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Tickets to 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa to Be Released June 21

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Austin eckroat gets his 1st pga tour win by prevailing at cognizant classic.

Austin Eckroat was a 25-year-old who was a star at Oklahoma State before turning pro.

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Austin Eckroat waited a long time to become a winner on the PGA Tour. Another day didn’t hurt.

| MORE | Crashing the Boards: What are the playoffs expectations for the Thunder?

Eckroat got the first victory of his tour career Monday, topping Erik van Rooyen and Min Woo Lee by three shots to win the weather-delayed Cognizant Classic. Among his prizes: $1.62 million — by far his biggest golf payday — along with tour status for two years and a trip to the Masters for the first time.

Eckroat shot a final round of 4-under 67, finishing at 17-under 267.

He said he was nervous Monday. He hid it well, never giving up the lead.

“This has always been my dream to win on the PGA Tour,” Eckroat told Golf Channel. “And just to win, I haven’t won since 2019 — it was a college event. It’s just been so long. I’m just so happy.”

He left PGA National on Sunday night when darkness stopped play with a one-stroke lead and was never caught. Back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th holes protected his lead, and a 12-footer for birdie on the par-4 16th pushed the edge out to three shots.

“I just kept telling myself, ‘I’ve put myself in this position for a reason,’” Eckroat said. “This is what I want to do.”

Eckroat laid up on the par-5 18th to protect his lead and take water out of play, knowing all he had to do was avoid disaster to finish off his first tour win in 50 career starts. He made an easy par, sealing the win.

“I was just really happy I was able to perform in the situation,” Eckroat said.

Van Rooyen had his round of 8-under 63 on Sunday to finish at 14 under. Cameron Young (66), K.H. Lee (66), Shane Lowry (71), David Skinns (71) and Jake Knapp (66) all ended their rounds on Monday, all wrapping up at 13 under. K.H. Lee made three birdies in the five holes he played Monday.

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But nobody caught Eckroat, a 25-year-old who was a star at Oklahoma State before turning pro.

His most memorable tour moment, before Monday, likely was last year in the final round of the U.S. Open to become the sixth player in that tournament’s history to post a nine-hole score of 29. Eckroat shot a 5-under 65 and finished in a tie for 10th at 3 under — ensuring he’d play in this year’s U.S. Open.

The season’s first major awaits him now as well. He’s going to Augusta National next month, with stops at Bay Hill and The Players along the way to Magnolia Lane.

“The adversity of sleeping mid-round, I’m just really happy with how I handled it,” said Eckroat, who became the fourth first-time winner in nine tour events this season, joining Nick Dunlap, Matthieu Pavon and Knapp.

For Knapp, last week’s winner in Mexico, he’s now had three top-five finishes in his 10 career PGA Tour starts. His earnings are up to about $2.5 million.

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“I was happy with how I managed everything this week,” Knapp told Golf Channel.

The Monday finish was needed after a thunderstorm dumped nearly 2 inches of rain and brought lightning to the area Sunday afternoon, causing a 3½-hour delay in the final round. Of the 68 players who made the cut, 42 finished on Sunday — so 26 returned on Monday to play somewhere between one and 13 holes.

It was a quick day for Billy Horschel. He couldn’t get to the 18th tee before the horn blew to stop play on Sunday night, meaning he had to come back and play the par-5 finishing hole on Monday. He had a 9-footer for birdie, settled for par and was done in 15 minutes.

Horschel — who vaulted into the mix with six consecutive birdies on Sunday afternoon — finished at 12 under. He ended up tied for ninth, along with Keith Mitchell, Peter Malnati, Alex Noren, Andrew Novak, Kevin Yu and Martin Laird.

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MOMENTS THAT DEFINED WOMEN'S GOLF

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PGA Championship 2022: Only Oklahoma native at Southern Hills overcomes wind, bad luck to get to weekend

Andrew Redington

TULSA — It wasn't very long ago—2016, in fact—that Talor Gooch was on the brink of collapse at the second stage of the Web.com Qualifying School, pondering a future career at Best Buy. The Midwest City, Okla., native had no profile to speak of, and at TPC Craig Ranch in Texas, it took every ounce of resilience he had to recover from a poor start and fight his way to status. Success wasn't immediate, but Gooch, now 30, has gradually risen up the ranks of the game, and the view now looks very different than it did back then—35th in the world rankings, a PGA Tour win at last fall's RSM Classic, and a top-five at the Players Championship. Trace the path of that trajectory, and the next big expectation is contending at majors. Where better than Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, where he's so close to home he could drive, has gallery support as an Oklahoma State alum and where he's the only born-and-bred Oklahoman in the field?

And yet, some patterns persist. In microcosm, you could argue Gooch's first two days resembled the early part of his career. If something could present an obstacle, it did. First, he was on the wrong side of the draw, facing stiffer wind on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, which meant giving up an average of one stroke to the field on the first day, an amount likely to double when Friday ends. Next, he happened to be paired with a club professional who could charitably be described as "deliberate," which led to slow play warnings on both days—an added stressor. On top of all that, the forecasted wind led the PGA of America to abstain from cutting the greens on Thursday night, and the slower speed gave him fits all morning.

