NORMAN — Last week, Turner Howe finished 14th at the Texas-Oklahoma Junior Golf Tournament, long one of the biggest junior events in the Southwest and the nation.
While 14th may not sound like much, it’s not bad at all when you’re 16 and playing against 18-year olds and there’s 145 golfers in the field.
Tuesday brought a smaller tournament, an 18-hole South Central PGA Junior Tour event at Westwood Park.
Howe fired off a 2-under par 68 in a fairly big wind, two strokes better than both Preston Lovett and Garrett McDaniel and more strokes better than everybody else.
“It was playing harder than I thought it would. The wind was difficult,” Howe said. “I really took advantage of my length on this course.”
Howe, a sophomore-to-be at Norman High, who shot a very respectable 77-83-80 for the Tigers at the Class 6A state tournament at Karsten Creek in Stillwater, made birdie at No. 1, a par 5, and followed with birdies at Nos. 7, 15 and 16.
He hit 14 greens and suffered no three putts.
There were a few golfers at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club who may have been glad Howe wasn’t playing over there, trying to qualify for the U.S. Junior Amateur.
“I was going to do that,” Howe said, “but I didn’t sign up in time.”
So he went out and beat everybody in the one he did enter on time.
Next week, he’ll be at Brent Bruehl Memorial Golf Course in Purcell for another South Central event.
On a roll, he may be hard to beat.
Also at Westwood: Southmoore’s Taylor Peden, with an 80, won the girls 15-18 event Tuesday at Westwood, four strokes in front of Nicole Lenaburg.
Among the boys 12-14 field, Dustin Hasley won a playoff for the top prize over Logan McAllister. Both shot 75, one stroke better than Kason Cook.
In the girls 12-14 competition, ShaeBug Scarberry’s 40, over nine holes, was one stroke better than Ashton Nemecek.
Max Roberts won a playoff over Tatthew Popielec to win the boys 9-11 event. Both shot 41 over nine holes.
Addie Norton, with a 46, won the girls 9-11 nine-hole event.
Lone qualifier: Also Tuesday, at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club, Max McGreevy won the qualifer event for the U.S. Junior Amateur, nailing down the only spot available in the USGA national championship for junior male golfers that begins July 16 at The Golf Club of New England in Stratham, N.H.
He finished with a 2-under par total 142 over 36 holes at the long and demanding Sooner course.
McGreevy, an Oklahoma commit who recently claimed Class 6A medalist honors at Karsten Creek in Stillwater, will enter his senior year this fall at Edmond Santa Fe.
Clay Horning 366-3526 cfhorning@normantranscript.com
Ex-Hit Man's Past Is a Shock to Some Neighbors
Fans: Gandofini 'Put New Jersey on the Map'
Does Future of Human Race Depend on Kansas Mine?
Reining in 'Bad News' Sports Parents
James Gandolfini Dies at Age 51
Fmr. TWA Flight 800 Investigators Want New Probe
Raw: Heat, Spurs Back on Court Ahead of Game 7
Dolce and Gabbana Convicted of Tax Evasion
Paris, Prince Depositions Used in Jackson Trial
Coiffed Cattle Get Their Close-up
In Berlin, Obama Channels Cold War Activism
Police at Patriots Tight End's Home for 2nd Day
Fed Suggests Bond Purchases Could Slow
AP: DOJ Broke Own Rules Seizing Phone Records
Raw: Baby White Rhino Debuts at Australian Zoo
Time Lapse: Rebuilding Bridge Post-collapse
Ohio Woman Accuses 3 of Holding Her Captive
Hunt for Ex-Teamster Boss Hoffa's Remains Ends
