Christian Heritage’s Goodman eyes a title
DEL CITY — Drew Goodman is ready to get rid of the memory.
The senior at Christian Heritage was leading by four shots after 36 holes at the 2019 Class 3A boys golf state tournament at Tulsa Country Club.
He shot an even-par 70 in the final round, and then-Oklahoma Christian School junior Jaxon Dowell fired a 4under 66 to tie Goodman.
The two future teammates at OU went to a playoff, but Goodman missed a 3-foot putt on the first hole. Dowell won his second straight individual title, and Goodman just wanted another chance.
“Not having it last year was pretty disappointing because sophomore year didn’t end exactly how I wanted it to, so I wanted to get back out there and finish the job,” Goodman said. “This is my next and last shot, so I really want to take advantage.”
Goodman will tee off Monday
morning at Buffalo Rock Golf Club in Cushing in his final high school tournament. He comes into the Class 3A state tournament as one of the favorites to win, and no one has been anticipating the moment more than Goodman.
He has won six times in nine tournaments this year, and only five golfers have beat him in the tournaments Goodman didn’t win. He has a 67.2 stroke average, which includes a blistering 10-under 61 at Lincoln West earlier this season.
Goodman, an OU signee, also fired off a 58 during a practice round at Lincoln East.
More impressive to coach Tony Merrell is how Goodman pursues perfection.
“He’s probably the most driven person I’ve coached,” Merrell said. “He always finds ways to motivate himself and go out and compete. He wants to do everything with excellence. If it’s not perfect, he’s not very happy.”
Just as impressive an attribute is Goodman’s leadership style.
Merrell said Goodman has helped elevate the play of his teammates this season, making CHA a viable title contender in Class 3A along with OCS and others. Goodman recalls a tournament at Lake Hefner when CHA topped nearly 40 teams, winning by 10 shots. He wanted to be not only a leader on the course but a vocal one, as well. He was encouraging his teammates on the range and being a motivator. His teammates responded by proving how strong the Crusaders could be.
Goodman has come to appreciate time with his teammates, whether it’s team meals or bus rides to tournaments. He has plenty of golf in front of him when he joins the Sooners men’s team next year, but there’s only one goal on his mind in his last high school tournament.
“I could not be more pumped (for state),” Goodman said. “Our team is playing really well. I feel like it’s going to be a really, really good two days, and I’m really excited for it.”