MORE: PGA Championship live blog—follow all the Friday action

Despite all that, Gooch managed to grind out a 69-70, and sits at one under par, just five shots off the lead as the afternoon wave prepares to set out. As of 1 p.m., local time he was one of just five players from his wave in the top 23—a rare survivor of an unlucky roll of the dice.

"Rare survivor," though, is a term that describes many PGA Tour golfers, and he channeled his old resilience in staying afloat through two days of adversity.

"I actually could have had a really, really good day," he said after the round, "but with them not being able to cut the greens and roll them, they were pretty bumpy, pretty chewed up out there."

He ran through his litany of near-misses: birdie chances galore that went begging all through the front nine. When his wave had finished, he was fourth in strokes gained/tee to green, but a dismal 81st in putting. The 14th hole, when he hit a low stinging 5-iron to nine feet on the par 3 but then missed the birdie putt, was a study in miniature of his day.

MORE: How they determine the 36-hole cut at the PGA Championship

Nevertheless, he was happy with his score, which fits with the mindset he credits with transforming his career. In his words, it's about "falling in love with the next day, falling in love with getting better." It means appreciating each moment, but also living in the present and avoiding the trap of getting ensnared by the sneaky mental poison of future goals.

"Let's get as good as we can today," he said on Monday, "and eventually, those days added up and it turned into a win on the tour."

As for the pace, he tolerated it with sangfroid, but wasn't pleased to be placed on the clock. He knows he's a fast player, and he had a conversation with officials after his round.

"Last year at the PGA, and then again this year, I've had the first tee time of my wave, and on Thursday and Friday both times, we got warned on the front nine that we were getting behind," he said. "And then on the back nine, we're waiting. So I just said, hey, we need to figure this out, because whenever officials come up and say, 'you need to hurry up,' it just adds stress, you know?"

MORE: Why Southern Hills’ bunkers are giving players fits

The good news, though, is his ball-striking is among the best in the entire field, and he'll be on a level playing field come Saturday. Or maybe better than level: The smattering of Oklahoma State orange in the gallery grew from Thursday to Friday, and so did the shouts of "Go Pokes!" and the standard "Gooooch!" as he strolled by. If he's in contention come the weekend, he can count on that support ballooning.

The promise of the difficulties waning led one reporter to ask whether he thought the weekend might be comparatively easy. Gooch could only shake his head and smile the kind of smile that's more resigned than it is happy.

"Nothing out here is going to be easy," he said.

With Gooch, it never is, but he's becoming known for thriving anyway.

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University of Oklahoma

Pauma Valley Invitational

Men's Golf Heads West for Pauma Valley Invitational

March 17, 2024 | Men's Golf

By: OU Athletics Communications

SAN DIEGO  — Oklahoma gets its first dose of west-coast golf this week when it travels to San Diego for the Pauma Valley Invitational. The Sooners, fresh off a monumental win at the Southern Highlands Collegiate, will seek their third win of the season at the two-day, 54-hole event that tees off Monday morning.  The tournament hosts 15 teams, three of which, including No. 10 Oklahoma, are ranked in the top 25. The Sooners and No. 3 Vanderbilt headline the event, as does 18th-ranked Cal and No. 36 Oklahoma State. Teams will play 36 holes on Monday and 18 on Tuesday in a normal five-count-four scoring format.  It's Oklahoma's first trip to the event and will be OU's first time in San Diego since it won the 2015 NCAA Regional at the Farms Golf Club by 20 shots - the regional victory was the first of the Hybl era.  The Sooners are in good form after knocking off seven top-25 teams, including three of the top five, to win the Southern Highlands Collegiate by three shots.  Jase Summy , who finished second at SoHi, anchors the Oklahoma lineup this week in San Diego. Since last fall, the sophomore has posted nine straight rounds of par-or-better golf in tournaments. Drew Goodman , who has also posted nine consecutive par-or-better rounds, will tee off Monday for the Sooners. PGA Tour U standout Ben Lorenz , redshirt senior Luke Kluver and true freshman Ryder Cowan complete the Oklahoma lineup. Stephen Campbell Jr. returns to action as an individual. 

TEE TIMES AND PAIRINGS

Tee times and pairings will be made available later today. 

Golfstat will provide live scoring for the tournament. 

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It's been yet another great stretch of pro golf for oklahoma state alumni, share this article.

It wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the creation of LIV Golf last year but Sunday turned out to be a huge day for former Oklahoma State golfers.

Taking it all in was Ponte Vedra Beach resident Bob Dickson, one of the players from OSU who helped lay the groundwork for a steady stream of Cowboys who have lassoed trophies and titles in professional golf since the 1960s.

“I loved it … a couple of ‘Pokes winning the same day makes us all very proud,” said Dickson, who won twice on the PGA Tour and once on the PGA Tour Champions with a career on the PGA Tour executive staff in between.

Within hours on either side of the Atlantic Ocean, Rickie Fowler won the Rocket Mortage Classic at the Detroit Country Club and Talor Gooch captured the LIV Golf Andalucia at Valderrama in Spain, both on dramatic birdie putts at the last.

