CHICKASHA — Chickasha brothers Cody and Rylan Burrows both won the US Kids Golf Tour’s Player of the Year awards in their respective age groups Aug. 29 at the tour championships hosted by Oklahoma City’s Lincoln Park Golf Course.

Cody, a 13-year-old eighth grader at CMS who shoots in the low to mid-eighties, won his first tour championship in his second year with the tour but it was a repeat for seven-year-old Rylan, a second grader at Grand.

“This was the most incredible feeling I’ve ever had,” Cody said. “Last year I really wasn’t that good of a player. I only broke 90 once, an 89 at Winter Creek, then I shot in the low to mid 90s all through it.

“Just knowing I put in all the hard work and effort that it took to get that trophy this year is a really good feeling.”

Rylan, who shot a tour record 47 on nine holes on his way to last year’s six-year-old title, repeated in his second year on the tour and went in with a defending champion’s confidence, shooting a 45 to lock it in.

“I thought I was going to get it,” Rylan said. “Before we played I had 150 points and second place, Wyatt Powers from McKinney, Texas, had 120. At the end they told me I had 250 points and Wyatt had 200. It was pretty exciting.”

The US Kids’ Golf Tour is part on an international youth golf organization that sponsors tournaments year-round and world-wide. Tour championships are decided on a point system based on tournament finishes with the tour championship tournament worth double points.

It takes commitment, and golf’s a family affair with the Burrows. The boys’ parents and grandparents are all in it together as a team. Dad Kelly caddies for Cody and Mom Rhonda caddies for Rylan.

(Rylan, however, did ask his dad to caddy for him Sunday so his uncle, Johnny Sweeney, filled in with Cody for the championship tournament.)

Grandparents Mickey and Helen Garrison are in charge of the golf carts and, as Helen described it, “the water supply.”

“Rhonda works here at the office so we work together and play together,” Helen added with a laugh. “I look forward to Sundays – we go play golf then afterwards we all go out together and eat.”

Helen used to play but Rhonda admitted she is learning about golf as she goes.

“Anything your children do, you want to do anything possible to let them have success at it,” she said. “I no longer get to go shopping on weekends – I go to the golf course. Rylan and I have a lot of fun with it, though. I don’t know a lot about golf but I’m learning more and more about it with each tournament.”

Both kids started early, using some of Kelly’s old clubs that he cut down to their size, and were always out hitting and putting in the yard.

When asked what they like about golf, the brothers had very different responses.

“I like it because it’s not a team effort,” Cody replied. “With team sports, if you lose you can blame the loss on some of the other players. Golf is an individual effort so if you fall apart or lose in golf it’s all on you, no one else.”

“I’m not very sure about that,” said Rylan. “I just like it.”

They also had different takes on their games.

“The strongest part of my game is chipping,” Cody offered. “I love short game a lot because it’s where you score most of your points. I’m not good at putting but I can chip pretty good.”

“The strongest part of my game is my putting,” Rylan answered, prompting the obvious question. When asked if he had any tips to help Cody with his putting, he said, “No, I don’t really have any.”

Winning his first tour championship was on a par with Cody’s other biggest golf memory – a hole in one when he was eight years old.

“It was a pretty special moment,” he recalled like it happened yesterday. “It was on the eighth hole at Riverbend on the north nine. I hit a seven iron from the women’s tee box from 111 yards out.

“There was water on the left and big sloping hills on the right. I told Dad I was going to hit it on the right side and let it slope down the hill towards the green. I hit the ball perfect, right where I wanted to, but it took a strong hop, kicked left and disappeared.”

Thinking the ball was in the water, he was setting up with another ball when Kelly happened to look in the cup and see Cody’s Titleist.

“Dad said ‘You just hit a hole in one!’ I started running and jumping up and down I was so excited.”

The boys did agree on their goals and their favorite golfers. Both want to go to OSU to play golf and maybe someday end up on the PGA tour.

“I love the OSU golf team,” Cody said, “so my favorites come from OSU. My favorites are Scott Verplank and Rickie Fowler. I love those two.

“One of my other favorites is Taylor Williams from the high school team. I want to win state one day like he did.”

If the tour doesn’t work out, Cody wants to be a financial advisor when he grows up. Rylan, however, is still uncommitted.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m still thinking about it. I want to go to OSU and maybe play in the PGA someday.

“My favorite golfers are Phil Mickelson, Scott Verplank and Rickie Fowler. Oh, yeah, I also like Tiger Woods.”

For now, the brothers will concentrate on being kids, getting good grades and enjoying the game.

“To see the excitement in their faces when they got the Player of the Year awards makes it all worth it when you see how happy they are,” Rhonda said.

“But it’s not just our kids. We cheer on all the competitors. Golf is really a great sport for these young ones because they can be successful for their individual efforts.”