Maridoe Golf Club continues to be a compelling venue for amateurs. This week, it was the backdrop for an early-season Big 12 showdown and Oklahoma came out on top.
“We’re young, we’re hungry, we’ve got a lot to prove,” Oklahoma head coach Ryan Hybl told Golf Channel in the aftermath of a one-shot victory over Texas. “These guys are just working their butts off. It’s early in the year. We know that but we’re loving what we’re seeing out of guys right now.”
Oklahoma counters played the back nine at the notoriously difficult Steve Smyers-designed Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas, in 5 under on Wednesday. Texas, meanwhile, had some ill-timed big numbers – notably a double bogey from Pierceson Coody on the final hole. The Longhorns were even on the back and at 2 under for the tournament, fell a shot short of the Sooners.
Scores: Maridoe Collegiate Invitational
Last spring, Oklahoma ended the season with a runner-up finish to Pepperdine at the national championship. But three key members of that squad have since graduated: Garett Reband, Quade Cummins and Jonathan Brightwell. Cummins, in fact, is teeing it up in the PGA Tour season opener this week in Napa, California.
In a sense, Hybl kept intact part of the formula that lifted Oklahoma to four regular-season titles last year and nearly an NCAA title. Brightwell was a transfer from Charlotte for a fifth year at Oklahoma, and once again Hybl has brought in a fifth-year transfer who could make a big impact. Chris Gotterup spent the past four seasons at Rutgers and in two starts so far as a fifth-year transfer to Oklahoma, has been a contributor. At Maridoe, Gotterup tied for third – the best finish among the team.
Hybl calls that following the Brightwell blueprint.
Freshman Drew Goodman tied for 11th with teammate Patrick Welch with senior Logan McAllister also finishing in the top 20 individually.
𝙍𝙀𝙇𝙊𝘼𝘿𝙀𝘿 🤫📝#Sooners | #ChampU pic.twitter.com/C89hmRuKOX
— Oklahoma Golf (@OU_MGolf) September 15, 2021
Oklahoma debuted last week at Pebble Beach in the Carmel Cup, finishing one shot short of Oklahoma State. Next month, it’s on to the Nike Collegiate Invitational at Colonial Country Club – “another big boy golf course,” as Hybl said.
“It’s a new year and honestly we’re already thinking about the next time we go back to work,” Hybl said when asked whether last season’s NCAA runner-up is still serving as motivation. “…We don’t worry about Grayhawk until we get to that point.”