Talor Gooch celebrates after winning the 2023 LIV Golf Andalucia at Real Club Valderrama in Cadiz, Spain. (Photo: Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

Fowler birdied No. 18 in regulation to earn a playoff with Adam Hadwin and Collin Morikawa, and then birdied the 18th again on a 12-foot putt.

Gooch became the first three-time winner of LIV Golf events when he rolled in a 15-footer for birdie to beat Bryson DeChambeau by one shot.

Oklahoma State players have won eight tournaments on the two Tours combined this season.

In addition to Fowler’s victory last week and Gooch’s three LIV titles, Wyndham Clark won the U.S. Open and the Wells Fargo Championship, Viktor Hovland won The Memorial and Charles Howell III won the opening LIV event of the season in Mexico.

Dickson is taking it all in with pride. He played for the Cowboys from 1964-1966 under Labron Harris Sr., and posted victories in the U.S. and British Amateurs during that time.

Bob Dickson won the U.S. and British Amateurs while playing college golf at Oklahoma State, and went on to win on the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions. (Provided photo)

Players such as Dickson, Labron Harris Jr., Danny and David Edwards and Dave Eichelberger begot Bob Tway and Scott Verplank. Then Howell and Hunter Mahan came along, who handed the baton to the likes of Fowler, Clark, Kevin Tway, Gooch, Hovland and Peter Uihlein.

“The golf culture at Oklahoma State has been very good for decades, a really good golf history,” Dickson said. “I’m really proud of these Cowboys.”

Fowler, Hovland and Clark, the PGA Tour winners from Oklahoma State this season, have combined for four victories, 22 top-10s and more than $28 million in earnings this season. Austin Eckroat seems poised to join them and had a runner-up finish at the Byron Nelson in April.

More: Rickie Fowler’s prolific golf career and his wife Allison Stokke through the years

Clark is fourth on the FedEx Cup standings, Hovland sixth and Fowler eighth.

Cowboys on LIV Golf, Gooch, Howell, Uihlein and Matthew Wolff, have combined for three victories, nine top-10s and more than $32 million in earnings. Gooch leads LIV Golf’s points list, with Uihlein seventh and Howell 10th.

Photos: Wyndham Clark through the years

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Best Golfers from Every State: Oklahoma and Betty Jameson

By christopher o'day | jun 16, 2020.

We continue our best golfers from each state series by taking a look at Oklahoma Golf and the top golfer from the state, Betty Jameson.

As we take a look at Oklahoma Golf, it came down to one of the closer decisions we have had so far. To go with Tommy Bolt, the fifth man in history to shoot an official 60. Or, do we go with Betty Jameson, the three-time major winner and one of the founding members of the LPGA.

Bolt, known as Terrible Tommy, was the original Billy Madison. Seeming to thrive on chaos, he was known for throwing and breaking clubs on the course and was in fact the reason for the rule being implemented to penalize people for doing so. Still a great golfer, he amassed 15 PGA Tour wins along with one major in 1958.

When it comes down to deciding Oklahoma Golf’s best, the answer ends up being Betty Jameson.

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Showing an early talent for the game, Jameson starting winning events at age 13. By the time she was 21, she would go on to win back-to-back U.S. Women’s Amateur titles. By the age of 23, she would make herself known to the rest of the golfing world.

Showing up at the Women’s Western Open (one of the majors at the time), she would dominate, taking home the win with a spectacular 9&7 victory. She wouldn’t win another LPGA event for five years, but the next one was just as important.

In 46, she took second at the U.S. Women’s Open. It must have fueled her fire, as she came back to the event the next year and won by an impressive six strokes. In a score you won’t often see, she shot a -6 70 in the final round.

In a manner similar to Brooks Koepka , it seemed as if Jameson was only winning Major tournaments. It would change a bit between 47 and 53, as she won five regular tournaments. Maybe she felt that was too long to go without a major, as she would take home her third and final one in 1954, once again at the Women’s Western Open.

She was inducted into plenty of different Hall of Fames, as she has a spot in the LPGA, World Golf, and Women’s World Golf Hall of Fames. Most of us dream of getting into one… she got into three.

Next. Best Golfers from Every State: Ohio golf and Jack Nicklaus. dark

Throwing together Betty Jameson’s combined success in Amateur golf and Professional golf, it’s easy to see why she takes the title of the best golfer from Oklahoma.

Oklahoma State Golfers On PGA Tour

By Rakshya Acharya , On 26 May 2023 11:02 AM

Oklahoma State golfers on PGA Tour are Rickie Fowler, Viktor Hovland, Matthew Wolff, Bob Tway, Talor Gooch, Scott Verplank, and many more.

Oklahoma State golf team has won 11 NCAA team national titles so far. Their alumni golfers are often referred to as the Cowboys and Cowgirls.

With the rich tradition of producing quality linksmen throughout the years, many players from the State have gone on to play on the PGA Tour .

While the likes of Rickie Flower and Talor Gooch have earned great recognition across the world, the current Cowboy roster of Leo Oyo, Jonas Baumgartner, Bo Jin, Hazen Newman, Dillon Stewart, and John Wild among many others would look to achieve the same feat.

