GREAT DAY FOR GOLF IN RAIN DELAYED ELKS TOURNAMENT

Let the playoffs begin!!

Due to around 3" of rain, the original date for the Elks tournament had to be postponed one day to Sunday, September 7th, and the day could not have been better for golf! Temperatures in the mid 80's to low 90's, sunny and a slight breeze. With the change in plans, some golfers who were scheduled for Saturday could not make it on Sunday, nevertheless, with new teams that were not signed up for Saturday, played on Sunday and we ended up with 26 teams, and just over three dozen sponsors which made the day a success for the players and the Elks Lodge as well.

The field was divided into four flights by scores,  and the competition could not have been any better, beginning with the "A" flight where a team of long knockers ("Milford Pipe": Dustin Gunkel, Ricky Nagle, Jorey price and Brad O'Hara) barely beat a team of much shorter hitters ("Dodson Construction": Greg Dodson, Rusty Wilson, Joe Wynn and Paul Gunkel) by only one, 54 to 55. In fact, Dodson Construction, which started on hole #15, were 11 under par after nine holes but cooled off to finish at 55. Two teams tied at 56, "Frito Lay" (

Kim Jordan, Brader Eazel, Will Malloy and Nick Baker) and "Jeff's" (Jeff Donaghey, Jeff Rule, Eddie Davis, Ronnie Smith), with the former winning in a sudden death playoff that started on #1.

The "B" flight had three 57's on top, and due to darkness, the playoff was not completed: the teams were "SPEEDI MART" (Aaron Kauk, Craig Martin, Mr. Kislog and Mr. Chambless);

"Robbins" (Jeremy Robbins, Andy Sharp, Jason Brooks & Frank Mendez) and "Andresen" (Rocky Andresen, Jared Andresen, Sean Cowan and Billy Kamphaus) who beat "Cowan Land Services" (Ann Cowan, Jill Cowan and preteens Ryder Cowan and Copper Cowan) by only two shots... come on guys, you are slacking off if a team with two young kids! P.S. Congrats Ryder & Cooper!

The "C" flight had four teams tied for first at 60, "Last Will be 1st" (Juan Lopez, Keegan Hall, Keith Hulen and Jeremy Taylor), "NOOF II" (Dan Storm, Dave Bank, Keenan Henderson, Wayne Allen), "LUFKIN" (Adam Lewellen, Brad Harguess, Rod Little, Dave Rogers) and "ERNST" (Conley Ernst, Steve Welsh, Robert Shepherd and Mark Huber). In the playoff, "NOOF II" let a golden opportunity go away by missing a 6 footer for birdie and all four teams went unto #11, where two of them, "Last Will be 1st" (almost) and "NOOF II" birdied for a tie for first, and the other two teams ended in a a tie for third. Due to darkness, the playoff could not continue.

The "D" flight had a tie for 1st with two teams at 66 and a tie for third by two teams at 67. The tie was never broken. The teams at 66 were, UNITED RENTALS (Roger Gunkel, Charlie Carr, Will Koon, Al Koon) and "Garrison-Kirby Accounting": Jay Kirby, Ryan Schones, John Digby
and Brett Hutson). The teams at 67 were "Finnell Construction" (Tate Finnell, Michael Cowan, James Smith and Lance Frederick) and "Doug Gray Auto" (Doug Gray, Hector Sewell, D.J. De Leon and Utah Robinson).

A special thanks to Ann Cowan (really! who else?) for her efforts in getting all of the teams, organizing the food, contacting the sponsors and even traveling to Oklahoma City to pick up one of her teammates!

See you next year!