From a group of outstanding nominees, Joseph “Drew” Posada of Oklahoma Baptist University has been selected as the winner of the second Everett Dobson Award. The award goes to a graduating senior golfer at an Oklahoma college or university who best exemplifies the qualities of citizenship, sportsmanship and character along with being a successful competitor.
Posada, who began his career as a player at OBU and wound up leading the team as its coach, will be honored at the 2017 Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame Induction Dinner Oct. 1 at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. The 2017 inductees are Bob Tway, Mark Hayes, Doug Tewell, Ernie Vossler and Joe Walser Jr.
Tickets and sponsorship tables are still available for the dinner. Tickets are $150 each and reservation deadline is Sept. 16. Tickets can be purchased at www.oklahomagolfhof.org.
The award includes a $5,000 cash donation to help the recipient get started in his or her career. Jordan Niebrugge of Oklahoma State was the initial recipient in 2016.
“Each young woman and man that submitted an application were very worthy of the Everett Dobson award, but Drew caught the attention of the committee with his determination, accomplishments and aspirations,” said Lew Erickson, chairman of the scholarship and awards committee.
Posada was a four-year letter winner at OBU, making the NAIA All-Region Team in 2014 and recording a senior-season scoring average of 73.38 in 2015-16. A team captain in both his junior and senior seasons, he was named OBU’s head coach in the fall of 2016 before he had even completed his undergraduate degree.
“The coach, Bobby Canty, had stepped in when the previous coach stepped down,” Posada said. “He originally asked me to be his assistant, then just asked if I would be willing to step up and be the head coach.
“It was certainly different coaching guys I had been teammates with in the spring. I was blessed with a group of really good guys. Each player has a different personality and a different way of responding to coaching and it was interesting to see how they each responded to me and my coaching.”
Posada led OBU to two tournament titles and two other top-three finishes as the school finished a transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II. It will compete this fall in the Great American Conference and Posada, although he has future plans to pursue a Masters Degree in Divinity studies and be a missionary, is called right now to be a coach.
“I love coaching and being around golf,” he said. “I’ve been surprised by how easy the transition was to being a coach. Not that we don’t have problems and issues, but it’s been great so far.”
The Everett Dobson Award is named for the Oklahoma City businessman, philanthropist and avid golfer and champion of the game who provided the initial impetus and funding to start the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame.
Dobson, who played his collegiate golf at Southwestern Oklahoma State and is a former president of the Oklahoma Golf Association, is the co-owner of Oak Tree National, which hosted the 2014 U.S. Senior Open.