For now, we have listed 10 Oklahoma State golf alumni who have made it to the PGA Tour and achieved considerable success over the years.

Austin Eckroat - 24 years old

Austin Eckroat turned professional in 2021. His elder sister Taylor also attended OSU, given that the Eckroats are native to Edmond.

The young lad has played in 31 PGA Tour events to date. Whilst Austin has won $1,518,991 prize money, he is yet to register any tour win. 

Out of the 31 events, Eckroat has made the cut in 16 tournaments and made two Top 5 finishes. His best result came at the 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson who has runner-up with Australian Golfer Jason Day winning the accolade.

Viktor Hovland - 25 years old

Viktor turned professional in 2019 and debuted at the Travelers Championship. The Oklahoma State golfer has a total of 7 professional wins.

With his victory at the 2020 Puerto Rico Open, Hovland created history by becoming the first Norwegian to win on PGA Tour. His second tour win followed shortly at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in December 2020.

Hovland then grasped his third win at the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship. Besides this, he also has two European Tour wins to date.

In the recently concluded 2023 PGA Championship , Viktor finished joint runner-up alongside Scottie Scheffler, while Brooks Koepka won the title.

Morgan Hoffmann - 33 years old

The former World No. 1 amateur golfer Morgan Hoffmann turned pro in 2010. He turned pro after only playing on the varsity team for two years.

The 2012 U.S. Open was his first professional major event, where he finished in 29th place in a tie with Beau Hossler. Morgan achieved his highest finish in the 2017 Honda Classic as the ultimate runner-up.

Morgan announced his diagnosis of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) in December. Thus, he was absent from pro golf for two years due to his treatment and returned in April 2022.

People  confirmed that he spent two years living between Nepal, Florida, and Costa Rica, to treat his condition with non-Western medicines.

Now that he has recovered, Morgan and his wife, Chelsea, actively run the Morgan Hoffmann Foundation, a physical health and wellness center.

Kevin Tway - 34 years old

Kevin Tway was the NCAA Central Regional while attending OSU. He was also named honorable mention All-American and first-team All-Big 12.

Moreover, Kevin is the son of the eight-time PGA Tour winner Bob Tway. He turned professional in 2011, right after graduating from OSU.

While Tway debuted at the 2011 Travelers Championship, his father stood beside him doing the caddy job and providing him valuable insights.

Kevin subsequently moved to the Web.com Tour in 2013 and picked up his first professional win at that year's Albertsons Boise Open.

Junior Tway secured his first victory on the PGA circuit in the 2018 Safeway Open. The 6 feet 3 inches tall Kevin has a total of 3 professional wins.

Rickie Fowler - 34 years old

Puma Sponsored golfer Rickie Fowler turned professional in 2009. Fowler was the recipient of the 2010 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award.

His first event in the tour was the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, where he finished tied for seventh He won the 2008 Ben Hogan Award to add to many accomplishments during his amateur career. 

Fowler's first PGA win came in 2012 when he won Wells Fargo Championship. Since then, he has bagged four other PGA events, including the 2015  Players Championship and Deutsche Bank Championship, the 2016 Honda Classic, and the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

He also won the 2015 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and the 2016 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on European Tour. As of 2023, his professional wins count at nine.

Alex Norén - 40 years old

The Swedish pride, Alex Noren, turned professional in 2005. He had represented Sweden as an amateur on all levels before attending OSU.

As of 2023, he plays in the PGA and European Tour but has not bagged any wins in the former. Meanwhile, he has won ten times on the European Tour, including the BMW Championship in 2017 and the HNA Open de France in 2018.

Noren won four titles in 2016; the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, the British Masters, and the Omega European Masters. Coming into 2023, he failed to make a cut at the 2023 Masters Tournament, won by Jon Rahm . 

Hunter Mahan - 41 years old

Hunter Mahan became a two-time Big 12 Conference Player of the Year and a two-time first-team All-American, during his time in Oklahoma.

Before the Cowboys, he had spent a year at the University of Southern California. He turned pro in 2003 and earned his first PGA victory at the 2007 Travelers Championship.

Veteran golfer Mahan has registered six victories in the PGA circuit. He achieved those accomplishments during the following events:

• 2007 Travelers Championship
• 2010 Waste Management Phoenix Open
• 2010 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
• 2012 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship
• 2012 Shell Houston Open
• 2014 Barclays

Bo Van Pelt - 48 years old

The former Cowboys golfer, Bo Van Pelt , was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity during his time there. He turned pro in 1998 and has been a PGA Tour member since 2004.

His first pro victory was the 2009 U.S. Bank Championship held in Milwaukee. Besides his one PGA Tour win to date, he has grabbed each win on European Tour, Asian Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, and Korn Ferry Tour.

While Van Pelt had a considerably successful golf career, he had not played competitive golf between 2016 and 2019 due to shoulder injuries.

Michael Bradley - 56 years old

A former Cowboy, Michael Bradley, turned 50 in 2016 and has been playing in the PGA Tour Champions since then. But before, he was an active part of the PGA Tour, where he won four events.

