Ramey wins Ozark Invitational

I'll post a link to some photos later, but here's the story and scores:

Even before Kyle Ramey's 1-stroke win Sunday at the 62nd annual Michelob Ozark Invitational, this tournament already changed his life.

A senior at Southern Mississippi, Ramey followed his first-round 68 with another at Westwood Hills Country Club to finish the two-day event at 6-under 136.

Buddy Allen finished second at 137 in his first Ozark appearance by firing a 5-under 66 Sunday.

After winning his first Ozark title, Ramey recalled his first trip here.

"That opened the door for me going to college (at Southern Mississippi)," Ramey said. "Which, if I hadn't played in this I probably wouldn't have played there."

Ramey's playing partner in 2003 was Poplar Bluff native Todd Metz, who called a former teammate that was coach at Southern Miss. and told him about a high school junior from Paducah, Ky. he met. Ramey was looking at three other schools before Metz gave his friend the heads up.

"As many times as Kyle and I have talked about this golf tournament, I'm happy he played well enough to win," said Metz, who finished four strokes back tied for fourth.

"I'm proud of him."

First-day leader Rob Long finished third at 4-under 138 while Metz was joined by fellow former Mules Ben Brumitt and Tyler Hillis at 140.

Ramey surged into the lead on the same front 9 he struggled with a day earlier then held on with a par save on 18 after hitting his approach into the sand.

"That was real big," said Ramey of his two-putt on 18. "I didn't know for sure what I had to do with that putt — if I needed it (for the win)."

He birdied the same hole on a sunny Saturday but with a dark cloud above and the final group lurking behind, Ramey's chip out of the sand rolled above the hole and stopped in the fringe, keeping it from rolling back. His long birdie attempt slid past the cup but it set up a short putt for par and the win.

"I had a feeling it was going to be a big putt," Ramey said. "I was just relieved because that's not a hole you want to bogey."

Allen, who entered the final round five shots behind the leader at even-par, was thinking birdie on the same hole earlier. A second shot from 216 yards put him in neighborhood but Allen's chip didn't get on the green and the father of three from Pevely had to settle for par.

Allen's bogey-free round featured five birdies including the par-3 third and eighth holes, the par-4 sixth and 17 and the par-5 14th. He made 24 putts and 11 greens in regulation for the best score of the second round after a five-birdie, five-bogey first round.

"I like the pace of the greens," Allen said. "I grew up on a course like this. I love this challenge."

The day started with a dozen players within five shots Long, a four-time champion who last won in 2005.

Case Cochran, a high school senior from Paducah, Ky., was a stroke back when his drive off No. 1 landed just inches off the green nearly 350 yards away. The 51-year-old Long needed a 100-yard second shot to catch up but both left the green with birdies.

Cochran's drive on No. 2 found the water on the right side but he still managed to birdie the hole thanks to an approach shot from the No. 4 fairway and took over the lead when Long carded a bogey.

Playing in the group ahead, Ramey kept pace with a birdie on No. 1 and a par save on the next hole after also finding the water to the right. He caught Cochran with a birdie on No. 5 then hit out of the sand on No. 9 and saved par.

At the turn, Ramey was a stroke ahead of Long and Cochran, who bogied No. 7, as Ramey played the front 9 2-under Sunday after a 2-over 38 start Saturday.

Ramey's tee shot on the 195-yard, par-3 10th nearly got wet, landing left of the green at the bottom of a hill.

"It was only a few feet from the hazard so it was real close," Ramey said. "It was a tough up-and-down but that really kept me in it, that four-foot (putt) for par."

It also turned out to pad his lead after both Long and Cochran bogied No. 10.

Long couldn't catch up after that with pars on his next seven holes before a birdie on 18 while Cochran played 4-over on the back 9 to finish tied for eighth at even-par 142.

Ramey extended his lead with consecutive birdies starting on No. 13, reaching 7-under for the tournament.

"He just putted it better," said Bobby Godwin, who finished tied for eighth at 142. "Look at the putts he made on 13 and 14, those were big ones.

"I just didn't putt it with confidence and Kyle did," added Godwin, who followed a 69 with a 2-over round Sunday. "He thought he was going to make it and I was just trying to not three-putt it."

