OKLAHOMA COURSE SPOTLIGHT

LDA championship, nine-hole addition at busy resort

by ken macleod cluding live coverage on The Channel ers are in the field. from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20, In all, four champions will be crowned he exciting times continue at Win- and the finals on Wednesday, Oct. 21. -- open men and ladies, senior men’s (45- Star in Thackerville. WinStar is building a grid that stretches plus), and super senior men’s (50-plus). T When a resort has near 100-per- to 455 yards. The match-play format for the open cent occupancy in the world’s largest “We hosted one of the regionals earlier division will run from the second round casino, it provides the opportunity to do and there was a guy that hit it 402 yards of qualifying (round of 64) through the some things that most courses find beyond with no roll,” Ferguson said. “We’ve got to championship final. For the first time, Golf their means, and the folks at WinStar are get it out to 455 yards just to accommodate Channel will carry live coverage of the taking full advantage. these guys. It’s amazing how far they hit it.” final two nights in prime time. A new nine holes is under construction The resort is offering stay and play pack- and scheduled to open in 2016, which will ages that include prime tickets to the LDA give the resort 36 holes, all designed by Championship, but viewing is also free to D.A. Weibring and Steve Wolfard of Dallas. the public. This nine is on land east and north of the Being on the will help ex- existing 27 with some interesting terrain, pose WinStar and all it offers to a national including more trees and elevation changes audience. Those offerings include one of than on some of the existing holes. the most sophisticated and technology rich “The 17th hole will be a gorgeous -3 golf academies in the country. that goes back to 227 yards,” said Michael “We want to continue to prosper and Ferguson, who oversees the golf operations grow and one of the first steps is to get our and the WinStar Golf Academy. “The 18th brand known to the world,” Ferguson said. will be a 465-yard finishing hole. This “The Golf Channel now owns the LDA and nine will be a challenge from the back this is a great opportunity for us to gain a and help allow us to host an event of tremendous amount of exposure.” talented players, such as a Web.com Tour or Jeff Flagg, a 29-year-old former New similar.” York Mets minor league and Mississippi While the course is being sprigged and State first baseman, captured the 2014 sodded with anticipation of a summer World Long Championship title opening in 2016, the big news this fall is over Jeff Crittenden, the arrival of the longest ball mashers in 43. When both competitors hit drives that the world. measured 365 yards, Flagg’s 13 extra inches The World Long Drive Championships proved to be the shortest winning margin are taking place Oct. 14-21 at WinStar, in- in WLD Championship history. Both golf- Defending champ Jeff Flagg will compete.

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