Bradley had turned professional in 1988 and played in the Canadian Tour, winning the 1989 Ontario Open and the 1990 Quebec Open before joining PGA in 1992.

Michael was a full-time PGA golfer from 1993 to 2000 and won his first event in the tour in 1996. It was the Buick Challenge, followed by his win at the 1998 Doral-Ryder Open and the Puerto Rico Open in 2009 and 2011.

Scott Verplank - 58 years old

Veteran golfer Scott Verplank tops the chart of Senior PGA Tour players. Scott was a member of the 1983 NCAA Championship team for OSU.

As a prodigy, he won the 1985 Western Open even before his OSU senior year, let alone turning pro. He was the first amateur in the history of the PGA Tour to win an event in 29 years at that time.

Verplank turned pro the following year and has lifted the cups of the 1988 Buick Open, 2000 Reno–Tahoe Open, 2001 Bell Canadian Open, and the 2007 EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

Since turning 50 in July 2014, Scott Verplank started playing in the PGA Tour Champions. He made his debut at the 2014 U.S. Senior Open.

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Austin Eckroat claims first PGA Tour win at 2024 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches

Inclement  weather delayed the final round of the 2024 Cognizant Classic  in the Palm Beaches by more than three hours on Sunday afternoon and pushed the first event of the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing to a  Monday finish.

After heavy rains pummelled PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Austin Eckroat found himself in the lead at 15 under entering the fifth day of play. Eleven holes later he walked away with the trophy at 17 under for his first PGA Tour win in just his 50th start.

The Edmond North and OSU alum made two birdies over seven holes on Sunday afternoon before play was called due to darkness and the 25-year-old doubled down on Monday and signed for a 4-under 67 to seal the three-shot win.

Starting the day on the 8th hole, Eckroat eased back into his round with pars on his opening four holes before a pair of birdies on Nos. 12 and 13. A pulled putt from six feet for par led to his lone bogey of the final round on the par-4 14th, but the Oklahoma State grad extended his lead back to three shots with another birdie on No. 16.

Min Woo Lee (67) and Erik van Rooyen (63) finished T-2 at 14 under.

The PGA Tour is back in action next week in Orlando with the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

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GOLF OKLAHOMA

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PGA TOUR Superstore to open Saturday in Oklahoma City

The grand opening of PGA TOUR Superstore in Oklahoma City is set for 9 a.m. Saturday. The 30,600 square-foot store is located at 2727 W. Memorial Road in a building that was formerly the Platt College School of Culinary Arts.

PGA TOUR Superstores are noted for a wide variety of apparel, equipment and golf accessories but also for hiring PGA trained club fitters and instructors. The store has two fitting bays, three practice and play bays and a putting instruction bay as well as 950 square feet of putting green.

The grand opening includes chances to win $25,000 in giveways and prizes including a chance to win a free round of golf in Oklahoma City.

PGA TOUR Superstore is operated by Golf & Tennis Pro Shop, Inc., a subsidiary of AMB Sports and Entertainment and is headquartered in metro-Atlanta. As the PGA TOUR’s exclusive off-course/off-airport retail partner in North America, PGA TOUR Superstore provides customers with access to the same technology and expertise as card-carrying PGA TOUR pros. All stores are staffed with teaching professionals and have multiple state-of-the-art swing simulators, practice hitting bays, and large putting greens. There is also an in-house club making and repair facility.

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Oklahoma State University

Cowboy golfers on tour, pga tour / korn ferry tour.

Michael Bradley Kevin Dougherty Austin Eckroat Rickie Fowler Talor Gooch Morgan Hoffmann Viktor Hovland Charles Howell III Hunter Mahan Bob May Jordan Niebrugge Alex Norén Sam Stevens Kevin Tway Bo Van Pelt Peter Uihlein Kristoffer Ventura Casey Wittenberg Matthew Wolff  

Champions Tour

Bob Tway Scott Verplank Willie Wood

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Mar 21 - 24, 2024

Oklahoma State graduate Bob Dickson revels in victories by Rickie Fowler and Talor Gooch

Dickson was one of the earliest pga tour winners from oklahoma state.

It wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the creation of LIV Golf last year but Sunday turned out to be a huge day for former Oklahoma State golfers. 

Taking it all in was Ponte Vedra Beach resident Bob Dickson, one of the players from OSU who helped lay the groundwork for a steady stream of Cowboys who have lassoed trophies and titles in professional golf since the 1960s.

“I loved it … a couple of ‘Pokes winning the same day makes us all very proud,” said Dickson, who won twice on the PGA Tour and once on the PGA Tour Champions with a career on the PGA Tour executive staff in between.

Within hours on either side of the Atlantic Ocean, Rickie Fowler won the Rocket Mortage Classic at the Detroit Country Club and Talor Gooch captured the LIV Golf Andalucia at Valderrama in Spain, both on dramatic birdie putts at the last. 

Fowler birdied No. 18 in regulation to earn a playoff with Adam Hadwin and Collin Morikawa, and then birdied the 18 th again on a 12-foot putt. 

Gooch became the first three-time winner of LIV Golf events when he rolled in a 15-footer for birdie to beat Bryson DeChambeau by one shot. 

