Carl Albert golfers play with the pros at Korn Ferry Tour event

By Jeff Harrison
mwcbeacon@yahoo.com

A pair of Carl Albert golfers played with the pros last week in the Oklahoma High School Pro-Am.

Kamryn Zuniga, a recent graduate, and Keegan Westlake, an incoming junior, both played the event that was part of the Korn Ferry Tour at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club. The Norman course hosted the Compliance Solutions Championship June 22-25.

The top placers at the Oklahoma high school state tournaments were invited to play in the pro-am event.

Zuniga helped the Carl Albert girls win their first-ever state title while placing fourth individually. Westlake tied for ninth in the Class 5A boys tournament. 

During the pro-am event, a professional golfer in the Korn Ferry Tour played with three high school players in a scramble tournament. 

“Playing in a big event like the Korn Ferry pro-am was an eye opener on how good those guys really are and how much work they put into their game every day,” Westlake said.

Zuniga played in a group with Quade Cummins, a former OU golfer, and two other golfers from Altus and Lone Grove.

“He [Cummins] was really friendly and talked about college and a few of shots,” Zuniga said. “It was a really fun experience to see a professional play.”

Westlake teamed up with Nicholas Lindheim and Duncan’s JJ Gregston, who won the Class 5A girls individual state title, and Bixby’s Luke Friedrichsen.

“I had never played Jimmie Austin before, but I thought that the course was one of the nicest in Oklahoma and played very difficult,” Westlake said.

Zuniga shot a 75 and her team finished fifth with a 14-under-par. Westlake’s team tied for 14^th at 4-under.

Both Zuniga and Westlake had their fathers caddy for them.

Westlake is staying busy this summer by playing in the First Tee Interclub tournaments. 

Zuniga is preparing to start her college career at Rogers State University in Claremore. She is nursing a knee injury but plans to compete in the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State Golf Tournament and the Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association Girls’ Junior State Championship in Broken Arrow. Both tournaments are next month.

Lindheim went on to place third in the Compliance Solutions Championship on Sunday with a 20-under-par 268. Jimmy Stanger shot a 22-under to win the tournament. Rafeal Campos was one back with a 21-under followed by Lindheim at 21-under.

The Korn Ferry Tour is a developmental tour for the PGA Tour and features professional golfers who have not yet reached the PGA Tour or failed to win enough FedEx Cup points.