THE NEWS MAKERS

CLICK HERE TO SEE (AND SAVE FOR PRINTING) THE ANNUAL NEWS MAKERS POSTER (FORMATTED TO 11 X 17")

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As it has been our tradition, every year we design and print a poster with the News Makers of the year.... OUR NEWS MAKERS. Barring a late Hole in One or Double Eagle late in the season, our list is complete since there are no more tournaments left.

Anya Alvarez: was the first and, in this case, also last news maker of 2014. The "opening" news was pretty good, the "closing" news was surprising and unexpected. Anya first made the news when she qualified for the 2014 LPGA Tour season, and had early success by finishing third in the New Zealand Open and 5th in the Los Angeles Invitational. After the fast start, Anya's game began to falter, began missing cuts, and at the end of the year, all of a sudden, she decided to change jobs and announced she would not be playing professional golf anymore, a decision that made the news quite rapidly here where she had a number of local fans pulling for her. Among Anya's plans, she wants to go back to school and do a Masters, and as we speak, she is applying for Grad School .


Logan Gore: Was the only High School boy who qualified for the State Championship where he took 4th place; Logan won four high school tournaments and placed top three in several others; won the Oklahoma Junior Match Play Championship, placed second in the Club Championship and qualified for the U.S. Junior Championship held in Virginia, where he placed in the top 15. He also had a very rare feat: during the Club Championship Logan scored an albatross 2 on hole #4, and as if that wasn't enough to make the news, in the same group, Tyler Windsor scored a eagle 3, and Adam Lewellen scored a birdie 4... so together they scored a 9 (6 under par) in this par 5 hole!

Kelsi Wilson, shared victories with Logan one week during the High School season. But, that was just a start, she won 3 tournaments, placed in the top 5 in several others, and for the third consecutive year, placed top 4 in the State Championship as a senior, which earned her "All State" status. With dad, Rusty Wilson, she won the Tumbleweed Couples, a tournament they had been "after" for several years in a row!

The Elk City Girls Team qualified for the State Tournament for their third straight year.. Good Going! Kelsi, Wilson, Sierra Stout, Kelcee Millican, Morgan McKenzie and Kinsley Hall. All but Kelsi will be back in 2015. Congratulations to Coach Sarah! (Peffer)

Cory Smith returned to individual competitive golf in style and easily won the Elk City Shoot Out, the former and renamed "4th of Jul Weekend Individual Tournament".

Tres Hill won almost every tournament he entered (he is human I guess, as he was second a couple of times), but most importantly, he won the State Tournament in his age group!

Another Junior, Ryder Cowan, won several tournaments as well, plus the State Tournament in his age group!

Joby Gray won the Club Championship for the 2nd time in three years.

Craig Martin wins Senior Championship for second year in a row!

Ann Cowan, won the Club Championship for the second time in 3 years, then she was inducted in the Hall of Fame of her High School in Connecticut for her performance in different sports! Way too go Ann! (click here for details)

Other Flight Winners (Gross) in Club Championship: Brad Spitzer (Young Seniors), Craig Martin (Mid Seniors and Overall); Robert Lakey (Super Seniors), "AA" - Craig Martin, "A" - Robert Lakey, "B" Kaleb Keith, "C" - Joe Wynn, Ladies, "A" - Betty Maine

Other Flight Winners (Net) in Club Championship: "AA" - Ricky Nagle, "A" - Paul Gunkel, "B" - Nick Baker, "C" - Terry Stone, "Young Seniors" - Chuck Hargrove, "Mid Seniors" - Brad Gilbert, "Super Seniors" - Bob Miller

Elk City won the GPN Bank Bedlam Cup for the fourth consecutive year: the 32 players who represented Elk City were: Red Team: Rusty Wilson, Eddie Davis, Craig Martin, Bryce Butcher, Kaleb Keith, Aaron Kauk, Dustin Gunkel, Jordan Williamson, David Poole, Ronnie Smith, David Dyson, Brandon Thomas, Keegan Hall, Tyler Windsor, Damon Butcher, Joby Gray. Blue Team: Jack Coody, Shawn Wilson, Rocky Andresen, Rod Little, Chase McAbee, Adam Lewellen; Juan Lopez,. 
Rusty Ridling, Jeff Rule, Bob Miller, Terry Jordan, Jeff Donaghey, Craig Phelps, Greg Dodson, Keith Hulen, Grady Lantz.

Our Honorary Captain was Terry Nichols.  At last minute, Terry was unable to be present to address the team, so he gave us a hand written note to "rile up the troops"! (it worked!)


HOLES IN ONE:
First Hole in One of the Year belongs to Adam Lewellen, who happens to have aced the most difficult hole on the golf course, #17 in January of 2014.

Rod Little aced Hole #10 in February. It was Rod's first hole in one of two that he had in 2014! He then aced Hole #7 during the Oil & Gas Tournament!

Conner Carlucci Aced Hole #7 in April.

Blake Ramirez, from Mangum, aced Hole #5 during the Elk City Invitational.

Brad Spitzer aced Hole #10 in June -yes he won a few skins, wolf and a couple of dollars!

Smiley Lana Hudgens aced #5 in June! Where is yours Larry? Congratulations!

Robert Shepherd aced #13 during the annual K.E.C.O.! (Blake Brewer, host, who did not have an announced prize on the hole for a hole in one on this hole, gave $500 for the feat)

Gaylan Edwards aced #10. His witnesses? Keith Hulen and myself! (I've never seen him more excited!)

Elk City Golf & C.C. member Zack Zachary aced Hole #5 during the Bedlam Cup while representing Mangum, his home town and course.

Eddie Davis aced #5 in October!

We can now add J.W. Porter to our list, he aced #10!

OTHER:
Austin Smith made a 35 footer to save dad during the Father-Son Tournament on Hole #6.... Of course, normally, one 35 foot putt would not make the list, but, there were several factors, some obvious, and some not some obvious, I will just mention one fact: I happened to be there when this six year old made the putt, and it was an awesome moment, which I happen to have caught on camera! I am glad I was there and Dustin makes the list!