Golf: Gibson leads Fayetteville to Red'Dog Invitational title

NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. WAMPLER Jackson Marseilles of Harrison makes a chip shot on hole four Wednesday in the Springdale Bulldog Invitational at the Springdale Country Club.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. WAMPLER Jackson Marseilles of Harrison makes a chip shot on hole four Wednesday in the Springdale Bulldog Invitational at the Springdale Country Club.

SPRINGDALE -- Golfers came to Springdale Country Club expecting to play an 18-hole tournament at the Chambers Bank Red'Dog Invitational on Wednesday before late morning showers trimmed the event down to nine holes.

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NWA Democrat-Gazette

John Gibson of Fayetteville watches his tee shot on hole four Wednesday in the Springdale Bulldog Invitational at the Springdale Country Club.

Fayetteville senior John Gibson wasn't fazed, though, when extra holes were needed to determine both a team and individual champion of the annual early season tournament.

Chambers Bank Red’Dog Invitational

At Springdale Country Club

Team Results

Fayetteville^151 (won in playoff)

Harrison^151

Rogers High^161

Bentonville^162

Greenwood^164

Springdale Har-Ber^177

Van Buren^180

Siloam Springs^188

Rogers Heritage^191

Individual Results

John Gibson, Fayetteville^35 (won playoff)

Jackson Marseilles, Harrison^35

Chase Rogers, Rogers High^35

Denver Davis, Fayetteville^38

Gatlin Edwards, Harrison^38

August Reynolds, Harrison^38

Andrew Elsass, Fayetteville^39

Noah Lopez, Fayetteville^39

Nate Morey, Bentonville^39

Will Remerscheid, Bentonville^39

Logan Bradley, Springdale Har-Ber^40

Trevor Brunson, Rogers High^40

Logan Greer, Harrison^40

Landon Jackson, Harrison^40

Evan Griffith, Greenwood^40

Nathan Munday, Greenwood^40

Cody Beyer, Siloam Springs^41

Joe Hamby, Van Buren^41

Jonathan Sanchez, Bentonville^41

Houston Sowell, Greenwood^41

Jacob Winkel, Rogers Heritage^41

Jackson Cole, Fayetteville^42

Drake Henry, Rogers High^42

Kade Keith, Springdale Har-Ber^42

Ryan Reagan, Greenwood^43

Noah Pracht, Bentonville^43

Payton Wahman, Van Buren^43

Nicholas Chamberlin, Rogers High^44

Ryan Giesen, Rogers Heritage^44

Bryce Lee, Bentonville^44

Issac Hannon, Springdale Har-Ber^47

Cole Matthews, Van Buren^47

Hunter McNeel, Springdale Har-Ber^48

Aaron Jones, Siloam Springs^48

Payton Steel, Van Buren^49

Noah Karp, Siloam Springs^49

Chase Beyer, Siloam Springs^50

Josh Johnson, Siloam Springs^50

Michael Justis, Springdale High^50

David McDonald, Springdale High^50

Bret Plunkett, Van Buren^51

Dylan O’Brien, Rogers Heritage^52

Matt Cochran, Rogers Heritage^54

Logan Rumsey, Rogers Heritage^55

Wyatt Blevins, Greenwood^57

Gibson shot a 1-under par 35 on the front nine, matching Jackson Marseilles of Harrison and Chase Rogers of Rogers High for low score in regulation. With Fayetteville and Harrison tied at 151 in the four-player team total, coaches selected two players from each team to enter into a playoff.

Gibson and freshman Denver Davis, who shot a 38 in his round, took to the playoff for Fayetteville. On the final playoff hole, after Davis scrambled to save par, Gibson found himself facing a long 30-foot birdie putt.

A two-putt might have been good enough, but for good measure, Gibson drained the long putt to secure the victory for the Purple'Dogs.

"I figured if I got the putt started it would take it all the way down," Gibson said. "I wasn't trying to make it, and I figured two pars there would have a chance to win it and it just happened to go in.

"But for me, winning for the team was main thing for me. I was definitely focused on winning the team tournament."

Gibson's work wasn't done even after the long putt. As soon as he helped finish off the Fayetteville team victory, he went right back on the course for a second playoff against Marseilles and Rogers to determine the individual medalist winner. Rogers was eliminated on the first hole before Gibson once again finished off another title, claiming medalist honors with a one-stroke edge over Marseilles on the final playoff hole.

"That shows a lot," Fayetteville coach Scott Williams said. "John has worked very hard this summer, and to come out here against this tough competition and do what he did, it shows the rest of our guys that they better be ready to play."

Harrison had won the previous three Red'Dog Invitationals before Wednesday.

"We talk about it a lot," Williams said. "When you talk about the top programs around, you talk about Jonesboro and Harrison, and we want to be in that group. Even though we've won back-to-back at state, Harrison has beaten us here the last few times. So this is big."

Sports on 08/06/2015

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