State tournament golf: Tigers claim historic finish, T-Wolves seventh, Carson Wright fifth
May 11—BROKEN ARROW — The call went out earlier in the week to Bruce Renfroe, Norman High's boys golf coach through the previous school year, who'd left to take on college coaching, running the women's program at USAO in Chickasha.
How high had the Tigers ever finished at the state tournament?
Best Renfroe could remember, fifth, maybe 20 years ago.
Though NHS would have liked to have stayed on the course at Forest Ridge Golf Club, site of the Class 6A state tournament, rather than be rained out, the tourney's sudden end served to lock in the program's best-ever finish, at least that anybody could remember.
The Tigers began Tuesday's scheduled final round at 42-over-par 618, tied for fourth with Stillwater, behind Edmond North (593), Jenks (607) and Broken Arrow (612). Because the final round was not merely cut short, but nullified, that's exactly where they finished.
Norman North placed seventh at 628, one spot and seven strokes back of sixth-place Bixby.
"We had three guys playing well, one guy playing OK and one guy not playing well," first-year NHS coach Gregg Grost said of the golf the Tigers played Tuesday before being called off the course.
Also, said Grost, "We might have finished seventh, we might have finished second."
Given the elements, the course and history, fourth may feel pretty good.
NHS got there on the back of a top-five individual finish from one of its bags and the amazing comeback of another.
The top-five belonged to Carson Wright, who carded rounds of 73 and 75 on Monday, leaving him at 4-over-par 148, one stroke in front of Edmond North's Bo Burton and four strokes back of Muskogee's William Falleur.
"He's absolutely got the world in front of him," Grost said of Wright. "He's got a chance to be big time."
Owasso's Ben Stoller (140) won the individual crown, edging Edmond North's Jordan Wilson (141) and Bixby's Dylan Teeter (143).
The comeback belonged to Evan Kelley, who quickly got over his opening 86 — the first round score the Tigers dropped — only to come back Monday afternoon with a 73, earned by making birdie on Nos. 15, 16, 17 and 18, each saved stroke required to catch Stillwater in the fourth spot.
"I'm proud of the guys," Grost said.
Norman North was led by Josh Stuart, who rebounded from an opening 79 with a 71 that made him one of seven golfers to finish tied in seventh place at 8-over-par 150.
Jake Hopper, who claimed medalist honors at last week's regional tournament at Lake Hefner North in Oklahoma City, carded rounds of 77 and 75.
It was Renfroe, Grost said, who talked him back into the coaching game.
Previously, the Tiger skipper had led Oklahoma's men's program from 1986 to 2000, a run highlighted by the 1989 national championship.
"Twenty years ago I was worried about beating Oklahoma State," Grost said, "and this year I was hoping they got through prom and nobody got COVID."
The Tigers emerged well enough, securing an historically strong finish, while their coach successfully navigated a new and different challenge.
"I had a blast, Grost said.
Clay Horning
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