OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 14, 2021) – Oklahoma Christian's B team in men's golf can produce just as well as (or better than) some A teams for other schools, with a young bunch of Eagles offering proof of such on Tuesday in the final round of the Great American Conference Preview.
OC, with a lineup that included all freshmen and sophomores and only two players who'd ever played in a collegiate tournament before this week, laid down a team score of 286 (2-under-par) on Lake Hefner Golf Club's North Course, moving up two spots up to finish fourth in the eight-team field.
At 875, OC trailed only three teams. The A team from Harding (Ark.) won the tournament with a three-round score of 858, six shots ahead of Harding's B team. Tournament host Southern Nazarene was third at 866.
The Eagles finished ahead of A teams from Southeastern Oklahoma State, Arkansas-Monticello and Northwestern Oklahoma State. OC was led by sophomore
Ransen Turner of Edmond, who tied for ninth in the 47-man field at 218 (2-over) – his first career top-10 finish.
OC played steady throughout Tuesday's round, with all five of the Eagles' starters recording at least three birdies. The Eagles closed especially strong, playing the par-5 No. 18 in 5-under-par, highlighted by an eagle by sophomore
Chase Gardner of Snohomish, Wash., that allowed him to finish at even-par 72 on the 6,970-yard course. Gardner tied for 17th at 221, recording his second career top-20 finish.
Also tying for 17th was OC freshman
Dominic Wade of Scottsdale, Ariz., who birdied the final two holes to close out a 73. OC's top player Tuesday was freshman
Joey Lewis of Oklahoma City, who shot a 69 (the third-lowest score of the round by any player) that included four birdies and only one bogey. That allowed him to tie for 27th at 224.
Freshman
Nicholas Gimotty of Overland Park, Kan., finished 30th at 226 after shooting a final-round 76.
OC sophomore
Asher Clift of Edmond, playing as an individual, had two birdies while firing an 81. He tied for 42nd at 242.
Two Harding players, Sam Tandy and Wilmer Haakansson, tied for the individual title at 211 (5-under).
Most of OC's players who didn't compete this week will open their fall season on Sept. 27-28 in the Missouri Southern Fall Invitational, to be played at Shangri-La Golf Club in Monkey Island.
