OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University will look to add to its success in its home tournament in the 50th edition of the U.C. Ferguson Classic on Monday and Tuesday at Lincoln Park Golf Course.
The Stars tee off among an 18-team field in a shotgun start 8 a.m. Monday. Oklahoma City enters the season ranked 11th in NAIA men's golf. The field includes sixth-ranked Bellevue (Neb.), No. 16 Southwestern Christian and Kansas Wesleyan, which received votes in the preseason poll.
Last season, OCU opened its campaign with a record-setting victory in the U.C. Ferguson Classic. The Stars broke the tournament record for three-round team score with a 274-268-273–815. OCU boasts of 17 titles in tournament history with seven coming in the last eight events.
Oklahoma City's Tres Hill joined exclusive company by sharing the U.C. Ferguson Classic title in his first career start. He became the first OCU golfer to get the win in his college debut since Jacques Blaauw performed the feat in March 2007 with his 69-64-67–200.
The Stars return Dylan Teeter, who collected consensus all-America honors last season. OCU owns 11 national championships won in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2018.
Lincoln Park is celebrating 100 years as Oklahoma City's oldest public golf course. Lincoln has been the site of the 2019 and 2022 NAIA women's golf championships. The course unveiled its new state-of-the-art $9.25 million clubhouse in spring 2015.
TOP RETURNERS
• Teeter secured second-team honors on the NAIA and Golf Coaches Association of America all-America teams. Teeter, a sophomore from Bixby, Okla., snared NAIA all-freshman, all-region, Sooner Athletic Conference freshman of the year and all-SAC acclaim. Teeter won the SAC individual championship and tied for 19th in the NAIA Championships. He provided OCU with a 72.28 scoring average and five top-five finishes in 2021-22
• Will Fore hauled in all-NAIA Central Region honors last season. Fore, a senior from Southlake, Texas, put together a 74.10 stroke average with three top-10 showings. He owns a 75.67 career scoring average with six scores in the 60s in two years as a Star
• Hill made the all-region team the previous season. Hill, a sophomore from Elk City, Okla., posted 73.69 strokes per 18 holes with four top-10 finishes as a freshman
NEW FACES
• Alex Bloxham became an Oklahoma Coaches Association all-stater and all-Tulsa World choice as a senior. Bloxham, a freshman from Broken Arrow, Okla., finished sixth place in the Class 6A state tournament and took the Frontier Valley Conference individual title
• Cameron Lopez came to OCU after posting four top-10 finishes for Odessa (Texas) last season. Lopez, a sophomore from Midland, Texas, turned in 72.31 shots per round as a freshman
• Leandro Mihaich, a freshman from Córdoba, Argentina, is expected to compete for a spot in the top five for the Stars
MEET THE COACH
• Andy Crabtree enters his fifth season at OCU. Crabtree directed the Stars to a third-place finish in the 2019 NAIA Championships in Mesa, Ariz., as well as the 2021 SAC championship in Ardmore, Okla. He has guided the Stars to 10 tournament victories
• Crabtree has coached 11 GCAA all-Americans, eight NAIA all-Americans, 14 all-region selections, 10 all-conference performers, four SAC player of the year recipients and three SAC freshman of the year award winners at Oklahoma City
• Prior to coming to OCU, Crabtree led Old Dominion to its best finish in the Conference USA Tournament (runner-up) as a head coach. Crabtree helped bring UNLV two Mountain West Conference championships
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
• Three of Oklahoma City's four fall tournaments occur within state boundaries. OCU follows up the U.C. Ferguson Classic with the Southwestern Christian Classic on Sept. 6-7 at Lake Hefner Golf Course in Oklahoma City
• The Stars compete in the Missouri Southern Invitational on Sept. 26-27 at Shangri-La Golf Club & Resort in Monkey Island, Okla.
• OCU pursues its 12th national title in the NAIA Championships on May 16-19 at Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz.
U.C. FERGUSON CLASSIC
At Oklahoma City
Lincoln Park Golf Course, 4001 NE Grand Blvd.
TOURNAMENT FIELD
No. 11 Oklahoma City
No. 6 Bellevue (Neb.)
No. 16 Southwestern Christian
Briar Cliff (Iowa)
Central Methodist (Mo.)
Concordia (Neb.)
Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)
Dordt (Iowa)
Kansas Wesleyan
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
Morningside (Iowa)
Northwestern (Iowa)
Science & Arts
Sterling (Kan.)
