Austin Eckroat had a good reason for postponing his induction Saturday into the Edmond Junior Golf Hall of Fame. The former two-time Class 6A state champion from Edmond North was in the process of winning the Worldwide Technology Championship for his second PGA Tour victory of 2024.

That’s how stout the membership is in this unique golf town and equally unique hall of fame, perhaps the only junior golf hall of fame that exists in the country.

At least that’s the belief of master of ceremonies Mike McGraw, the current Baylor coach who is a towering figure in the history of junior golf in Edmond from his days running the junior program at KickingBird Golf Course to his ultra successful coaching career at Edmond High School.

“I don’t know of any other junior golf hall of fame out there,” McGraw said. “The board does a great job with this.”

Three planned inductees for 2024 could not make to the dinner Saturday night in the new event center at KickingBird, which also now is the permanent home to the hall with pictures of all inductees lining the walls. Eckroat, Taylor Moore, who was competing in the same event, and Brock Polhill, who was in Japan on his honeymoon. Those three will be inducted at a later time.

It was still an exceedingly strong class of inductees and a very emotional and moving night.

Austen Fuller, who graduated from Edmond North in 2011, is the son of long-time Oklahoma PGA professional Mark Fuller, who passed away from cancer in October of 2021 and spoke movingly about their relationship. Cancer survivor Sam Humphreys, an Edmond North stalwart from 2011-2014, recently lost his mother Beverly to cancer and the current radio host on WWLS and of the 73^rd Hole golf podcast spoke eloquently about her influence on his career.

The other inductees for this 13^th class were Connor Wilson, Edmond North class of 2018; Olivia Schmidt, Biship McGuinness class of 2018; Jordan Cook, Edmond Memorial Class of 2006; Zac Schaefer, Oklahoma Christian class of 2014; and Jaxon Dowell, Oklahoma Christian class of 2020. It capped a great week for OU senior Dowell, who also won as a collegian for the first time by capturing the Ka’anapali Classic in Hawaii, also being named SEC Golfer of the Week.

Also honored was the 1995 Edmond North state championship team. That team won 10 of 11 tournaments by an average of 13 shots and sent five players on to collegiate golf teams. It captured the state championship by six shots over Jenks at Muskogee Country Club.

Craig Benjamin, who has devoted 25 years, the past 22 as president, volunteering for the Bill Nicklaus Junior Golf Foundation, was given the Bill Nicklaus Award. Nicklaus was a long-time volunteer working with junior golfers in Edmond and his legacy is honored with each class.

Steve Steele, the president of the hall’s board of directors, was inspired by inductee Schmidt’s remark that the people you meet in golf are the greatest treasure and used his opening remarks to go down memory lane with some of his favorite memories including encounters with Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and others.

McGraw told the story of Robin Orendorff, the brave young golfer who was born with permanent kidney failure, never gave up her dream of playing and never complained before passing away at age14. She was inducted into the first class in 1995. This is the 13^th class to be inducted.

For health reasons, Morri Rose, the founder of the Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour and a man who has had a profound impact on the lives of many of the inductees, was unable to attend. But he delivered hand written notes to be given to all the inductees in advance of the ceremony and he was mentioned frequently throughout the evening.

– Ken MacLeod