Oklahoma PGA Championship Winners

By Letty Stapp Watt

"Oklahoma Professional Golf Association Championship"  began in 1924. I located this record of players in The Story of Golf in Oklahoma by Del Lemon.  I thought it important enough to research the winners since the beginnings of this tournament were hosted by the Rockdale Country club and the Miami Country Club.

Sand Greens in Chickasha Ok. 1931

Until 1938 the greens at the Miami Country club were sand greens, but I do not know of the conditions at other courses. Miami, like many other courses, was only nine holes. This tournament format was a two day medal play tournament (although match play may have been an option or another event). The first day of play the pros played with local amateurs in what is called a pro-am. Money and prizes were awarded to the winners of the pro-am and the medal play winners. This tournament appears to have been 36 holes on day one and 36 holes on day two. 

1924   Ed Dudley                                     location unknown         

1925  William Creavy                              location unknown

1926  Jack Guild, pro from Tulsa            MUSKOGEE COUNTRY CLUB

1927  Jimmy Gullane                               location unknown

1928  Jimmy Gullane                               ROCKDALE COUNTRY CLUB, Miami

          (Gullane became pro at Hillcrest in Bartlesville when he won the Oklahoma Open in 1932-33. Gullane went on to win the South Central PGA section championship three times.) 

1929  Clarence Clark                              ROCKDALE COUNTRY CLUB, Miami
           Runner-up Jack Guild

1930  Clarence Clark                               ROCKDALE COUNTRY CLUB, Miami

          Runner-up Jack Guild

          (Clark was the winner of seven PGA events plus the 1930 Oklahoma Open. This pro from Tulsa's old McFarlin Golf club won the 193 Texas Open and had a top-ten finish in the 1936 US Open at Baltusrol. Clark won back-to-back South Central PGA Championships in 1929-30.)

1931  Bob Higgins, local pro                    OKMULGEE COUNTRY CLUB 

          (Bob HIggins of Okmulgee CC, also won the South Central PGA Championship in 1931-32)  

1932 Howard Frank, pro Rockcliffe CC in Ponca City, or Bob Higgins (info not clear)

                                                                 CONOCO COUNTRY CLUB  

1933  Jimmy Gullane   (33.8.6)                location unknown

1934  George Whitehead, pro Indian Hills CC    location unknown

1935  Francis Scheider                             OKLAHOMA CITY GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB

          (Scheider won the South Central PGA in 1935.)

1936  George Whitehead, pro Indian Hills CC    location unknown

           (George Whitehead, long hitting pro at Tulsa's Indian Hills CC won the 1942 Oklahoma Open at Oakhurst CC in Tulsa. At that time he was the reigning Tulsa PGA District Champion,the State PGA match play champion, and won four South Central PGA Championships between 1934-1945) *The Story of Golf in Oklahoma, p.346

1937 Floyd Farley                                    location unknown 

1938 Eddy Standard, Okc Country Club pro,     MUSKOGEE GOLF COURSE

         (Standard won the South Central PGA Championship in 1938.)

1939  Buddy Poteet                                            MIAMI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

Buddy Poteet professional golfer from Tulsa's Northridge golf course (1941.5.18 Miami Daily News Record)

 

          (Poteet won the 1941 Oklahoma Open and the South Central PGA Championship in 1939.) 

Floyd Farley, PGA of Oklahoma

 

1940  Floyd Farley                                            MIAMI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

         (Farley became the most prolific golf course architect in Oklahoma history. He won the South Central PGA Championship in 1937 and 1942.)  or Frank Higgins (D.Lemon) 

1941 Charley Weisner, Muskogee                    MIAMI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB                                Runner-up Jimmy Gullane of Bartlesville

        or George Whitehead (Del Lemon)

1942  Floyd Farley                                            MIAMI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

1943  No tournament

1944  William Oliver

1945  Tex Consolver, Wichita pro                    MIAMI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

1946  Jimmy Gauntt, Okc                                MIAMI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

           (Gauntt was one of only two five-time winners of the South Central PGA Championship, Rob Ralston of Arkansas was the other. Guantt is the only person to have won the Oklahoma Open five times, including three years straight 1954,55,56. A native of Ardmore, a former caddie at Dornick Hills, and long time pro at Twin Hills, Gauntt also won three consecutive Texas PGA Championships (1942,43,44).)

1947  Jimmy Gauntt, Okc                                unknown

1948 Morrie Gravatt, Tulsa pro                    ? PONCA  CITY COUNTRY CLUB

         (Gravatt won the South Central PGA Championship in 1948.)

1949  Jimmy  Gauntt, Okc                              PONCA CITY COUNTRY CLUB

1950  Jimmy Gauntt

1951 Ted Gwin

1952  Dick Mertz

1953  E.J. "Dutch" Harrison

1954  Labron Harris, Sr.                                PONCA CITY COUNTRY CLUB

1955  Jimmie Gauntt                                     TULSA INDIAN HILLS

1956 Jimmie Gauntt

 Headlines Read: 33RD ANNUAL OKLAHOMA SECTION PGA TOURNAMENT to be held at PONCA CITY COUNTRY CLUB

1957 Buster Cupit

1958 Ted Gwin

1959 Buster Cupid

1960 Buster Cupid

1961 Pete Fleming

1962 Francis "Bo" Wininger

1963 Francis "Bo" Wininger

1964 Chris Gers

1965 Charles Rotar

1966 Ernie Vossler

1967 Larry Fryer

1968 George McKeown

1969 Richard Crawford

1970 Jerry Abbott

1971 Richard Crawford

1972 David Lee

1973 Art Proctor (from Kickingbird GC)

1974 Dick Goetz

1975 Labron Harris, Jr. (Stillwater) 

1976 Jimmie Bullard

1977 Jerry Jones

1978 Doug Tewell

1979 Bob Ralston

1980 Chris Cole

1981 Dick Goetz

1982 Bob Ralston

1983 Art Proctor (Kickingbird GC)

1984 Don Maddox

1985 Bob Ralston

1986 Steve Ball

1987 Jim Woodward

1988 Andy Schaben (Earlywine GC)

1989 Bob Ralston

1990 Art Romero

1991 Dave Bryon

1992 Jeff Combe

1993 Glen Day

1994 Tim Fleming

1995 Rod Nuckolls

1996 Bob Ralston

1997 Jim Woodward

1998 Craig Walker

1999 Tim Fleming

I will continue to update this list as I read connections to the Miami Golf and Country club. 

*Please refer to the Oklahoma PGA for more information.

**The Story of Golf in Oklahoma by Del Lemon is my source for the golf titles from 1949 to the present. All other information came from the articles I found in the Miami Daily News Record, or the Miami News Record.

**This is the link to the Chickasha Golf course in 1931 article. Sand Greens