January 31, 2026 Issue, Page 9 of 13

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The Elk City News By Alex Alvarez PGA TOUR: The American Express Championship in La Quinta, CA was the opening season tournament for #1 ranked player Scottie Scheffler who opened with rounds of 6364-68 (21 under par) on the three different courses and was one shot behind See Woo Kim who finished the three rounds at 22 under par. Scottie’s score on the lead or close to the lead was no surprise to anyone, but what made the news was eighteen-year old Blades Brown from Nashville, Tennessee, who also finished at 21 under par after 3 rounds. Blades had rounds of 67-60-68 for the first three rounds, TEAM Continued from page 3 NBA: STILL NOT TIRED YET OF THE SAME STATEMENT: Oklahoma City Thunder continues in first place in the Western Conference and overall in 2025-2026 season! Their current SPORTS Professional Golf however he finished with a 74 and was never close to the lead in the last round, but his future seems to be very good. Blades has full status on the Korn Ferry Tour and began making the news two years ago when he was the medalist in the U.S. Amateur at age 16, breaking a 103-year old record set by Bobby Jones who had the record for the youngest medalist at that Championship at 18 years old. Scottie finished with a 6 under par 66 for a total of 27 under par and a four-shot victory over four players: Jason Day, Ryan Gerard, Matt McCarty, and Andrew Putman, all at 23 under par. In a tie for sixth, at 22 under par were Sam Stevens and Si Woo Kim who led after 54 holes. Fiver players were at 21 under tied for 8th. Blades Brown, who three-putted the last hole trying to get to 21 under to get in the top 10, went from 13th to a tie for 18th place. Coming up is the Farmers San Diego Open. Scottie Scheffler, who began the season just like he ended last season, with a win, will next play at the Phoenix Open. DP WORLD TOUR: Former Masters champion, Patrick Reed who now plays in the LIV series, won the first Rolex Series title at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Reed shot rounds of 69-6667-72 for a 14-under par and ended four ahead of Andy Sullivan from record as of last Sunday night is 37-10 and are 5.5 games ahead of San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets, both at 31-15, and besting the Detroit Pistons who are leading the Eastern Conference with a record of 33-11. Behind the Nuggets and Spurs in the Western Conference are: Houston Rockets 27-16, Los Angeles Lakers 27-17 and Phoenix Suna and Minnesota Timberwolves at 27-19. Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons are followed by Boston Celtics, 28-17, Toronto Raptors 29-19, New York Knicks 27-18, Cleveland Cavaliers 27-20 and Philadelphia 76ers 24-20. Individually, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the scoring on the Oklaoma Thunder with 32.3 (0.967 points per minute played); England. The tournament was played at the Emirates GC, Dubai UAE. In third place was Julian Guerrier (France) at 9-under par and three players at 8 under par, Nicolai Hojgaard (Sweeden), Francesco Molinari (Italy) and Jayden Schaper (South Africa). The DP World Tour (Dubai Ports Tour), sponsored by PIF (Public Investment Fund – owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and ran by the European Tour Group, added many tournaments to what used to be the European Tour and is truly a “world tour” that for now, does not have a tournament in North America. CHAMPIONS TOUR: followed by Chad Holmgren with 18.0 points per game (0.616 ppm); Jalen Williams with 16.8 (0.567 ppm); and Ajay Mitchell with 14.1 (0.536). In the league, Luka Doncic (Los Angeles Lakers) leads Points per game with 33.4 (0.917 ppm). The Thunder is 1-2 in the last 3 games (7-3 in the last 10). Their next games in the schedule are: New Orleans (Jan-27), @ Minneso- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2026 • 9 Just like Scottie Scheffler, Stewart Cink started the 2026 season just like he ended the 2025 season, winning the tournament (Mitsubishi Electric Championship, in Hawaii). Stewart shot rounds of 66-63-64 for a 23-under par and a three-shot victory over Angel Cabrera who finished at 20 under par. Both of these two players are former major winners in the PGA Tour, with Stewart winning the 2009 Open Championship in a playoff with Tom Watson, and Angel