Henderson wins 1st KGA club championship
TOP GOLFER –Drew Henderson, left, pictured with his brother, Regan, won the KGA club championship last weekend in a one-hole playoff. [Photo provided]
Drew Henderson pulled off the improbable last weekend in winning his first Kingfisher Golf Association club championship.
Henderson erased a two-stroke deficit with two holes to play, then birdied the first playoff hole Sunday to knock off two-time defending champion Heath Myers for the crown.
Myers has 13 club championships under his belt, but it was Henderson who took a one-stroke lead into the second day after an opening-round of 2-under-par 68 on Saturday.
Myers and Adam Perkey shot 69s while Jarred Darrough and A.J. Nusz were three strokes back with their 71s.
On Sunday, Myers immediately tied Henderson with a birdie on the par-4 first hole.
However, Myers’ double-bogey on No. 7 and Henderson’s birdie on the ninth hole saw Henderson take a two-stroke lead into the back-nine.
The lead was still two heading into the par-4 14th hole when disaster seemingly struck for Henderson.
The 2010 Kingfisher High School graduate triple-bogeyed. Coupled with Myers’ par, Myers was able to recapture the lead for the first time since the sixth hole.
After both players birdied No. 15, Myers extended his lead to two strokes with a par on the par-3 16th. Henderson bogeyed it.
But Henderson came right back with a birdie on the par-5 17th as Myers had to scratch out a par.
Henderson was able to par the 18th hole and Myers had a short putt to par and win his third straight club title.
However, Myers’ putt didn’t drop.
He finished with a 70 and Henderson a 71. Their matching two-day total of 139 meant a sudden death playoff was in order.
The duo replayed the 18th hole and Henderson sank a birdie putt for the victory as Myers earned a par.
The two were able to hold off Justin Stephenson, who had Sunday’s only round under-par when he shot a 69.
Stephenson had an opening-day 72 to give him a 141, good for third.
Stephenson and Paul Milburn tied for the handicap championship.
Stephenson has a 3-handicap, giving him a two-day total of 135.
Milburn shot 75 and 77 for a 152 total. That put him in 10th place, but his 8-handicap also put him at 135 in the handicap race.
Perkey shot 75 on Sunday to finish fourth overall with a 144.
Darrough and Nusz came in with 74s to both shoot 145 and tie for fifth.
Mike Chambless and Troy Haub needed two playoff holes to determine the senior (50-64 years) club champion.
Chambless shot a 71 Sunday to close a two-stroke gap between himself and Haub as both ended the tournament at 146.
After both players bogeyed the first playoff hole (No. 1), Chambless was able to card a par on No. 2 to claim the title.
Scott Moore won the senior handicap title. His back-to-back 79’s gave him a 158.
His 16-handicap put him at 126.
The super-senior (65-over) title went to Dave Diesselhorst, who fired rounds of 72 and 75.
His 147 was good for a two-stroke win over Richard Knopp.
Knopp’s 149, paired with his 10-handicap, gave him the handicap championship with 129.