THACKERVILLE — Kevin Muncrief hadn’t competed in awhile. As a matter of fact, it had been two years before he played round one of the Landmark Bank Open Thursday at the Winstar Golf Course.
Muncrief, a former golf standout at Plainview High School and the University of Oklahoma, once played in the PGA Tour. He now resides here in Ardmore. He has worked at Carter County Dodge and has for the past year and a half, but with the tournament being played just half an hour away from home, he seized the opportunity to play.
He finished the opening round with 73.
“I played okay,” Muncrief said. “I’m not disappointed. I wasn’t going out there expecting a whole lot. This is first time I’ve played 18 holes in two years. So, I kind of ran out of gas on the back-9, and it showed. I shot 2-over on the back and it brought my score up. But at 1-over, I still got a chance (today). Hopefully, I’ll get a score in and be there on Saturday.”
Muncrief persevered through the extreme 100-degree heat conditions with Rocky Antencio, often seen on the Carter County Dodge commercials on television, serving as his caddie.
Ted Soule of Austin, Texas leads the field with 64 strokes.
Two other area golfers are in the field. Jason Meece, another Ardmore native, shot 72, while John Barrick of Burneyville carded 80.
The field also has some players who played as collegians in the Perry Maxwell Intercollegiate at Dornick Hills Country Club. Andrew Dahl of Salinas, Calif., who played at Arkansas in the early in 2000s, is in the tournament, currently in second with 65. Tyler Leon, a former Oklahoma State standout, is also playing. He logged 71.
At one time, Muncrief was a serious contender in the professional ranks. He played three seasons on the Nationwide Tour before playing on the PGA Tour in 2004. He played on the Adams Tour the following year. But after a few tournaments in 2006, he decided to move on.
He was able to play in this tournament due to some availability.
“As long as you pay your entry fee, and as long as the field is not full. you can play,” Muncrief said. He has no plans to play in any more tournaments this year.
To play on a course such as Winstar, was something Muncrief relished.
“It’s real nice. It’s a bonus to play close to home. It’s also a bonus to play on this golf course,” Muncrief said. “As long as it is in good shape, you can actually go shoot a good score, if you get going.”
The PGA experience was something the local golfer learned a lot from.
“It is a different game out there,” he said. “The majority of it is upstairs. It’s in between your ears. Everybody out there can hit and putt the ball, but it’s a matter of getting it done upstairs in your mind.”
Playing with guys like Tiger Woods, Stewart Cink. Phil Mickelson, the list goes on, was fun, he said. “It’s makes you put some jest out there,” Muncrief said. “When you see you’re out hitting balls next to Tiger or Vijay (Singh), you’re out there with the best players in the world.”
Muncrief got to know a few players on the tour.
“I was pretty good friends with Chad Campbell,” he said. “I’ve played a lot of golf with Woody Austin, who is a fan favorite these days. It’s a lot of fun playing with him, he is quite a character.”
Now, of course, Muncrief hopes to makes the best in the tournament he is in this weekend.
“I’m just going to go out, try to have fun and see what I can do.”
Mike Moguin, 221-6522
mike.moguin@ardmoreite.com
