Battle of the champs: Niezing edges out Godwin to capture Ozark Shootout

Defending golf champions went head-to-head at the last hole in the 37th annual Ozark Shootout.

2022 Tom Hoover Ozark Invitational winner Chad Niezing outlasted nine other competitors to capture his third shootout championship, sponsored by Michelob Ultra.

The shootout has come to be something of a preview for the Ozark Invitational itself over the years, and both are held at Westwood Hills Country Club.

“It’s always fun to compete in the shootout,” Niezing said. “This event is very unique and has a different format, but it’s always fun. It feels pretty good to win my third, but It helps to have some experience. There are always some nerves, but after a few holes and you calm down a bit, it’s all about survival mode.”

After surviving seven holes and a few chip-off matchups, Niezing went up against some tough competition at the final hole to snag the win.

Poplar Bluff had two other players finish in the top three of the shootout.

Last year’s senior division champion Bobby Godwin, who won the Ozark championship in 1989, took second, while Tyler Norton, who tied for fourth at last year’s Ozark, finished third in the shootout.

Godwin steps into the Ozark with the chance to win his third senior title, but said he enjoyed getting a solid warmup for the tournament.

“These younger guys hit the ball much further, and they made it a little challenging for me today,” Godwin said. “I’m not sure how many more chances I have at the shootout, but I really enjoyed myself. I didn’t finish like I wanted at the last hole, but Chad is a great guy.”

The crowd zeroed in as both golfers made their walk to the last hole of the day.

Niezing said it was cool to have both defending champs in the shootout final. It said a lot about how great the tournament is and how competitive everyone is when they get here.

“I love Bobby because he’s a great person and player,” Niezing said. “He’s gotten quite the resume and won so much. Having the senior and regular champ from last year play down to the last hole was cool, so hopefully, everybody enjoyed watching that.”

Niezing said he used the shootout to get some of the pressure off before the tournament and to get familiar with the course and conditions. He wanted to get a jump start on the competition, but was happy to walk away with the title. He will use this win as a positive for the rest of the tournament.

“I’m feeling good about this weekend, and I’ve been playing pretty well,” Niezing said. “This is always a good tournament, and there are always some great players. Westwood has a pretty strong field, so it’s certainly not an easy golf tournament to win. But, pulling from my past wins and winning the shootout definitely helps me prepare for the championships.”

As for Godwin, he plans to rely on how he performed in the past to come out on top.

“You got to make some putts and keep it in the fairway,” he said “I let a few slide over today, but the main thing is just to recover. If I play correctly, I should have a good chance.”