APRIL 2017 (& some March, February and January)

2017, April 28> One more "in the books". Interbank Golf Outing closes the month of April with an outing of over 120 players, some of whom were very excited and some of whom were very visible. And no, that is not a wig!

2017, April 22: I attended a my first "fish fry" ever, where Vera Gilbert was successful in showing me how to eat my first "crawl fish"! (and second, and third and a few more). Here, I caught her with a mouth full of some delicious dessert she made... Great baker!

April 25: Girls win the Regional Tournament to qualify for the State Tournament, with Kinsley Hall taking individual honors with a 74. Kelcee Millican followed with a 79.

2017, April 20> Elk City Boys team "get it together" and win Clinton Invitational with a 307.Brayden Butcher, also from Elk City, but not on the team because he is home schooled, wins individual with a 307. 

In our team, Colyn Dyson shot 75, he was followed by Tate Trotter (76), Baylar Barnett (78), Conner DeWitt (78) and John Harguess (83)   

2017, April 17 > Girls take second place in the 4-A State Preview at Hefner Lake. Kinsley Hall (again!!) led the team with a 72, on a day where her putter was not working as well. She took second individually... BTW, many of us would like to have a 72... period, no matter how! Kelcee Millican shot 76, Baylee Miller 86, Sierra Stout 88, Morgan Graham 119. Haylee Poole played as individual and shot 95.

2017,April 13-14> Girls win again! (Clinton Invitational). Kinsley Hall shot a low round of 68! And this time, the "no-surprise" second best score of the team was Baylee Miller who shot a 74! (there's no stopping this girl!). As I understand, they won by over 50 shots! Way to go girls... and coach Brian Hunt! Boys did not fare as well at Lincoln Park West, but Conner DeWitt continues his good play and was the only player with a sub-80 round with a nice 74!

BTW... the boys team has several good players who seem to be on the verge of breaking through... Be patient!

2017, April 11 > Special date for me and our family. My brother Javier would have loved to be part of this, he loved people and fun... and GOLF!. First day of Men's Tuesday Night Scramble draws a crowd of 47 players in eleven teams. Great afternoon for golf, pretty good teams too. The team of Tyler Windsor Gunkel (LOL), Rick McNeal, Larry Lockett and Rocky Andresen won first with a 28, with five (5) (FIVE!) teams at 29!

Great Season's start!

2017, April 10 > Conner DeWitt, who placed 3rd in the Elk City Boys Invitational, leads Elk City Team with low score of 77. Elk City placed 4th among the visiting schools. After a very good start of the season, the team does not seem to find their way to low scores. Here are the rest of the scores: Colin Dyson 88, Baylar Barnett 85, Tate Trotter 87, John Harguess 89. Individuals Sam Firth 85, Conner Carlucci 89.

Elgin Schools won 1st with 331, followed by Altus with 333; Weatherford came in third with 336, and Elk City fourth with 337.

Low Individual was Josh Fairchild from Altus with a 75, with teammate Caleb Morrow coming just one shot behind at 76. Tanner Harris (Elgin) and Conner DeWitt followed with a 77, and the last score under 80 was Donovan Osborne (Cache) with 78.

Meanwhile, Elk City Girls, on the same day, won their third tournament in a row. Kinsley Hall 83, Kelcee Millican 87, Bailee Miller 86, Sierra Stout 88, Morgan Graham 109, Haylee Poole (Ind) 97.  Bailee Miller is probably the "Most Improved" golfer of 2016-2017, as she barely picked up the game in mid 2016 and has been consistently scoring in the 80's and solidly becoming "#3 Bag" and scratching up.

The whole team seems to have great chemistry among the players.

My Granddaughter Ana Micaela and
I with the Masters putter I brought
for her in April 2014 when she was
barely 4 months old.

2017, April 9 > MASTERS SUNDAY!! As it has been our family tradition the last few years, my daughter Paola comes to watch the last round of the Masters with dad. We had a "belated" birthday celebration and party for dad, watched The Masters and after Sergio parred #13 after being in trouble, we began cheering for him to catch Justin Rose.Nothing against Justin Rose, but to me it was "meant to be" that one day Sergio would follow Seve and Jose Maria as a Masters champion, besides, I have a "Spanish Connection" of sorts since part of my mother's family came from Spain, and also because I had the pleasure of playing nine practice holes for for the Mexican Open in 1978 with the late and great Seve Ballesteros, nine holes that would shape the rest of my life: the course was playing very tough, and I had a pretty decent round of 36 (one over par for the nine), while Seve had a 29! It sort of told me: "You're good, but not good enough to play golf for a living with the best golfers in the world". I'm glad... I would have never come to Elk City!

2017, April 8 > Had a wonderful nine holes alone with one of the kids who loves golf in Elk City... Travis Poole (we have many of them, and any nine holes with anyone of them would have been great). When I play with a group and we have competitions it is great and fun and energy building. When you play with one only, it makes it more of a friendship.

2017, April 3 > Girls win their own High School Invitational with a 323. Kinsley Hall led the team by earning medalist honors with a 74, followed by last year's State Champion Chloe Black (Newcastle) who scored a 77 and our own Kelcee Millican a 78. Baylee Miller, a freshman, seems destined to be one of the best in Elk City as she scores an 83 just months after she took up the game. The other two girls were Sierra Stout with an 86 and Morgan Graham 101. Haylee Poole is coming along great and her 87 in the JV Team was low among all JV teams or individual girls.  For picture album of this Tournament, click here: 2017 ECGirls Invitational. 

2017, April 2: Juniors: Tres Hill and Nathan Womack "survive" the weather and win their age division in the Silverhorn Junior Invitational. Great Going guys!

2017, April 1: The Club's Fundraiser Tournament was renamed as the "Grady Lantz Memorial", and while the weather was terrible, the participation and support could not have been better. 36 teams participated. 

"A">> T1st (65's): Russ Smith & Eddie Davis, Blane Short & Toby Davis; T3rd (66's) Sean Cowan & Brad O'Hara, Brian Hunt & Blake Johnson

"B">> T1st (69's): Tate Trotter & Ryder Cowan, Ronnie Smith & Alex Alvarez; 3rd (70) Aaron Kauk & Kim Jordan

"C">> T1st (72's): Tres Hill & Colin Dyson,  Barry Trotter & James Atkinson; 3rd (73) Jack Christian & Craig Phelps

"D">> 1st (78): Rocky Andresen & Donny Burson; T2d (79's) Mike Stout & Mike Carlucci, Jeff Rule & Terry Anderson, Jeff Donaghey & Billy Bashaw

March (Other): Tres Hill (14) shoots personal best with 64; Joby Gray shoots personal best at the Riverside Golf Course with a 63

February: John David Jones aces #17.

January: Joe Wynn is first newsmaker of the year with his ace on #7.