Men's Golf 3/19/2024 3:20:00 PM Chris Brannick

UCO Wins Oak Tree Invitational

Bronchos Win By 11 Strokes In Nationally Stacked Field

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma won the Oak Tree Invitational in dominating fashion Tuesday afternoon, earning an 11-stroke victory over the field that featured six teams ranked in the Top 26 spots in the country.

The Bronchos snapped a streak of four consecutive runner-up finishes dating back to last October. UCO finished second, third, and third, before four-straight second-place finishes leading up to this week. It all came together Monday and Tuesday at Oak Tree East in Edmond.

"We had a slow start yesterday, but turned into a really good finish," UCO head men's golf coach Derrick Thompson said. "The guys did a good job today of not letting their standing effect their play. To start the final round in first can come with some pressure, and the team did a good job of staying focused on getting the job done."

UCO surged into the lead Monday afternoon and commanded the field all day on Tuesday. The Bronchos finished with a 303 to reach 883 for the tournament. UT Tyler finished second at 894, followed by Oklahoma Christian (898), West Texas A&M (899), and Oklahoma City (900).

Central Oklahoma was led by Jordan Wilson as the junior transfer continues to make an impact on the Bronchos. Wilson shot a 4-over-par 214 to tie for second in the individual standings. He posted rounds of 6-over 76, 5-under 65, and 3-over 73 for the tournament.

Bennett Baldwin also finished in the top 10. He earned a ninth-place individual finish with Tuesday's 6-over 76. After a 5-over-par front nine, Baldwin birdied No. 10 and played the back nine 1-over to finish with a 76. The junior from Stillwater finished tied for ninth on the individual leaderboard with a 54-hole 222 (76-70-76).

Nick Canales and Dylan Henderson tied for 19th to round out UCO's four counting scores with four Top 20 finishes. Canales shot a 15-over 225 (75-72-78) while Henderson (73-74-78) posted the same score.

Evan Griffith was also in the lineup for the Bronchos and finished T31 with an 18-over-par 228 on the week. Griffith shot 79-73-76 in each round.

Kyle Hickey and Baylor Bostick played as individuals this week and the duo was dominant. Hickey finished solo fourth with an 8-over-par 218 while Bostick tied for 14th with a 14-over 224. Hickey was steady with a 73-70-75, and Bostick was too, going 77-72-75.

Central Oklahoma remains home for Spring Break, with the Bronchos hosting their annual spring tournament next week at Rose Creek. The 54-hole event will be played this year in honor of former Central Athletic Director, Skip Wagnon, who led the men's team in addition to his role as AD. The Skip Wagnon Invitational tees off Monday, March 25 from Rose Creek with the first two rounds, and concludes Tuesday, March 26 with the third and final round.

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Players Mentioned

Bennett Baldwin: Junior

Evan Griffith: Senior

Dylan Henderson: Junior

Kyle Hickey: Senior

Baylor Bostick: 6' 4"; Freshman

Nick Canales: 5' 9"; Redshirt Freshman

Jordan Wilson: 5' 8"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Bennett Baldwin
: Junior

Evan Griffith
: Senior

Dylan Henderson
: Junior

Kyle Hickey
: Senior

Baylor Bostick
: 6' 4"; Freshman

Nick Canales
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Freshman

Jordan Wilson
: 5' 8"; Junior