<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=31zpow_1ErPw0fl00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=31zpow_1ErPw0fl00" width="1014" height="720" ><figcaption>1/9 Jack Tieman, left, and Connor Calahan chat prior to their match in the 97th Southern Oregon Golf Championships on Thursday. (Kris Henry/Rogue Valley Times)</figcaption></figure>Half of the men’s championship wins come from lower seeds at Rogue Valley Country ClubFor all the concerns that a steady week of rain brought on here in Medford, the opening rounds of the 97th annual Southern Oregon Golf Championships went off without a hitch Thursday at Rogue Valley Country Club.Unless, of course, you considered the seedings for the tournament being an end-all toward who might advance toward Monday’s championship rounds.All but one of the reigning SOGC champions in the field opened with victories during Thursday’s match play openers, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t quite a shakeup in several divisions — especially the men’s championship where the top-two seeds were each upset on Day 1.Jack Tieman and Braydon Bean earned the final two draws into the 32-player men’s championship field, but each proved they were up for the challenge to cause a ripple in the bracket with 1-up triumphs on the first day that didn’t bring rain this week.Tieman and Bean each qualified by shooting a 7-over-par 79, then dialed it up with the spotlight on them Thursday to stun medalist Connor Calahan and SOGC veteran Joey Walker, respectively.Calahan, a junior golfer at SOU, set the standard with a 4 under in his qualifying round, and was coming off a runner-up showing this past weekend at the Rogue Valley Stroke Play Championships at Centennial Golf Club.Walker joined Ricky Reisner in each qualifying at 2 under for the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds, respectively, in the bracketing.In all, eight of the 16 men’s championship matches Thursday were won by the lower seed, although this year’s tournament offered trying conditions for those who qualified Tuesday and Wednesday that likely skewed their true capabilities.Case in point, Oliver Ausland of Grants Pass reached the SOGC quarterfinals last year as the No. 5 seed and was in contention for the City Championships title this year before qualifying as the SOGC’s No. 27 seed with a 78.Ausland, who had rounds of 66 and 70 in the RVSPC, scored a 6-and-5 decision over No. 6 seed Jared Plumb on Thursday to further a narrative that saw Edward Smith (No. 23), John Keyser (No. 21), Cooper Anderson (No. 20), Joshua Becks (No. 18) and Kristopher Kaufman (No. 17) outlast their higher-seeded opponents.With the spate of upsets and last year’s men’s champion Cayson VanBeekum not returning, the role of tournament favorite likely turns toward former champions Jimmy White and Ethan DeVore, 2025 runner-up Michael Leonard and last year’s RVSPC champion Ricky Reisner.DeVore, a repeat champion in 2022 and 2023 from Eagle Point, survived the biggest challenge of that group in the opening round when he won on the 20th hole over 25th-seeded Garrett Doolen.Due to the steady rain this week, players operated under lift, clean and replace directives Thursday — getting free relief with a drop for any embedded ball — and that likely will continue to play out with rain forecasted Friday, Sunday and Monday in Medford.The only reigning champion to be bounced from the top-tier bracket Thursday was Bryan White in the junior-senior men’s championship flight after 32nd-seeded Robert Butler won 4 and 3. Six of the 16 junior-senior openers were won by the lower seed.Still on track for defense of their titles are Quincy Beyrouty (women), Rick Dollarhide (senior men), Kevin Klabunde (super senior men), Greg Miller (legends) and Marla Parmele (senior women).New for this year’s tournament is a super senior women’s division, with top-seeded Deb Stuart winning her opening match Thursday.Reach sports editor Kris Henry at kris.henry@rv-times.com or 458-488-2035</div></body>

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Half of the men’s championship wins come from lower seeds at Rogue Valley Country Club. For all the concerns that a steady week of rain brought on here in Medford, the opening rounds of the 97th annual Southern Oregon Golf Championships went off without a hitch Thursday at Rogue Valley Country Club.

Upsets abound as match play begins for 97th SOGC

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Half of the men’s championship wins come from lower seeds at Rogue Valley Country Club. For all the concerns that a steady week of rain brought on here in 

Upsets abound as match play begins for 97th SOGC

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