With a three-shot lead on Long and two ahead of Allen, who was already the clubhouse, Ramey's tee shot on 15 ended up behind some trees to the right and his second shot ricocheted even further right leading to his only bogey of the day.

Ramey said he didn't know he was in the lead until the 16th when he asked his dad, Wayne, where he stood. After that, Ramey sank three straight par putts to hold on for his first career post-high school win.

Ramey said he struggled this spring until this past week when he finished 17th at the Conference USA Championships.

"I started to play better," he added. "My dad gave me a few tips to work on at conference and things started coming together."

Notes: Ramey finished tied for second in his last Ozark appearance in 2006 with a 1-under 141, one shot behind John Kelly, who did not defend his two-year title after turning pro. Ramey also finished fourth in '04 at 6-under 136. … Brumitt and Hillis each shot consecutive rounds of 1-under 70 to finish tied with Metz, who shot a first-round 72. … Todd Obergoenner of Cape Girardeau edged Southern Illinois teammate Blake Driskell by a stroke for seventh place. … Don Bliss was the top senior. The four-time Missouri Amateur champion from St. Louis shot even-par 71s. … There were 13 rounds under par Saturday and eight on Sunday, which was windy and cooler.

SCORES

62nd ANNUAL MICHELOB OZARK INVITATIONAL

Westwood Hills County Club; 6,248 yards, Par 71 (142).

