Stillwater captures team title at Class 6A East boys golf regional tournament
By Mike Moguin
Photo of Stillwater boys golf team by Stacy Lacy
BROKEN ARROW - Stillwater owned the links on Monday, capturing the Class 6A East Boys Regional championship with (303-306) 609 strokes on the Par-73, 6,732-yard course Monday at the Broken Arrow Golf and Athletic Club.
The Pioneers were victorious by seven shots against co-runners-up Owasso (311-305–616) and Tulsa Union (312-304–616). All three, along with Bixby (fourth, 313-306–619), Jenks (fifth, 316-306–622) and Broken Arrow (sixth, 325-314–635), qualified for next week’s state championship, May 8-9, at Bailey Ranch Golf Club in Owasso.
Defending state champion Grant Gudgel and third-place medalist led Stillwater. He finished with a two-round score of (73-74) 147. Gudgel, a junior, is committed to playing collegiately at Oklahoma State.
Gudgel's Pioneers' teammate, Tyler Hyatt, had an excellent round carding 2-under-71 through the first 18 holes, putting him in a first-place tie. But a 5-over-78 finish in the second round caused him to slide into sixth place with 148.
“(Tyler) Hyatt came out and did a great job,” Stillwater coach Scott Morris said. “We struggled as a team, but he led the way and that kept us stabilized and in the lead.
"In the second 18 (holes), Grant Gudgel came back and played well. He struggled down the stretch a little bit, but he’s been rock solid. He’s a defending state champ and he’s been solid all season, so he’s really our anchor and he did what we needed him to do to kind of stave off the competition.”
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The remaining golfers who competed for the Pioneers were Tripp Schuessler (76-76–152), Max Wolfe (83-81–164) and Weston Lacy (86-78–164).
“Overall, the boys know we didn’t play as well as we have been playing,” Morris said. “We don’t want to sound ungrateful because we really appreciate this honor, but when we get to the state tournament, we’re going to be a lot more focused and play better golf to compete.”
It took the Jenks-Union rivalry to decide who would be crowned as the individual champion. The Trojans’ Cale Von Brunt (72-74–146) parred on the first hole to edge the Redhawks’ Sammy Bonaobra (76-70–146) in a sudden-death playoff.
“I teed off first and then I went just on the right side and he hit his first ball went out of bounds, and he had a provisional, and I ended up making par and he made bogey,” said Von Brunt, a senior.
Jenks golfer Cale Von Brunt
On his par shot, Von Brunt went right within the trees.
“I hit a good recovery shot out just short of the green,” Von Brunt said. “I took it up about five-and-a-half feet breaking left, made a good stroke, and went in.
“The nerves were going through that whole playoff round. It was one of my first playoff tournaments, and it was really fun to get the job done.”
Bonaobra’s second 18-hole score of 70 was the lowest score of the tournament. But he came up short in the playoff and settled for silver.
“Through the year, we’ve done some different competitions with Union and it does feel good,” Von Brunt said. “I’ve played Sammy before and he’s a good player, and it was fun going against him.”
Cameron Surles (71-77–148) of Broken Arrow and Sam Harris (77-71–148) of Jenks tied for fourth place.
Golfers from non-qualifying teams were Tanner John (82-76–158) of Bartlesville, Krew Thompson (82-78–160) and Mason Ward (78-84–162) of Sand Springs, Casen Bell (79-85–164) of Moore, along with Cooper Herman (83-81–164) and Hunter Austin (85-79–164), both of Ponca City.
