OU’s Brad Dalke is Jawing About Karsten Creek, and Austin Eckroat Has Questions

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State seemed destined for a Bedlam-themed finale at the NCAA Championship last week following the four-episode documentary series on Golf Channel which features both squads talking about the title. When they got put on the same side of the match play bracket after stroke play, that dream ended, but a Bedlam throwdown to go to the championship match was still very much alive.

OU lost to Auburn, though, and then Oklahoma State took care of the Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide consecutively for title No. 11.

As the week wrapped, there was a bit of chatter about whether a championship on a team’s home golf course was in fact fair. This is a legitimate query, one on par with, say, hosting the College Football Playoff in Tuscaloosa or the NCAA Tournament in Allen Fieldhouse. Brandt Snedeker, who shot an 80 at Karsten in the 2003 NCAAs led the rallying cry.

Congrats to #okstate on the NCAA Championship.. Kartsen Creek is a great golf course but one that pays to know where and when to be aggressive.. Beat me up to the tune of an 80 in 03 NCAA’s.. Wondered why every OK State player hit a 1 iron off every tee in practice.. cont 1/2

— Brandt Snedeker (@BrandtSnedeker) May 30, 2018

Think it’s time for a neutral site National Championship.. Golf is the only sport that’s field changes every week.. Massive advantage for home team, especially in Match Play.. So don’t compare to other sports.. Especially a course like Karsten Creek.. Wind blows and tough..

— Brandt Snedeker (@BrandtSnedeker) May 30, 2018

Comfort is the one thing all golfers want on big stages.. Great players overcome that.. But since it went to match play, the 5 guy counts just the same as the 1.. So don’t tell me a 5 guy on his home course doesn’t have an advantage over the 5 guy somewhere else..

— Brandt Snedeker (@BrandtSnedeker) May 31, 2018

I’m fine with all of this. It’s a legit talking point and one that should be discussed into the future. There are certainly built-in advantages, though, to college golf when it has the NCAAs at Karsten (which it has done three times). The narratives are pretty easy — either the Golf Channel gets what they got, a lit-up OSU crowd chasing its team to title No. 11 or it gets a massive upset from somewhere else. Both are great stories, both make for riveting television.

Anyway, what I don’t need is what happened next. Brad Dalke of OU, who shot a 1-under 287 on the week and finished T11 in the individual portion of the tournament, chimed in wondering when OU was going to host the NCAAs.

When are we getting a National Championship at @OUGolfClub?

— Brad Dalke (@DalkeKong) May 30, 2018

Then he just kept getting ratio-ed.

We were 2-2 against them in neutral sites this season. 2-0 in the spring. Would’ve been nice to get to compete somewhere not at their home course

— Brad Dalke (@DalkeKong) May 31, 2018

Haha yeah I did. It was pretty bad. Luckily my boys had my back that week??

— Brad Dalke (@DalkeKong) June 2, 2018

Then Cowboy freshman Austin Eckroat ended him.

Brad I respect you, and your game. But how do you explain your score at regionals if it has everything to do with playing on your home course?

— Austin Eckroat (@AustinEckroat) June 2, 2018

Dalke’s score at regionals, where OU won by one over BYU on OU’s home course, was a team-worst 228 that included a 75 in Round 1 and an 81 in Round 3. Not good!

So while the “let’s not play for NCAA titles on the home courses of teams who are also contending” is a valid concern, I’m not sure Dalke is the one who needs to be pumping it.

Also this … this is awesome.

Exce11ence #okstate #golfschool pic.twitter.com/cuvNTXRw8R

— Oklahoma State Golf (@OSUCowboyGolf) June 2, 2018