Kyle Ramey, Paducah, Ky.    68-68 — 136

Buddy Allen, Pevely    71-66 — 137

Rob Long, Clarksville, Tenn.    66-72 — 138

Todd Metz, Hattiesburg, Miss.    72-68 — 140

Ben Brumitt, Poplar Bluff    70-70 — 140

Tyler Hillis, Poplar Bluff    70-70 — 140

Todd Obergoenner,Cape Girardeau    70-71 — 141

Blake Driskell, Cape Girardeau    72-70 — 142

Don Bliss, Chesterfield    71-71 — 142

Bobby Godwin, Poplar Bluff    69-73 — 142

Case Cochran, Paducah, Ky.    67-75 — 142

Brian Kennedy, St. Louis    72-71 — 143

Darren Lundgren, Grover    71-72 — 143

Ted Moloney, St. Louis    71-72 — 143

Brad Nipper, Springfield    71-72 — 143

Jeff Johnson, Ballwin    70-73 — 143

Travis Mitchell, Springfield    71-73 — 144

Ben Godwin, Poplar Bluff    70-74 — 144

Doug Kreitner, East Alton, Ill.    68-76 — 144

Scott Thomas, St. Louis    68-77 — 145

Steve Groom, Raytown    74-72 — 146

Randy Apgar, Kansas City    74-72 — 146

Wayne Fredrick, Springfield    73-73 — 146

Darrel Huisinga, Fenton    73-73 — 146

Janszen Ringo, Osage Beach    71-75 — 146

Matthew Hines, Eureka    70-76 — 146

Ron Mangold, Pocahontas, Ark.    75-72 — 147

Mike Carroll, Saddlebrooke    75-72 — 147

David Lucks, Kirkwood    74-73 — 147

Chris Dale, Crestwood    73-74 — 147

John Shock, Poplar Bluff    73-74 — 147

Andy Smith, Gladstone    73-74 — 147

Shane Burkett, Jay, Fla.    72-74 — 147

Brian Haskell, St. Joseph    70-77 — 147

Jimmy Vernon, Poplar Bluff    75-73 — 148

Bob Englehart, Jackson    76-73 — 149

Chad Niezing, Manchester    76-73 — 149

Derek Rahlmann, Poplar Bluff    71-78 — 149

Jeff Chandler, Kenton, Tenn.    71-78 — 149

Jon Key, Burlington, Ky.    80-70 — 150

Jamie Hathcock, Springfield    77-73 — 150

Chuck Greene, Springfield    76-74 — 150

Chris Love, Poplar Bluff    75-75 — 150

Brett McCauley, Fulton    73-77 — 150

Scott McClellan, O’Fallon    79-72 — 151

Justin Bliss, Chesterfield    75-76 — 151

Tom Barry, St. Louis    74-77 — 151

Karl Elbrecht, St. Louis    74-77 — 151

Trent Twaddle, Maryville    73-78 — 151

Jarred Green, Silva    72-79 — 151

Logan MacDonald, Poplar Bluff    78-74 — 152

Luke Chailland, Doniphan    76-76 — 152

Scott Edwards, St. Louis    75-77 — 152

Ken Ozbun, Malden    75-77 — 152

Tim Holmes, Springfield    80-73 — 153

Brandon Lee, Poplar Bluff    78-75 — 153

Steve Roberts, Desloge    75-78 — 153

Bill Wynn, Nixa    84-70 — 154

David Johnson, Kirkwood    81-73 — 154

David Archibald, St. Charles          79-75 — 154

Jerrod Murphy, Poplar Bluff    78-76 — 154

Pete Godwin, Omaha, Neb.    78-76 — 154

Tyler Stalker, Springfield    76-78 — 154

Ryan Chandler, Kenton, Tenn.    80-75 — 155

Billy Pyland, Poplar Bluff    79-76 — 155

Ben Cantrell, Cape Girardeau    78-77 — 155

Roger Null, Wentzville    78-77 — 155

Joe Behl, St. Louis    76-79 — 155

Gerald Siemons, Jefferson City    74-81 — 155

Drew Carlson, Mission Hills, Kan.    81-75 — 156

Michael Unger, Columbia    80-76 — 156

Don Johnson, Nixa    77-79 — 156

Steve Carlson, Mission Hills, Kan.    80-77 — 157

Clay Brandenburgh, Bolivar    78-79 — 157

Steve Arndt, Sikeston    77-80 — 157

Robert Meeh, St. Louis    76-81 — 157

Bryan Johnson, Cape Girardeau    76-81 — 157

Mark Moore, Paducah, Ky.     75-82 — 157

Schooner Fitzgerald, Cahokia, Ill.    81-77 — 158

Mike Ivie, Poplar Bluff    81-77 — 158

Justin Gosa, Sikeston    80-78 — 158

John Kueper, Carlyle, Ill.    79-79 — 158

Bill “Bedo” Jett, Maumelle, Ark.    77-81 — 158

Rob Haik, Nixa    77-81 — 158

Sammy Gonzales, Poplar Bluff    76-82 — 158

Walter Powell, Springfield    80-79 — 159

Robert Trittler, Wentzville    80-79 — 159

Chase Johnston, Columbia    77-82 — 159

John Bailey, Hermitage, Tenn.    80-80 — 160

Jeff Long, Clarksville, Tenn.    80-80 — 160

Russell Brightman, St. Louis    81-80 — 161

Mike Vose, Gravois Mills    79-82 — 161

Troy Bell, Poplar Bluff    82-80 — 162

Steve Shock, Poplar Bluff    81-81 — 162

Michael Hartman, St. Louis    79-83 — 162

Ron Brewer, Leawood, Kan.    81-82 — 163

Steve Duke, Dexter    80-83 — 163

Brent Mertz, Kansas City    80-84 — 164

Vincent LoPiccolo, Creve Coeur    83-82 — 165

Terry Souchek, Columbia, Ill.    82-84 — 166

Scott Whittaker, Springfield    81-85 — 166

Charles Adams, Newburg    88-79 — 167

David Hohler, Cape Girardeau    86-81 — 167

Jason Waddell, Poplar Bluff    84-84 — 168

Alex Vahldick, Kansas City, Mo.     80-88 — 168

Tim Horne, Piedmont    90-79 — 169

Thomas Rainwater, Bloomfield    86-83 — 169

Rocky Walther, St. Louis    81-89 — 170

Shad McCue, Springfield    89-84 — 173

Don Glass, Poplar Bluff    88-85 — 173

Mike Sissum, Dudley    91-84 — 175

Mike Morriss, Waynesville    90-86 — 176

Mike Mueller, St. Louis    89-87 — 176

Richard King, Poplar Bluff    88-88 — 176

Tony Markham, Piedmont    90-87 — 177

Chad McCoy, Poplar Bluff    88-93 — 181

Jarrod Williams, O’Fallon    92-92 — 184

Jay Oden Thompson, Cahokia, Ill.    105-93 — 198

Cory Carver, Desloge    88-DQ — DQ

Bill Staples, St. Louis    No card