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The Tom Hoover Ozark Invitational “The Ozark” will be held April 27-28 at Westwood Hills CC, Poplar Bluff

Work on film kept Black (pictured above) from course

By BRIAN ROSENER
Daily American Republic

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Like the majority of the golfers coming to Poplar Bluff this weekend for the 67th annual Tom Hoover Ozark Invitational, Lucas Black has a day job.
In fact, his latest work can be found just a long hook from the 14th fairway at Westwood Hills Country Club.
Black portrays Pee Wee Reese in the movie “42” playing at the local theatre.
It’s the reason he missed the Ozark last year.
“Actually left the day before the tournament to shoot,” Black said.
This weekend he will be among 140 golfers at the two-day, 36-hole tournament.
“I always enjoy coming down,” Black said. “It’s a good kickoff, always a good competitive field.”
Defending champion Blake Driskell of Cape Girardeau will not tee off Saturday — he will be getting married¬†– but four former champions are expected to play the 6,315-yard, par-71 course, including four- time winner Ben Godwin and 2010 winner Carr Vernon.
Black, who will also be in the 10-player, nine-hole Ozark Shootout which starts at 3 p.m. Friday, said filming “42” kept him away from competitive golf for most of last year.
Like everybody else, the colder spring has made it tough to practice for this season, but the Alabama native was able to sneak in a few rounds while visiting family.
“Just trying to make the most of it here in Columbia, practicing outside when I can,” Black said. “Just have to bundle up and get after it because you know it’s going to get warm, springtime is coming.
“You’ve got to prepare if you’re planing on shooting low scores.”
Godwin, who was trying to squeeze in some practice Wednesday after work, said the only holes he’s played this spring were over the last weekend at the Lead Belt Tournament in Bonne Terre.
“That’s the reason we go, we get to compete a little bit and grind a little bit,” Godwin said. “Competition is good, even if it’s all in fun.”
Which is why the college players at the Ozark may have had a slight advantage recently. Four of the last six winners were college players or Vernon, who was 16 when he won.
“The college kids play regardless of the conditions,” Godwin noted.
Both of the 2011 and 2008 champions played for the Southern Mississippi golf team. There will be four Eagles in the field this year as Poplar Bluff native Trent Hillis, now a junior, brings teammates Drew Kirby, Matthew McKagen and Tyler Peggs.
Southern Miss was ninth at the Conference USA Championships earlier this week with Peggs finishing tied for 35th.
Mizzou sophomore Wilson Sundvold, a three-time all-state golfer at Rock Bridge who tied for 10th at the Missouri Stroke Play Championship last summer, makes his first Ozark appearance.
For the third year, the seniors will have their own champion and Steve Groom of Raytown returns to defend his title. Jeff Johnson of Ballwin, the 2011 senior champion, is also back with Poplar Bluff native Pete Godwin, a two-time Nebraska Amateur champion.
A warmer spring last year ended up taking what little advantage the college players had. The only student to crack the top 10 was Vernon, who shot a second-round 6-under-par 65. It also meant lower scores for everybody at the Ozark, there were 16 rounds under par compared to nine in 2010 and seven in ’09.
“It will be a lot different than last year,” Godwin said.
While the defending champ will be missing for the first time since 2009, runner-up Brian Haskell of St. Joseph returns and will play in the same group at 10:03 a.m. as Vernon, Ryne Fisher of Columbia and Brevin Giebler of Cape Girardeau, who each tied for third last year.
Godwin and Black will tee off together in the opening round with Phil Caravia, a former Ole Miss player from St. Louis, and Jeff Chandler of Union City, Tenn., who placed tied for 13th in the rain-shortened 2011 Ozark.
Each time Black has played Westwood Hills his scores have improved. He was introduced to the Ozark by Fisher and finished tied for 32nd with a 3-over
74 in 2011 after shooting a 73 in the second round of 2010 to place 33rd.
“I feel like I’ve improved each year,” said Black, who took up competitive golf just before his first Ozark appearance in 2007.
“Just becoming a little more knowledgeable about swing mechanics and becoming (aware of) the weaknesses of my game and what do practice on.
I’m practicing smarter than I use to.”
Black portrayed a golfer in the 2011 film “Seven Days in Utopia” and a quarterback in the 2004 release of “Friday Night Lights” among his many credits.
In his latest film “42”, Black is Pee Wee Reese, the shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers when Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) is brought to the Major Leagues by Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford).
“It’s such a great story and such a great part of history in the game of baseball and America that I was proud to be apart of it,” Black said.
The film has gotten positive reviews and been successful at the box office
— it has made $56 million since opening April 12.
Black can now focus on golf –¬†on Tuesday he tweeted “Excited its tournament week. Its time to get going this year #Ozark #birdietime”
— and maybe make a run at a title.
“I guess I can’t be too greedy but I’m a competitive person,” Black said.
“Since the movie did so well opening weekend I guess being in the final group (Sunday) would be sufficient enough.
“Just going to go out there and have fun and see what happens.”
The tournament is presented by Michelob Ultra.

Cutline: Lucas Black watches his tee shot in this April 24, 2010 photo at Westwood Hills Country Club in Poplar Bluff, Mo. (DAILY AMERICAN REPUBLIC/Brian Rosener)