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Oklahoma State players have won eight tournaments on the two Tours combined this season. In addition to Fowler’s victory last week and Gooch’s three LIV titles, Wyndham Clark won the U.S. Open and the Wells Fargo Championship, Viktor Hovland won The Memorial and Charles Howell III won the opening LIV event of the season in Mexico. 

Dickson is taking it all in with pride. He played for the Cowboys from 1964-1966 under Labron Harris Sr., and posted victories in the U.S. and British Amateurs during that time.

Players such as Dickson, Labron Harris Jr., Danny and David Edwards and Dave Eichelberger begot Bob Tway and Scott Verplank. Then Howell and Hunter Mahan came along, who handed the baton to the likes of Fowler, Clark, Kevin Tway, Gooch, Hovland and Peter Uihlein.  

“The golf culture at Oklahoma State has been very good for decades, a really good golf history,” Dickson said. “I’m really proud of these Cowboys.” 

Fowler, Hovland and Clark, the PGA Tour winners from Oklahoma State this season, have combined for four victories, 22 top-10s and more than $28 million in earnings this season. Austin Eckroat seems poised to join them and had a runner-up finish at the Byron Nelson in April. 

Clark is fourth on the FedEx Cup standings, Hovland sixth and Fowler eighth. 

Cowboys on LIV Golf, Gooch, Howell, Uihlein and Matthew Wolff, have combined for three victories, nine top-10s and more than $32 million in earnings. Gooch leads LIV Golf’s points list, with Uihlein seventh and Howell 10 th . 

Players accepting grant applications

The Players Championship application period for its annual Red Coats’ community grant program began on June 28 and will last until 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 4. 

Applications will be accepted from eligible nonprofits in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties. The grants are awarded to organizations that promote youth services, education, character development, health, wellness and sports and military support, with awards ranging from $2,500 to $15,000.  

The Red Coats are a group of civic and corporate leaders who have been volunteer chairs of The Players. 

“We’re thrilled to support the work of grantees across Northeast Florida as they inspire positive change here in our communities. It is our honor to provide funding to these deserving organizations,” said Kevin Robbins, captain of the Red Coats.   

For complete guidelines and grant application, visit www.theplayers.com/charity/info/grants . 

The 2024 Players week is March 12-17. More information about THE Players’ charitable efforts can be found at theplayers.com/community. 

Tour adds Utah event 

The last time the PGA Tour was in Utah, John F. Kennedy was President and the Beatles had released their second studio album. 

More than 60 years later, the Tour is back at The Beehive State. 

The Tour announced this week that the Black Desert Championship will become part of the FedEx Cup Fall schedule in 2024. It will be the second new addition to the schedule, along with an event at Myrtle Beach, S.C., in the spring, which will be played the same week as an Elevated Event. 

The tournament will be at the Black Desert Resort, on the edge of the Red Rock Mountains. The facility also will begin hosting an LPGA tournament in 2025 

The Tour played in Utah on and off from 1930 to 1962. Harry “Lighthorse” Cooper won the 1930 Salt Lake Open and Tommy Jacobs was the winner the last time the Tour was in Utah, at the 1963 Utah Open. 

Be our Kuest

Peter Kuest had a chance to earn Special Temporary Membership on the PGA Tour last week had he made a birdie putt attempt on the final hole of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. 

But he still finished among the top 10, which earned him a spot in the John Deere Classic. Now, Kuest needs only to make the cut, then finish in a tie for 76 th or better to get enough non-member FedEx Cup points to earn his temporary membership. 

Kuest, a former BYU player, was a Monday qualifier in Detroit last week, surviving a four-for-three playoff. He then shot 64 in the first round and went on to tie for fourth at 21-under 267. 

Event: John Deere Classic, Thursday-Sunday, TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill. 

At stake: $7.4 million purse ($1,332,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner). 

Defending champion: J.T. Poston. 

TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m.); CBS (Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.).

Area players entered: Tyson Alexander, Jonas Blixt, Jonathan Byrd, Lanto Griffin, Zach Johnson, Patton Kizzire, Russell Knox, David Lingmerth, Keith Mitchell, Trey Mullinax, Poston, Doc Redman, Sam Ryder, Greyson Sigg, Davis Thompson, Michael Thompson, Carl Yuan. 

Notable: Poston, a St. Simons Island, Ga, resident, shot 62 in the first round and went on to beat Christian Bezuidenhout and Emiliano Grillo by three shots. 

Event: U.S. Women’s Open, Thursday-Sunday, Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif. 

At stake: $10 million purse ($1.5 million to the winner). 

Defending champion: Minjee Lee. 

TV: Peacock (Thursday-Friday, 4-6 p.m.); USA (Thursday-Friday, 6-11 p.m.); NBC (Saturday-Sunday, 3-9 p.m.). 

Area players entered: Chella Choi. 

Notable: Lee opened with rounds of 67-66 at Pine Needles in Pinehurst, N.C., and went on to beat Mina Harigae by four shots. 

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Austin Eckroat gets 1st PGA Tour victory at Cognizant Classic

Austin Eckroat taps in for par to secure his first PGA Tour win at the Cognizant Classic. (0:19)

• Associated Press

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Austin Eckroat waited a long time to become a winner on the PGA Tour. Another day didn't hurt.