Western Texas
RECORDS
54 Holes
Individual scoring
Bruno Buccolo, Oklahoma Christian, 68-65-64–197, 2006; Sam Johnston, Oklahoma Christian, 63-69-65–197, 2012; David Meyers, 69-62-66–197, 2021; Lincoln Golf Course
Team scoring
Oklahoma City, 274-268-273–815, Lincoln Park Golf Course, 2022
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS
1972—Jim Zimmerman, Oklahoma
1973—Shelley Houston, LSU
1974—Kirk Goss, Oklahoma State
1975—Randy Simmons, Texas
1976—Lindy Miller, Oklahoma State
1977—John Stark, Houston
1978—Rafael Alarcon, Oklahoma State
1979—Mark Tinder, Oral Roberts
1980—Joe Rassett, Oral Roberts
1981—Tracy Phillips, Oklahoma State
1982—Andy Dillard, Oklahoma State
1983—Andy Dillard, Oklahoma State
1984—Cliff Pierce, Oklahoma
1985—Kevin Baldwin, Oklahoma City
1986—Brian McGreevy, Kansas
1987—Curtis Wangrud, Central Oklahoma
1988—Jason Lamb, Texas Lutheran
1989—Jason Lamb, Texas Lutheran
1990—Cam Beckman, Texas Lutheran
1991—Brian Sloan, Oklahoma City
1992—Lynn Johnson, Cameron
1993—Travis Deibert, Odessa (Texas)
1994—Corey Smith, Southwestern Oklahoma State
1995—Jeff Lamp, Texas Lutheran
1996—Jason Jeter, Cameron
1997—Nick Hughes, Oklahoma City
1998—Richard Guzzo, Oklahoma Christian
1999—Dustin Semsch, Central Oklahoma
2000—Jamie McCleary, Odessa (Texas)
2001—Yasin Ali, Austin Morris, Oklahoma City-y
2002—Diego Fernandez, Oklahoma Christian
2003—Andreas Rydholm, Oklahoma City
2004—Garrard Weston, Oklahoma City
2005—Boris Bruckert, Berry (Ga.)
2006—Bruno Buccolo, Oklahoma Christian
2007—Clay Parks, Oklahoma City
2008—Anthony Michael, Oklahoma City-x
2010 (spring)—Michael Palmer, Oklahoma City
2010 (fall)—Clark Collier, Oklahoma City
2012—Sam Johnston, Oklahoma Christian
2013—Cody Taylor, Oklahoma
2014—Anthony Marchesani, Jamie Warman, Oklahoma City-y
2015—Adam Blomme, Odessa (Texas)
2016—Matthew Cheung, Oklahoma City
2017—Rupert Kaminski, Oklahoma City
2018—David Meyers, Oklahoma City
2019—Emiel Van Geet, Southwestern Christian
2021—David Meyers, Oklahoma City
2022—Tres Hill, Oklahoma City; Mattis Lefevre, New Mexico Jr. College-y
x-won on fifth playoff hole; y-co-champions
TEAM CHAMPIONS
1972—Oklahoma State
1973—Oklahoma
1974—Oklahoma State
1975—Texas
1976—Oklahoma
1977—Houston
1978—Oklahoma State
1979—Oklahoma State
1980—Oral Roberts
1981—Oklahoma State
1982—Oklahoma State
1983—Missouri
1984—Oklahoma
1985—Kansas
1986—North Texas
1987—Iowa State
1988—Oklahoma City
1989—Texas Lutheran
1990—Texas Wesleyan
1991—Texas Lutheran
1992—Texas Lutheran
1993—Odessa (Texas)
1994—Odessa (Texas)
1995—Texas Lutheran
1996—Central Oklahoma
1997—Oklahoma City
1998—Cameron
1999—Southwestern Oklahoma State
2000—Odessa (Texas)
2001—Oklahoma City
2002—Northwood (Texas)
2003—Oklahoma City
2004—Oklahoma City
2005—Berry (Ga.)
2006—Oklahoma City-x
2007—Oklahoma City
2008—Oklahoma City
2010 (spring)—Oklahoma City
2010 (fall)—Oklahoma City
2012—Bellevue (Neb.)
2013—Wayland Baptist (Texas)
2014—Oklahoma City
2015—Oklahoma City
2016—Oklahoma City
2017—Oklahoma City
2018—Oklahoma City
2019—Oklahoma City
2021—Bellevue (Neb.)
2022—Oklahoma City
x-won on third playoff hole
