf Oklahoma’s Ken MacLeod where this one ranks, Hovland joked, “Way up there.”

Musician Jerry Reed wrote the song “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot,” back in 1971, a good 26 years before Viktor Hovland was born, but he might as well have had the Norwegian golfer in mind.

Hovland’s heater continued this week as he and fellow former Oklahoma State golfer Ian Davis combined to win the 2023 Oak Tree National Pro Scratch Invitational in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Hovland and Davis needed to go two extra holes on Friday at Oak Tree National to win the 36-hole two-man team event over Hovland’s former Cowboy teammate and roommate Zach Bauchou and amateur Conrad Walcher.

Hovland, 26, extended his win streak to four straight – the BMW Championship and Tour Championship in August, the Ryder Cup as a member of Team Europe, which concluded earlier this month, and thanks to Davis holing a 15-foot curling birdie putt at the ninth hole in Friday’s playoff, he just keeps winning. Hovland, who has banked $33.5 million including the FedEx Cup this season, earned a whopping $12,500 for the first prize in his home state.

Asked by Golf Oklahoma’s Ken MacLeod where this one ranks, Hovland joked, “Way up there.”

Hovland and Davis shot 2-under 69 on Thursday to trail by three but carded four birdies on the front nine in strong winds and chilly conditions on Friday (Hovland bundled up in a Ryder Cup beanie) and tacked on two birdies on the back nine to shoot 65, the low round of the tournament.

Robert Streb and amateur Danny Mitchell finished third while first-round leaders Taylor Moore and Trevor Stafford took fourth at 6-under (66-70) at Oak Tree National, which is scheduled to host the U.S. Senior Open.

Hovland announced he’ll be playing in the DP Tour World Championship in Dubai (Nov. 16-19) with $3 million awarded to the winner and his final start is expected to be at the Hero World Challenge, which begins Nov. 30. The two-time defending champion of the event held in the Bahamas? None other than Hovland.

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Viktor Hovland headlines a stacked field playing for $30,000 in the Oak Tree National Pro-Scratch Invitational

The tournament is not open to the public and really ought to be seeking a TV or streaming partner.

The PGA Tour has a rare off-week on the schedule next week, which means the best golf on the planet might be happening Oct. 26-27 in Edmond, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City, at the Oak Tree National Pro-Scratch Invitational, where the purse is all of $30,000.

But where else can you see world No. 4 Viktor Hovland, who banked $18 million as FedEx Cup champion, play in a two-day competition for a first prize of $12,500?

The former Oklahoma State golfer, who still calls Stillwater home, will make his first appearance since the Ryder Cup at the Pete Dye layout and team with former Oklahoma State golfer Ian Davis, the 2022 Oklahoma Golf Association State Amateur Champion.

Hovland, who won the Memorial, BMW Championship and Tour Championship this season, is an Oak Tree National member, and according to Golf Oklahoma, his trophies from those three victories are currently on display in the OTN clubhouse. He and his partner better bring their ‘A game’ because they will be facing a stacked field that includes fellow PGA Tour members Taylor Moore, Austin Eckroat, Max McGreevy, Robert Streb and Sam Stevens, as well as 2024 PGA Tour rookies Kevin Dougherty, Chris Gotterup and Scott Gutschewski.

There will be LIV Golf players, too, including former Cowboys Charles Howell III, Peter Uihlein and Matthew Wolff. There will be one noticeable absence: member Talor Gooch, who last week won LIV Season long points race cashing an $18 million bonus check and has won this event three times previously, is unable to play due to a prior commitment.

Quade Cummins, Logan McAllister, Josh Creel, Rhein Gibson, Tom Whitney and Michael Gellerman are representing the Korn Ferry Tour. Several other pros with Oklahoma ties and who are working their way up the pro ranks are expected to play as well: Zach Bauchou, Jonathan Brightwell, Blaine Hale, Matt Mabry, Tyson Reeder, Charlie Saxon and Jared Strathe.

Ryan Munson, who is serving as unofficial tournament chairman and helped assemble the field, told Golf Oklahoma it was “by far the best field” in the history of the event dating to 2010.

The tournament is not open to the public and really ought to be seeking a TV or streaming partner. Paging the Golf Channel!

Golfweek’s Best 2022: Top public and private courses in Oklahoma

The top two public-access golf courses in Oklahoma ignite a college rivalry, while the state’s best private layout is a major veteran.

The top two public-access golf courses in Oklahoma bring out a college rivalry, Cowboys versus Sooners.

No. 1 on Golfweek’s Best list of public-access layouts in Oklahoma is Karsten Creek in Stillwater, a Tom Fazio-designed layout that serves as the home course for the Oklahoma State golf teams. Opened in 1994, Karsten Creek was named for Ping Golf founder Karsten Solheim, and the course plays around Lake Louise, named for Solheim’s wife.

No. 2 on that list is Jimmie Austin Golf Club at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. The club originally was laid out by Perry Maxwell and opened in 1951, and it was reworked by Bob Cupp in 1996 and again by Tripp Davis in 2017.

On the private side, Southern Hills in Tulsa takes the top spot. Designed by Perry Maxwell in 1936 and restored by Gil Hanse in 2019, Southern Hills has been host to a slate of top tournaments including three U.S. Opens (1958, ’77 and ’01) as well as five PGA Championships (1970, ’82, ’94, ’07 and ’22).

Golfweek’s Best offers many lists of course rankings, with that of top public-access courses in each state among the most popular. All the courses on this list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time.

Also popular are the Golfweek’s Best rankings of top private courses in each state, and that list for Oklahoma’s private offerings is likewise included below.

MORE: Best Modern | Best Classic | Top 200 Resort | Top 200 Residential | Top 100 Best You Can Play

(m): Modern course, built in or after 1960
(c): Classic course, built before 1960

Note: If there is a number in the parenthesis with the m or c, that indicates where that course ranks among Golfweek’s Best top 200 modern or classic courses. 

* New to or returning to list

There’s a rich history of major championship golf in Oklahoma

The 2022 PGA Championship will be the 14th golf major contested in Oklahoma.

TULSA, Okla. — Major championship golf has returned to the state of Oklahoma.

The best golfers in the world have gathered in Tulsa at Southern Hills Country Club for the 2022 PGA Championship. Tournament week starts Monday, May 16, with the first round set for Thursday, May 19. This will mark the fifth PGA Championship at Southern Hills.

It’s a state with plenty of golf history as there have been 11 men’s majors contested in Oklahoma. The Sooner State has hosted PGA Championships as well as U.S. Opens, two U.S. Women’s Opens, a Senior U.S. Open and a Senior PGA.

Here’s a look at the history of major championship golf in the Sooner State.