By Ken MacLeod
Brett Wilcoxen has been driving to work at South Lakes Golf Course in Jenks since – don’t tell anyone – before he really had his license. And he hopes to be doing the same for many years to come.
The aspiring PGA of America professional and graduate of both Northeastern State University and Owasso High School lives and breathes golf and is eager to follow in the footsteps of his father Brent, the long-time director of golf at South Lakes. His grandfather Steve was a superintendent at courses in Oklahoma (Ponca City Country Club, Karsten Creek) and Arkansas.
While he’s busy working the counter, teaching and studying to earn his Class A professional status, Brett will benefit from being named the winner of the 2025 Everett Dobson Award by the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame.
The Everett Dobson Award is a $5,000 cash award award that goes to help a recent graduate of an Oklahoma college or university get a start in their post-graduate career. It is named in honor of Everett Dobson, the founder of the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame and Brett will be honored at the 2025 Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame induction dinner Nov. 9 at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club.
“Brett is a fantastic kid,” said NSU coach Scott Varner. “He was a three-time Academic All-American and won almost every academic award there was to win. Team captain, a member of our student advisory committee and has a work ethic second to none. He redshirted his first year and made himself into a very good player just through his hard work.”
Owasso High School coach Corey Burd was equally complimentary about his former star player.
“With Brett, it’s really his character which leads to a great work ethic,” Burd said. “He’s just uber steady, a good student, highly competitive and sometimes he got a little passionate about how he was playing, but that always fueled him to be better.”
Brett said he began working for his dad in the pro shop at South Lakes at age 15 and has never wanted to do anything but be involved in the game he loves.
Oklahoma has a deep pool of young people who have been influenced by the wonderful game of golf,” said Maggie Roller, chair of the scholarship committee for the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame. “Growing up with a father and grandfather who were a PGA professional and a golf course superintendent, Brett Wilcoxen was immersed in the game from an early age. What he has demonstrated — his character, sportsmanship, and leadership both on and off the course — is truly impressive. We are proud to recognize him as the recipient of the 2025 Everett Dobson Award.”
“Brett is a great selection by the committee for the Everett Dobson Award,” said Tom Jones, chairman of the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame Board of Directors. “His passion for the game is obvious and he wants to give back and share his enthusiasm with all golfers and really help grow the game.”
Past Everett Dobson Award winners:
2024: Angelica Pfefferkorn, Oklahoma State University
2023: Mikaela Rindermann, Southwestern Oklahoma State, and Natallie Gough, Oklahoma City University
2022: Kaylee Petersen, Northeastern State University
2021: Kaitlin Milligan, University of Oklahoma
2020: Sydney Youngblood, University of Oklahoma
2019: Elizabeth Freeman, Oklahoma Christian University
2018: Rylee Reinerston, University of Oklahoma
2017: Drew Posada, Oklahoma Baptist University
2016: Jordan Niebrugge, Oklahoma State University
