Official publication of the Oklahoma Golf Association
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Official publication of the Oklahoma Golf Association
ALL-AMERICANS AUG/SEPT
Quade Cummins Austin Eckroat
champion and competed in a slew
Homegrown rivals of Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour
(OJGT) events, which caught the
eye of OU coach Ryan Hybl.
“Once I got to OU, it was hard
Eckroat, Cummins two of nation's top collegians at first and then I kind of found
something with (instructor) Ryan
by john rohde Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Rody (formerly at Gaillardia, now at South-
Canada (the Canadian Tour) or the PGA Tour ern Hills) and Coach Hybl, and here we are,”
T
wo in-state All-Americans will lead Series-China – and will be exempt into all Cummins said.
two in-state Division I programs open, full-field events beginning the week af- Meanwhile, Eckroat was among a gaggle
this upcoming season. In the pro- ter the NCAA Championship through the of junior golfing greats who helped transform
cess, Oklahoma State’s Austin Eckroat and conclusion of the current season. Finishers Edmond North into one of the country’s
Oklahoma’s Quade Cummins also could Nos. 6-15 will also be exempt into second most elite high school programs, winning 13
jump-start their own professional careers by stage of that year’s Korn Ferry Tour Qualify- Class 6A state championships over a 14-year
earning exempt status. ing Tournament. span (2005-2018), which was preceded by
Stoking this season’s excitement for Eck- “I always thought of stuff like this, but three straight crowns from 1994-96.
roat and Cummins is the debut of the PGA once I got to college, I didn’t really think it Playing for the Cowboys was a lifelong
Tour University program, which rewards was going to be possible just cause I knew dream for Eckroat, a two-time Class 6A
elite collegiate play with varying levels of ac- how hard it was going to be,” Cummins said. state champion, who in 2014 became the
cess to tours operated under the PGA Tour Eckroat and Cummins grew up just 90 first freshman ever to win the 6A individual
umbrella. miles apart in Oklahoma, but their career crown. He was a medalist 15 times in his
This much-anticipated collegiate path to paths came on very different courses. high school career.
the PGA Tour was launched June 1 and will Eckroat’s legend has steadily grown while “I grew up an Oklahoma State fan and
award the top-15, four-year college players playing the plush fairways of the exclusive now kind of being the leader there and being
with exempt status. Oak Tree courses in Edmond, while Cum- on the No. 1 bag, it’s kind of cool,” Eckroat
• Collegiate players ranked Nos. 1-5 will mins honed his skills on the far more modest said. “I’ll be able to tell my kids about it. It’s a
be exempt into all open, full-field Korn Ferry municipal track of Prairie West Golf Club in pretty cool aspect.”
Tour events beginning the week after the windswept Weatherford. Eckroat also was recruited by the Sooners.
NCAA Division I Championship through the “I wouldn’t say it’s the worst of the worst,” “I really like Coach Hybl,” Eckroat said. “I
conclusion of the KFT regular season. The a chuckling Cummins said of his hometown was looking at OU pretty heavily, but once
top five finishers will also be exempt into course, “but I enjoyed learning how to play Oklahoma State offered, it was pretty clear I
the final stage of that year’s KFT Qualifying golf basically on farmland. I think it blows was going to go there. There was a chance (of
Tournament. harder in Weatherford than any place I’ve going to OU), but I wouldn’t say there was a
• Collegiate finishers ranked Nos. 6–15 ever been. It’s taught me a lot, how to work big chance. If Oklahoma State was going to
will receive membership onto one of the the ball and stuff.” offer me (a scholarship), it was going to be
PGA Tour’s International Tours – PGA Tour Cummins was a two-time Class 4A state very hard to go someplace else.”
18 W W W.GOLFOKL AHOMA.ORG GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020
be there, but it’s scorecard, they quickly became a supporting
going to be fun,” cast.
Cummins said. “By the end of the round, we were all
Ironically, turns cheering for him and hoping he would make
out the coronavi- his putts,” Cummins said. “I mean, it was
rus helped form awesome to watch.”
a Bedlam bond The 21-year-old Wolff, who already has
between Eckroat cracked the Top
and Cummins, 60 in the Official
who frequently World Golf Rank-
No one works harder on his game than Cummins, says coach Ryan Hybl. have played to- ings in less than
gether at Oak Tree one season on the
Eckroat and Cummins will return to their National while social distancing. PGA Tour, shot 69
respective teams in August, although college Asked if playing alongside the enemy was that day alongside
golf’s fall season remains in limbo. against the rules, Eckroat said, “Nah, golf’s a Eckroat … and lost
Eckroat was a starting freshman on the little different than the other sports. You have by eight shots.
Cowboys’ 2018 NCAA championship team to walk 4½ hours with them if you’re playing Hearing Eckroat
and had decided his junior season would be together. Might as well be friendly, but you speak of Cummins’
his last at OSU. Eckroat would then embark know you still want to beat ’em.” game, however,
on the professional circuit, hoping to rejoin When Eckroat shot his mind-numbing, you would have
former teammates and budding superstars 10-under-par 61 in early June to break the thought the course
Matthew Wolff and Viktor Hovland on the OTN course record from the back tees by record belonged
PGA Tour. three strokes, Cummins was playing in the to a Sooner rather
COVID-19 spawned global touring uncer- same foursome alongside Wolff and former than a Cowboy.
Austin Eckroat at 2019
tainty that brought an abrupt halt to Eckroat’s OSU teammate Nick Heinen, who serves as “He is a really
OGA State Amateur.
plan, however. As if tour qualifying already Wolff’s caddy on tour. good player,” Eck-
wasn’t challenging enough, the pandemic Eckroat birdied the first six holes, had 10 roat said of Cummins. “We’ve played a lot of
completely cancelled the remaining Mack- birdies in a span of 13 holes and was side- golf. He hits it low. He has all the shots. He has
enzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada (the Canadian tracked by a bogey on No. 10. a lot of shots that kids growing up on perfect
Tour), PGA Tour Latinoamérica and PGA When other players in the foursome real- courses don’t have, so I think it’s actually ben-
Tour Series-China seasons in late May, while ized there was no catching Eckroat on the eficial for him.”
the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour were sus-
pended until early June. Current playing priv-
ileges were placed on hold and rolled over to
the 2021 season.
Eckroat downshifted and decided to return
for his senior season.
“I’m not very conflicted about it,” Eckroat 124 N Peoria Ave Tulsa, OK 74120 918.832.5544
said. “It’s one of those things where I was ex-
cited to turn pro, but coming back to Okla-
homa State for another year isn’t the worst Hickory Hills Country Club
thing at all, so I’m pretty excited about that.” Springfield, Missouri
For Cummins, who had helped catapult
the Sooners to the No. 1 ranking last fall
and spring before the coronavirus hit, the
pandemic’s aftermath allows him to return
for a sixth season with the Sooners after the
NCAA Division I Council granted an extra
year of eligibility to all student-athletes in
spring (but not winter) sports whose seasons
were canceled because of COVID-19.
The experienced and ultra-deep Sooners
will be led by Cummins and fifth-year senior
Garett Reband, along with fifth-year senior
Thomas Johnson, juniors Patrick Welch and
Think Outside.
Logan McAllister, plus a handful of others ca-
pable of cracking the starting five.
Cummins and Reband were freshmen on
the 2017 NCAA title team and will be seek-
ing their second national championship rings
with the Sooners.
“It’s going to feel kind of weird being on www.jonesplan.com
a team when you’re really not supposed to BUILDER
GOLF OKL AHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 W W W.GOLFOKL AHOMA.ORG 19
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