Mahaffey takes individual crown at Drury Classic
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Oct. 4) – Owen Mahaffey fired a one-under 71 on Tuesday, winning medalist honors at the Drury University/Deerfield Inn Fall Classic. The Wichita Falls, Texas, junior entered the final round of the 36-hole event in a three-way tie for the lead, but finished one stroke ahead of Missouri Western’s Brice Garnett to win individual medalist honors for the first time since the 2004 West Texas Intercollegiate.
As a team, Coach Jerry Hrnciar’s 14th-ranked Aggies entered the final round with a six-stroke lead, but slipped to third with a final-round team score of 302. Washburn, ranked No. 17 in the latest NCAA Division II Top 25 coaches poll, and 11th-ranked Central Oklahoma tied for team honors, rallying to finish just one stroke ahead of Cameron. There was no playoff to decide the team championship on the par-72, 7,020-yard layout at Highland Springs Country Club.
"We had opportunities to hold on and win the tournament and just couldn’t get it done," Hrnciar said. "Owen played very well, obviously. But we didn’t play as well as a team today as we did in the first round."
Hrnciar said Cameron’s trouble came off the tee, where the lengthy Highland Springs layout forced players to use drivers more than usual. High rough and tight fairways combined to place a premium on accurate tee shots throughout the round.
"That was a key for Owen’s victory," Hrnciar added. "He putted consistently and kept it in the fairway. Every time he needed to hit a good shot on a tough hole, he did it."
Mahaffey finished with a 143 (-1) total for the tournament. He joined teammate Travis Lovins among the top five individual finishers. Lovins followed Monday’s 73 at Hickory Hills Country Club with another 73 on Tuesday to finish in a tie for fourth with a two-round total of 146 (+2). Cane Shumaker turned in an 81 on Tuesday to finish at 156 (+12) and Brian Adams posted a 77 to finish at 157 (+13). Chevy Ryans, who entered Tuesday’s final round just two strokes out of the individual lead, carded a throw-away 84 to finish in a tie for 38th with a 158 (+14) total.
Cameron returns to action next week, traveling to San Antonio, Texas, to participate in the St. Mary’s Rattler Invitational Oct. 10-11, at The Golf Club of Texas.
