OSU goes for seventh straight Maxwell title at Dornick Hills

Oklahoma State has won the last six editions of the Perry Maxwell Intercollegiate, and is gunning to make it seven as the Cowboys and nine other men’s teams compete in the 17th annual event of Ardmore’s popular golf tournament this weekend at Dornick Hills Country Club.

The Maxwell begins Saturday with two rounds and runs through Sunday with the final 18 holes, with an 8 a.m. shotgun start scheduled for each day. The second round will begin at 2:15 p.m. Saturday.

Once again, the alternative scoring method will be used. That consists of the highest score at each hole being dropped rather than the usual highest score by a player at the end of a round. The method has brought lower team scores, and shattered tournament records since it was instituted in 2005.

Colt Knost of Southern Methodist set the record for lowest round score of 61 in the second 18 holes last year.

But the top highlight was how Tulsa’s Nicolas Geyger won over Oklahoma State’s Ryan Posey in a one-hole playoff for the top individual honors. Geyger won by virtue of an eagle on the 18th hole, right after Posey got in position for a birdie putt. The shot received national interest in the aftermath.

Other teams in the tournament are Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, SMU, Wichita State, Colorado and Missouri. Michigan and Middle Tennessee are in the field for the first time.

“We really love this format,” Oklahoma State coach Mike McGraw said. “It’s a great tournament for us. We really love being here. We love being able to play in front of fans, which is something we rarely get to do. We get to do it here at The Maxwell, so that’s a good thing for us.”

That format of course, is every team playing together, rather than having groups paired up with three individuals — one per school.

The Cowboys are ranked No. 5 in the country by GolfWeek magazine and will be favored to win — and are in good position to do it. They enter The Maxwell off the heels of winning the Big 12 Championship. They placed runner-up in the two tournaments prior to the Big 12, and won another in the fall.

“We’re playing better than we did in the fall, and the guys seem to be trending in a positive direction,” McGraw said. “So, they’re playing better.”

They also boast the top-ranked golfer in the nation in freshman Rickie Fowler (Murrieta, Calif.), who was named both Big 12 Player and Newcomer of the Year last week. Fowler, along with Kevin Tway and Trent Leon were also named All-Big 12.

“He plays with a lot of confidence and plays with no fear,” Mcgraw said of Fowler. “He just steps up and swings away. He feels really positive about everything. He’s a very positive kid.”

Fowler also won top individuals honors at the Big 12 championship.

OSU has also been bolstered by the performance of Tway. the son PGA pro Bob Tway, who was a Cowboy standout in the early 1980s.

“It’s nice when you can get a kid from Oklahoma,” McGraw said of Kevin Tway. “We got three Oklahomans in the line-up, and that’s really good for us. And his dad is certainly positive to have around. He has a lot of experience, and does good things for the kids when he is around.”

Kevin Tway is no stranger to Dornick Hills. He played the course in the summer of 2004 in the Independent Insurance Agents Junior Classic.
Mike Moguin, 221-6522
mike.moguin@ardmoreite.com