Most golf tournaments are built from the top down. The better players, if not the best, are the ones who grow up and advance through tournament golf. The rest of the golfing public make due with playing casual fans amongst friends.

However, the Westwood Invitational Presented by oklahomatickets.com, which tees off at Westwood Park Golf Course today for a 33rd straight year, has always turned the dynamic around. It’s gained a deep and loyal following among those who make this three-day, 54-hole event their only tournament of the year.

“For most of these guys, this is their U.S. Open,” Westwood Park head professional David Lisle said.

But not everybody.

The Championship Flight has always been the toughest to fill over the years. In the past, getting more than 15 players to fill out the top end of the pool has been tough.

“Westwood isn’t a course that’s going to beat you up,” Lisle said. “People know that if they play well, they can shoot low.”

The reasons were simple: What makes the Westwood Invitational so appealing to high handicappers tends to be a negative for those at the top end of the tournament.

There’s only a handful of holes where a wild tee shot comes with serious penalty. The course is fairly wide open. There aren’t many water hazards. The rough is usually pretty short. Plus the course measures just short of 6,200 yards.

Some elite players would see that as a lack of challenge. Typically the winner of Championship Flight has been well under par. Without the elements coming into play, it’s a good bet the winner will be in double-digit red numbers.

But something has changed over the last few years. Championship Flight has gathered more and more players. This year’s top flight has 30 players, making it one of the largest flights.

Players cite several reasons for playing. Mark Austin played golf at Oklahoma and is a Norman native. He’s a low handicapper by any definition, making a deep run in last year’s Oklahoma Golf Association State Amateur.

But his reasons for playing pretty much mirror the majority of the field in every flight.

“There’s so many people that I know playing in it,” he said. “I grew up with some of them and I always have a lot fun playing in it.”

But the biggest difference appears to be the addition of young blood. Throughout the last several years more recent alums of Norman North’s and Norman High’s golf teams have made the Westwood Invitational a summer stop.

Brandon Blevins, Taylor Artman and Jeff Cox all went to Norman North and have played together at Northeastern State in Tahlequah. They’ve all played the last couple years and this year they’ve brought teammate Sam Powell along as well.