Eckroat got the first victory of his tour career Monday, topping Erik van Rooyen and Min Woo Lee by 3 shots to win the weather-delayed Cognizant Classic. Among his prizes: $1.62 million -- by far his biggest golf payday -- along with tour status for two years and a trip to the Masters for the first time.

Eckroat shot a final round of 4-under 67, finishing at 17-under 267.

He said he was nervous Monday. He hid it well, never giving up the lead.

"This has always been my dream, to win on the PGA Tour," Eckroat told Golf Channel. "And just to win, I haven't won since 2019 -- it was a college event. It's just been so long. I'm just so happy."

He left PGA National on Sunday night when darkness stopped play with a 1-stroke lead and was never caught. Back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th holes protected his lead, and a 12-footer for birdie on the par-4 16th pushed the edge out to 3 shots.

"I just kept telling myself, 'I've put myself in this position for a reason,'" Eckroat said. "This is what I want to do."

Eckroat laid up on the par-5 18th to protect his lead and take water out of play, knowing all he had to do was avoid disaster to finish off his first tour win in 50 career starts. He made an easy par, sealing the win.

"I was just really happy I was able to perform in the situation," Eckroat said.

Van Rooyen had his round of 8-under 63 on Sunday to finish at 14 under. Cameron Young (66), K.H. Lee (66) and Jake Knapp (66) all ended their rounds Monday, wrapping up at 13 under. K.H. Lee made three birdies in the five holes he played Monday.

But nobody caught Eckroat, a 25-year-old who was a star at Oklahoma State before turning pro.

His most memorable tour moment, before Monday, likely was last year in the final round of the U.S. Open to become the sixth player in that tournament's history to post a nine-hole score of 29. Eckroat shot a 5-under 65 and finished in a tie for 10th at 3 under -- ensuring he'd play in this year's U.S. Open.

The season's first major awaits him now as well. He's going to Augusta National next month, with stops at Bay Hill and The Players along the way to Magnolia Lane.

"The adversity of sleeping midround, I'm just really happy with how I handled it," said Eckroat, who became the fourth first-time winner in nine tour events this season, joining Nick Dunlap, Matthieu Pavon and Knapp.

For Knapp, last week's winner in Mexico, he has now had three top-five finishes in his 10 career PGA Tour starts. His earnings are up to about $2.5 million.

"I was happy with how I managed everything this week," Knapp told Golf Channel.

The Monday finish was needed after a thunderstorm dumped nearly 2 inches of rain and brought lightning to the area Sunday afternoon, causing a 3½-hour delay in the final round. Of the 68 players who made the cut, 42 finished Sunday -- so 26 returned Monday to play somewhere between one and 13 holes.

It was a quick day for Billy Horschel . He couldn't get to the 18th tee before the horn blew to stop play Sunday night, meaning he had to come back and play the par-5 finishing hole Monday. He had a 9-footer for birdie, settled for par and was done in 15 minutes.

Horschel -- who vaulted into the mix with six consecutive birdies Sunday afternoon -- finished at 12 under. He ended up tied for ninth, along with Keith Mitchell , Peter Malnati , Alex Noren , Andrew Novak , Kevin Yu and Martin Laird .

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Oklahoma city thunder vs. utah jazz odds, tips and betting trends | march 20, share this article.

The Utah Jazz (29-39) will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (47-20) after dropping seven road games in a row. It starts at 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

The Thunder enter their matchup against the Jazz as double-digit favorites. The Thunder are favored by 14 points. The game’s point total is set at 235.

Thunder vs. Jazz Betting Odds

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook . Odds updated Tuesday at 7:29 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub .

• Spread: Oklahoma City -14
• Moneyline: Oklahoma City -1154, Utah +725

Jazz at Thunder odds, spread, & more

• Pick ATS: Thunder (- 14)
• Prediction: Thunder 125 – Jazz 111
• Oklahoma City has been the favorite in 51 games this season and has come away with the win 38 times (74.5%) in those contests.
• Oklahoma City has yet to lose in three games when named as at least a -1154 moneyline favorite.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies Oklahoma City has a 92% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.
• Utah has won 32% of the games this season it was the moneyline underdog (16-34).
• Utah has yet to play as a moneyline underdog of +725 or longer.
• The implied moneyline probablility for this matchup gives Utah a 12.1% chance to win.

Against the spread

• The Thunder average only 0.1 more points per game (120.7) than the Jazz give up (120.6).
• When Oklahoma City totals more than 120.6 points, it is 28-8 against the spread and 32-4 overall.
• Utah has put together a 32-13 ATS record and a 28-17 overall record in games it scores more than 113.1 points.
• Oklahoma City is 30-10-1 against the spread and 34-7 overall when it allows fewer than 117.2 points.
• The Thunder are at the third spot in the NBA’s scoring charts (120.7 PPG), while the Jazz allow the 27th-fewest points per game (120.6) in the league.
• Utah’s squad is currently the 10th-ranked scoring team in the NBA (117.2 PPG), while Oklahoma City’s team is 13th in points allowed per game (113.1).
• The Thunder have totaled 512 more points than their opponents this season (7.6 per game on average), while the Jazz have been out-scored by 234 total points (3.4 per game average differential).
• Oklahoma City has an average implied point total of 119.7 this season, which is 5.3 points lower than its implied total in Wednesday’s game (125).
• So far this season, Oklahoma City has scored more than 125 points in 28 games.
• Utah’s average implied point total on the season (119.6 points) is 8.6 points higher than its implied total in this matchup (111 points).

