HOT SPRINGS — Creating a new tournament is about the only way Russellville’s Julie Oxendine can win a tournament for the first time anymore.
“Pretty much, at least inside Arkansas,” said Oxendine, already a nine-time state champion.
She added to that total Wednesday with a threestroke victory in the inaugural Arkansas State Golf Association Women’s Stroke Play Championship at Hot Springs Country Club’s Park Course.
Oxendine has won the Arkansas Women’s Golf Association’s Stroke Play Championship three times and the match play championship six times. She’s also won numerous other tournaments throughout the state.
“It feels good because I’m not as young as I used to be and the chances of winning this many more years to come probably aren’t that great, especially with these great, young golfers that we have in this state,” said Oxendine, 41. “I think that was a little added pressure on me today. I really wanted to be the first winner of the ASGA Women’s Stroke Play tournament.”
Oxendine shot a 3-overpar 219 over three days to hold off Hot Springs’ Taylor Fisher, who shot 6-over 222. Lake Village’s Megan Vaughn (UALR) was third at 12 over.
“The first two days, everything clicked,” Oxendine said. “My tempo was good and I hit the ball well. I just was never in trouble and never really out of the fairway. On the front nine today, I hit two fairways. The first two days it was easy and today it wasn’t as easy.”
Oxendine had a four-stroke lead going to the 18th hole Wednesday, where she made bogey.
“It was one of those where you try not to let anything bad happen and just limp on in,” she said. “It was a relief to finish.”
Oxendine won’t play next week when the AWGA holds its 28th annual Stroke Play Championship at The Course at Eagle Mountain in Batesville.
Oxendine said being awayfrom home three days this week has more to do with her not playing next week, but that the ASGA’s foray into women’s golf will provide some competition for the AWGA.
“In the past, the ASGA has done stuff for juniors and men, but they’re out there now for the women,” Oxendine said. “Our state’s not that big and we need an organization that takes care of women.”
There were only five players in the championship division of this year’s ASGA Women’s Stroke Play.
“We want people to realize that this is a tournament for all types of golfers,” Oxendine said. “We want this to become a tournament that people look forward to every summer.”
Sports, Pages 23 on 07/22/2010