winning the 2007 U.S. at Oakmont C.C., beating a charging Tiger Woods by one, and the 2009 Masters, which he won in a playoff against Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell. Retief Goosen was third at 18 under par, ta (Jan-29) and @ Denver (Feb-1). NHL- STANDINGS AS OF LAST MONDAY Eastern Conference: Carolina Hurricanes 69-points (32-15-5), Detroit Red Wings 69-poingts (32-16-5), Tampa Bay Lightning 68-points (32-14-4), Buffalo Sabres 63-points (29-17-5), Montreal Canadiens 63-points (28-17-7), Pittsburgh Penguins 63-points (26- with three players at 17 under: Ernie Els, Thomas Bjorn and Freddie Jacobson. KORN FERRY TOUR: Ian Holt beat the winds and came on top at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic. His rounds of 71-66-68-71 (12-under par) beat Alistair Docherty and Justin Hastings by one stroke; in fourth place was Barend Botha at 10 under par, followed by Will Gordon at nine-under par and four players at 7 under par. Blades Brown finished in a tie for 17tth at 4 under par. Sources: ESPN, PGA Tour.com, LPGA.com, AP Tennis, Personal Library, MSN Sports, On-Line media. 14-11), Boston Bruins 62-points (30-20-2), Western Conference: Colorado Avalanche 79-points (35-6-9), Minnesota Wild 68-points (29-1410), Dallas Stars 67-points (29-149), Vegas Golden knights 62-points (25-14-12), Edmonton Oilers 60-points (26-19-8), Anaheim Ducks 59-points (28-21-3). Sources: ESPN, MSN Sports, OnLine media sports. NEWS Every Rack Tells a Story! Register Today to Share Yours! Oklahoma’s big game populations, from white-tailed deer to elk, mule deer, antelope, and bear, represent one of the state’s greatest conservation success stories, and Rack Madness is where that success is put on display. This event is more than a scoring opportunity; it’s a celebration of sound, science-based wildlife management and the hunters who help make it possible. Join us at Rack Madness to showcase your harvest, connect with fellow hunters and biologists, and see how your success in the field supports the future of Oklahoma’s big game. This event is March 4 from 16:00 p.m. at ODWC headquarters at 1801 N. Lincoln Blvd. in Oklahoma City. This family-friendly event welcomes anyone to bring their deer or elk antlers, antelope horns or bear skulls for professional scoring by ODWC personnel. In addition to scoring and prizes, there will also be activities taking place throughout the day for adults and children. REGISTRATION AND REQUIREMENTS Participants should pre-register at GoOutdoorsOklahoma. Scoring will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. There is a two-item scoring limit per participant. Antlers must both be attached to the skull plate, whether mounted or unmounted. In addition to white-tailed and mule deer antlers, scoring will be available for elk antlers, antelope horns and bear skulls. Harvest must have occurred in Oklahoma. LIFETIME LICENSE GIVEAWAYS AND OTHER PRIZES When you register, you will be entered in a drawing to win a lifetime combination hunting and fishing license donated by the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation. To help recognize "hunters in the know take a doe," the Oklahoma State Game Warden Association is also giving away a lifetime combination hunting and fishing license to one lucky person who harvested a doe during the 20252026 deer season. Visit the Game Thief Trailer in the front of the building and see the game wardens to put your name in for this lifetime drawing. The winners of the lifetimes must be eligible to hold a lifetime license and will have the option to transfer the prize to someone else who is eligible. The lifetime drawings will take place at 5:45 p.m. and participants do not have to be present to win. Anyone who registers or checks in after 5:30 p.m. will not be eligible to participate in the drawing. There will also be hourly drawings for prizes during the event including items from the Go Outdoors Oklahoma shop! CAN'T MAKE IT TO RACK MADNESS? If you are unable to attend the event you can still get your rack scored. Click the Cy Curtis Scorers link to find the contact information for an official scorer near you. Oklahoma Gears Up Summer Meals in Oklahoma Oklahoma Childhood Food Security Coalition (OK CFSC) will be hosting the 2026 Oklahoma Summer Meals Regional Convenings in February and March. Interested individuals and organizations will