Conner goes from worst to first for victory

Jason Conner of Oklahoma City used a finalround 80 to win the Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships’ Hogan Flight at the Dye Valley Golf Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Conner, who finished two strokes ahead of Johnny Burt of Glen Carbon, Ill., finished last in the same tournament three years ago in Palm Springs, Calif.

“I think the first round there I shot the temperature, 103,” Conner told GolfTalkCentral.

Conner said making par on Dye Valley’s No. 7 was a difference-maker. He initially thought he hit the ball in the water. When he went to find the ball, it was “resting on the plank,” Conner said. “I chipped it off the plank and made par.”

Don Clark of Shawnee led the Oklahoma Golf Association’s Mid-Amateur Championship after one round Monday at Forest Ridge in Broken Arrow. Clark finished Monday’s play with a 72, which was one stroke ahead of Jeremiah Swezey of Tulsa, Brent Taylor of Bartlesville, Blake Gibson of Yukon and Austin Hannah of Tulsa.

The final round is scheduled Tuesday.

NAIA champion Oklahoma City University owned a three-stroke lead after the first day of the U.C. Ferguson Classic at Lincoln Park. The Stars used 31 birdies to finish Monday’s round with a 549 team score. Top-ranked OCU will go into Tuesday’s round with a three-shot lead over Bellevue (Neb.); OCU’s No. 2 team in the tournament is third, six shots shy of the No. 1 group.

OCU freshman Anthony Marchesani had 11 birdies Monday and was tied with Sam Johnson of Oklahoma Christian for the individual lead. Marchesani and Johnson finished with 132 scores.

MUSTANGS BLANK OU

Southern Methodist scored twice in the first half and cruised to a 3-0 soccer victory late Sunday over Oklahoma in Dallas. Shelby Redman, Olivia Elliott and Mallory Baum scored for the Mustangs, who are just the second team this season to score more than one goal in a game. OU (4-4-2) will host Baylor at 7 p.m. Friday at John Crain Field in Norman.