Watonga Golf Team Tees Off

WATONGA – Basketball season recently came to an end for the Watonga Eagles, but that doesn’t mean Coach Brandon Gallagher is done with athletics for the year. On Monday, Gallagher took a small group of high school girls to their first tournament in Enid, the debut match for the brand-new Watonga golf team.

With Roman Nose nearby and a driving range to practice on, Watonga has long been a golf destination. But while individual golfers have competed in the past, this year the new Watonga administration decided to form a formal squad when Gallagher joined the Eagles from Cordell, where he'd also coached golf.

Gallagher even coached a state champion for the Blue Devils, he said.

“That was something that (Superintendent Kyle) Hilterbran was wanting to bring in whenever he came,” Gallagher said, “just to give some opportunities for some kids that maybe wouldn’t be doing something else. Just give them another offering.”

This Watonga Eagles team might not produce a state champion, as some players are fairly new and playing 18 holes for the first time. Still, Gallagher commends the girls for pioneering the program and trying something new.

Gallagher said Kaylee Roberts shot a 118 at Meadowlake on Monday, while Mason Estep shot a 124 and Calista Riley shot 126.

“I was really proud of them,” Gallagher said. “Playing tournament golf is way different than just going out and playing golf. You’ve got to play by the rules, you have to putt everything out. For all of them, that was their very first tournament. We had a lot of fun.”

In addition to the high school girls, there are several middle school boys and girls in the program, Gallagher said.

“I think our numbers will get bigger every year. I think this is something that, once everybody sees it’s not so bad, and you don’t have to be Tiger Woods to go out there, I think it’ll be something that could really take off.”

The high school team will play again in Clinton on April 12.