learn more about the summer meals federal program and the many ways they can participate in the to help improve food security for children and teens. These three convenings provide an opportunity to engage organizations, school districts, and partners in your area and identify strategies to increase participation in the summer meals program. City - Summer Meals Regional Convening Western Oklahoma 10 AM - 2 PM Register here online Tuesday, February 17th: Sallisaw - Summer Meals Regional Convening Eastern Oklahoma 10 AM - 2 PM Register here online Tuesday, March 10th: Kingfisher - Summer Meals Regional Convening North-central Oklahoma 10 AM - 2 PM Register here online Thursday, February 5th: Elk Space is limited, be sure to reg- ister today! Sessions at the events will include strategies for increasing summer and afterschool meals participation, policy and advocacy tips for child nutrition programs, SNAP information, and non-congregate meal options in rural designated parts of the state. There will be time for potential and current sites or sponsors to converse with each other about running successful summer meal sites, as well as networking opportunities and general Q&A. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) child nutrition program designed to ensure that children and teens 18 and under have access to no-cost, healthy meals and snacks during the summer break. In Oklahoma, SFSP is administered by the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Questions about these events? Please reach out to Treasure. Standeford@HungerFreeOK. org or [email protected] Brought to you by: Oklahoma Childhood Food Security Coalition MERRITT Yes Finance We proudly support the students, staff and administration at Merritt Schools 1414 W. 3rd St., Elk City, OK ~ Great Plains Bank ~ First National Bank 580.225.1525 LocalLoanGroup.com Have an awesome shot to share? Email the photo to [email protected] with a description and it could be featured in an upcoming edition! Early Voting Begins Feb. 5 Early voting begins Thursday, February 5th for voters in Beckham County. Voters who will not be able to make it to the polls on Election Day, have the option of voting early at their County Election Board. Beckham County Election Board Secretary Sherron Manning, said early voting is open to all voters. "You do not need to provide an excuse to vote early. Oklahoma allows early voting for all elections conducted by the County Election Board or State Election Board-from school board and municipal elections to state and federal elections. This is a great option for those who will be out of town on Election Day or who want to avoid long lines," Manning said. Early voting is available Thursday, February 5th and Friday, February 6th from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Beckham County Activity Center (fair barn) located at 310 E. Main Street, Sayre. Manning reminds voters that early voting is not available at polling locations. Some voters may need assistance to vote because they are blind or visually disabled, physically disabled or infirmed, or illiterate. Such individuals may request to have an assistant or vote privately and independently using the ATI device attached to the voting device. Those who require assistance should talk to their precinct official or contact the County Election Board directly for instructions. For questions, please contact the Election Board at 580-928-3314 or [email protected]. This election will be for a Merritt School District Bond Issue and will only be for voters who reside in the Merritt School District. Southwest Oklahoma Community Care Outreach offers services to seniors Southwest Oklahoma Community Care Outreach offers services to seniors living in Beckham, Custer, Kiowa, Roger Mills or Washita counties. We can help you find resources available to help you age in place. Some services available are, Nutrition – Congregate/Home Delivered Meals, Transportation Services, Family Caregiver Support Program, Legal Aid Services, Health Promotion, Veterans Services, ADvantage Services (In-Home Services), Chore Services, Minor Home Repair, Eyeglasses, Dentures, Masonic Charities Foundation-Ramps, Lift Chair, Appliances. If any of these services would be helpful to you or if there are other services you are needing call Outreach at 580-234-7475 or email [email protected] We are here to help you!