How to watch Thunder vs. Jazz

• Game Day: Wednesday, March 20, 2024
• Game Time: 8:00 PM ET
• TV Channel: BSOK and KJZZ
• Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Arena: Paycom Center
• TV Channel: Bally Sports
• Live stream: Watch on Fubo!
• NBA League Pass: The most live games plus NBA TV. Free trial

Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.

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Jon Rahm hopes for The Players return, disappointed to not defend PGA Tour titles

It hasn’t been easy for Jon Rahm. He’s one of the three best players in the world, but above all, he’s one of the biggest golf nerds and obsessives around. So since his massive move to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf league in December, he’s had to watch the PGA Tour events he carries such reverence for on TV. And that also meant not having a chance to defend his titles at the Sentry, the American Express, and the Genesis Invitational.

“I’m not going to lie,” Rahm said Tuesday, during a video conference with reporters. “For everybody who said this would be easy, some things have been, but not being able to defend some titles that mean a lot to me hasn’t.”

But the one event he will be able to defend is the most important, and The Masters is coming next month. Rahm, 29, won the tournament at Augusta National last year for his second career major and to jump back to No. 1 in the world. After four wins in three months, Rahm didn’t win again in 2023 and left for LIV at the end of the year.

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This year’s Masters will be his first event back against many of the top players in golf. It is an opportunity to remind the sport where he stands in the pecking order as current world No. 1 (since May 2023) Scottie Scheffler has gone on a dominant run to hold the top spot with back-to-back wins the last two weeks in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship.

Rahm, the type to wake up early before his kids and rewatch old tournaments on YouTube, was watching Scheffler’s comeback win at the Players . And he of course nerded out discussing it, talking about how impressive Scheffler’s 20-under-par score was and why TPC Sawgrass is such a good test because the course requires complete balance and leaves players with no way to hide.

“I hope I get to tee it up at The Players again,” Rahm said. “It would be a bit of a sour taste if my last ever start at the Players was (a withdrawal) because I was sick.”

The Champions Dinner, served in honor of Mr. @JonRahmOfficial . #themasters pic.twitter.com/r9oalTrFtf — The Masters (@TheMasters) March 19, 2024

Missing PGA Tour events and playing against the best fields was a consistent theme in Rahm’s comments, although he steadily said he’s enjoyed LIV events, the team format and going to locations like Hong Kong. He joked that he knows Scheffler’s form and doesn’t need to tee up with him to inform his opinion. But he acknowledged the added relevance to majors over either tour’s events.

“I think that’s what’s making this Masters and many other majors going to be so much fun, not only for me and for players but for spectators, is for all of us to be able to play together again and showcase what we’re capable of,” he said.

Much like his European Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy, Rahm advocated for a union between the leagues. And like McIlroy, he used the parallel of the European soccer model with different national leagues but then the Champions League and Europa Leagues standing above all others and bringing the best clubs together.

“I think there’s a way of coexisting,” Rahm said, “and if there’s some type of union, I don’t know what that looks like, but again, I just want to be able to see the best in the world compete against the best in the world, whatever that looks like. I think there’s room for all of us, and there’s room for the game of golf to get to the next level and have more viewership options.”

Rahm led off his news conference by going into great detail on his menu for the Masters champions dinner, leaning on famous Spanish chef and friend José Andrés to co-create the menu an honoring Rahm’s Basque culture including tapas, spicy Basque chorizo and chuletón, “which is basically a ribeye that is seared on basically a regular grill with a bit of coal.” All of which can be served with some Txakoli wine.

In the lead-up to the Masters, Rahm said his game is in a really good place but not quite where it was last year. His preparation will be slightly different, since he didn’t play the week before last year’s Masters but will be playing in LIV’s Miami event from April 5-7.

“I think I counted, last year I had eight starts before the Masters,” he continued. “This year is going to be five. Last year I didn’t play the week before the Masters. This year I am. But I’ve done it in the past and done well. It’s hard to say what’s better or not. It’s a little different.”

Required reading

• Scottie Scheffler hurt his neck. What happened next proves that he’s now golf’s big star
• Can Jay Monahan actually bring the PGA Tour back together?
• ‘Full Swing’ review: Netflix’s golf series gets the big moments right

(Top photo of Jon Rahm: Lintao Zhang / Getty Images)

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Brody Miller covers golf and the LSU Tigers for The Athletic. He came to The Athletic from the New Orleans Times-Picayune. A South Jersey native, Miller graduated from Indiana University before going on to stops at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Indianapolis Star, the Clarion Ledger and NOLA.com. Follow Brody on Twitter @ BrodyAMiller