Stepter wins second Ozark in three-way playoff

Thirty-six holes of golf weren’t enough to decide the 78th annual Tom Hoover Ozark Invitational Sunday evening at Westwood Hills Country Club.

Drake Stepter, defending champion Josh Rhodes and Hunter Parish were tied at six-under 136 after the 18th hole of the two-day tournament.

That forced a sudden-death playoff on the 18th hole — the first three-way playoff since 1991 — which Stepter, who is from Paducah, Kentucky, won with a birdie to capture his second Ozark in four years. He also won the tournament in 2021 and finished second in 2022.

“The course was playing tougher than usual,” Stepter said. “The greens weren’t quite as fast with all the rain, they weren’t quite as aggressive and the wind picked up there for a little bit, which made it a little bit challenging on the front. But I’m excited.”

Stepter would have been at the 2023 edition of the Ozark, but had to miss to attend a friend’s wedding.

“Trust me, I was itching to come back and play this place again,” Stepter said.

Jimmy Vernon, the Ozark director and club professional at Westwood Hills, was pleased with how the tournament turned out.

“We always get a fantastic field and this year was no exception with great players,” Vernon said Sunday evening. “Difficult conditions today made hole locations tougher. But the guys played really well. For Hunter, Drake and Josh to shoot a six-under total was fantastic. Drake just hit two really solid shots (in the playoff) to wrap it up on 18.”

Stepter entered Sunday tied with Spencer Warren for the lead at four-under 67, but Warren shot a 1-over 72 on Sunday to finish three strokes back.

Parish led after nine holes Sunday at six-under 101, two ahead of Stepter and one ahead of Rhodes, but Parish double-bogeyed the 10th hole to allow Rhodes to take a one-stroke lead. Parish and Stepter both birded the 14th hole to tie Rhodes at five-under, then Stepter birdied No. 15 to take a one-stroke lead with three holes left.

That lead held until Rhodes and Parish both birdied No. 18 to tie Stepter and force the first three-way playoff in more than three decades.

The sudden-death playoff started with the trio replaying the 18th hole, but Stepter needed just two shots to make it to the green on the par-five hole. After missing a putt for eagle, Stepter made the birdie to win the hole — and the Ozark.

So what was going through Stepter’s mind on the playoff hole?

“Don’t put my drive where I did in regulation (when Stepter parred the hole),” Stepter said. “And just give myself a look, get in the center of green and make them try to make a mistake — (and not) be the one to make a mistake.

“But really, just to make sure that I got it in the fairway and be on the green. I had the right distance, I had a good club in and hit the shot. The putt snapped a little bit more than I would have loved it … But other than that, it was pretty nice.”

Corey Choate shot a three-under 68 on Sunday to finish fourth with a five-under 137, one stroke back of the leaders, while Poplar Bluff’s Alex Wiseman shot a four-under 138 to tie Blake Driskell and Addison White for fifth. Warren, Wade Worthington, Jason White, Jeremy Tandoy and Ron Mangold all finished at three-under 139 to tie for ninth and round out the top 10.

In the senior division, Tim Holmes of Springfield shot a one-under 70 to win by one stroke over Brian Lovett of St. Louis. Five golfers — Wayne Frederick, Sean McQueary, Jeff Eiserman and Poplar Bluff natives Bobby Godwin and Brad Thielemier — shot a one-over 72 to tie for third at two strokes back. The senior division was reduced to 18 holes because of wet weather on Saturday.