Posted 90 years later by Don Diehl, Oklahoma Writer
SAPULPA, OKLA. Monday, Sept. 16, 2024 — Sapulpa from early on has been a golf town. In fact, as I post this story from yesteryear about our town’s most famous golfer. Earle Berryhill, the 32nd Annual John Cockrum Sapulpa Public School Foundation Golf Classic is being played at the same Oaks Country Club as in the archived sports news story.
Today’s tournament named for another legend — a living one — former Sapulpa Schools administrator John Cockrum, raises thousands of dollars each year for student scholarships and Sapulpa Public School Foundation’s Grants-to-Teachers program.
At any rate, Cockrum, 97, was born around the same time Berryhill of Sapulpa was becoming famous across the world for his golfing and other feats. The following story comes from one of many such news articles preserved in the Berryhill family scrapbook now in the possession of grandson Brian Bingman.
Bingman, the town’s former mayor, Oklahoma lawmaker [House and Senate leader], most recent Secretary of State, and current candidate for Oklahoma Corporation Commission, is a “pretty fair” golfer himself. And although lamenting not “inheriting my grandfather’s golfing skills” is on record with a 69 score on a par 71 course.
The other thing that enticed this writer to post this ‘timely’ story is that today’s Cockrum Classic is being played in 90-plus-degree temps! So especially for golfers, enjoy!
Tulsa Country Club, June 15 — In weather conditions probably without parallel in the history of the event, the finals of the state amateur gold tournament here Saturday saw Earl Berryhill, Sapulpa, defeat Paul Jackson, Oklahoma City, 7 and 6, in a lashing rainstorm.
For 12 holes, the two contestants and a spartan gallery of perhaps 800 persons, braved the driving sheets of rain which quickly converted the fairways into morasses and the greens into lakes as the final round was brought to a close.
Throughout the afternoon round, there was never a moment when the rain was not pouring down in a solid wall of water. It was raining briskly as Jackson, 5 down after the morning round, and Berryhill, tourney medalist, teed off on the closing journey.
Far From Usual Form
Starting the afternoon round 5 down, it was almost a hopeless fight for the courageous lilttle Jackson, particularly after Berryhill won the first two holes to go 7 up.
Jackson’s morning round was far short of the game of which he has proved himself capable. His 78 was a far cry from the brilliant 68 with which he eliminated Eddie Moss, Tulsa, in the quarterfinals, and a pace almost as blistering which marked his elimination of Zell Eaton, Western amateur champion, the semifinals Friday.
Paul’s whole game seemed to fall apart at disastrous periods, and with Berryhill clicking off a steady 73, only two over par, Jackson fell farther and farther behind. He was three down at the end of the first nine holes, and when his woods became wild on the closing nine of that morning swing he was hopelessly lost.
All Over at Noon, Really
When they went to luncheon with Berryhill 5 up, tournament observers conceded victory to the Sapulpa who is playing under the standard of the Tulsa Country Club.
As the players and spectators started down the fairway the storm broke in full fury, and so blinding was the rain the flight of the ball hardly could be followed. Drenched before they could seek cover, the spectators decided to see it out, and with few exceptions they sloshed around the 12 holes in the wake of the two title contenders.
Greater love hath no gallery than this, that it takes a wetting to the skin for the sake of a golf match. Both Berryhill and Jackson shot good golf considering the fact that the rain made slick the grip on their clubs, and it did little good to dry them off, so rapidly did the rain resume its work.
Water was inches deep on some of the greens, and when Referee V.T. Broaddus, president of the state association, could not find a lane for the players to putt through they used their irons and chipped over the puddles and up to the cup.
