An updated format has added some excitement to the men’s Division I college golf championship, which will be played this year at Riviera Country Club

By JIM DOVER

Iconic Riviera Country Club, site of the Northern Trust Open, will host the nation’s top college players and teams beginning May 28. (Joann Dost)

The NCAA golf championship isn’t in the same league as March Madness or as maddening as the Bowl Championship Series, but it’s a format that creates excitement to the final putt. Since instituting match play for the 2009 event, won by Texas A&M, the Division I golf championship has produced some drama on the fairways.

USC is the host school of this year’s event, set for May 29-June 3 at Riviera Country Club. The following guide provides a comprehensive look at the tournament:

THE COURSE
As the site of the Northern Trust Open, Riviera is no stranger to elite golf. The 7,238-yard, par-71 course will have little or no change from the PGA Tour setup or membership layout, said Riviera director of golf Todd Yoshitake. Good viewing spots include the elevated tee box on the first hole and from the amphitheater seating around the 18th green.

“It doesn’t change from a normal setup other than the greens will get a little firmer,” Yoshitake said. “The setup will be for scoring, and since it will be primarily a match-play event we want people making birdies to win holes.”

Texas freshman Jordan Spieth and UCLA sophomore Patrick Cantlay received sponsor’s exemptions to play in February’s Northern Trust Open. Both missed the cut with two-round totals of 5 over and 9 over, respectively, but they’ll likely improve on those efforts when competing against their peers.

TOP TEAMS
Texas will enter the championship with the top two ranked individual players in Speith and Dylan Frittelli. Both have medalist honors this season and possess the ability to lead the Longhorns to their first championship since back-to-back titles in 1971-72.

The UCLA Bruins were the last West Coast team to win the NCAA Championship in 2008. (UCLA Sports Information)

Texas coach John Fields, now in his 15th year, knows he has a special group and is happy to enter the tournament as the top-ranked team.

“That means we’ve played a very strong schedule throughout the year; that we’ve been successful throughout the year; and most likely that we’ve won golf tournaments,” Fields said. “The No. 1 thing, though, is to remember that the NCAA Championship is still a golf tournament and you’re in it to win it, regardless of the rankings.”

The top West Coast squad is USC, which is ranked No. 3. Cal, Oregon, Stanford and UCLA, which was the last West Coast team to capture the title in 2008, also are in the Top 10 and have a good chance to compete for the title. Sleepers include San Diego State, which won four consecutive tournaments this spring, and Washington. Augusta State is the two-time defending champion.

TOP INDIVIDUALS
The new format means that the individual title is awarded after 54 holes before the 30-team field is reduced to eight for match play. Not everyone is happy with the revision.

Led by coach John Fields (left), Jordan Spieth and the University of Texas are among the favorites. (UT Athletics)

“Fifty-four holes diminishes the chance that the best player is going to identify himself,” Fields said. “Less than 72 holes doesn’t insure that players have had the same opportunities – a morning start, an afternoon start, a likely morning start for the third day and then most likely another morning start in a 72-hole format.”

But with Frittelli and Spieth on his team, Fields knows a player from Texas has a good chance to win the title, regardless of the format.

“If you’re asking me if a change from 72 holes to 54 holes diminishes the individual medalist, my answer is yes. Does that mean it’s not desirable? No. We want to have an individual champion.”

West Coast players to watch include Cantlay, the low amateur at this year’s Masters, and Stanford’s Patrick Rodgers, who has maintained a top-5 ranking throughout the season. Chris Williams and Cheng-Tsung Pan of Washington and Oregon’s Eugene Wong also have legitimate shots, with San Diego State’s J.J. Spaun, USC’s Steve Lim and Jeffrey Kang and Cal’s Max Homa being good sleeper picks.

THE FORMAT
A new wrinkle has been added to allow more coaching decisions for the eight-team match-play portion of the event. This year’s lineups will be determined using the same method employed at the President’s Cup as opposed to rankings. The higher-seeded team (as determined through 54 holes of stroke play) will have the first choice of putting a player on the board for the first match. The opposing team will then name an opponent for that match, followed by a player for match No. 2. The process will continue on an alternating “S” curve until the players for all five matches are named.

THE SCHEDULE
Monday, May 28: Practice round.
Tuesday, May 29-Thursday, May 31: 7 a.m. start each day.
Friday, June 1: 10 a.m. start for eight-team match play.
Saturday, June 2: 10 a.m. start for four-team match play.
Sunday, June 3: 10 a.m. start for final match.
Tickets: $10 daily; $30 all-session pass; 12 and under admitted free with paid adult.
Parking: $20 valet at Capri entrance; $10 at Paul Revere Junior High School with free shuttle service to course.
Information updates: ncaa.com; usctrojans.com; scga.org.

Dylan Fritelli and James White

NORMAN, Okla. – Dylan Frittelli of Texas and Georgia Tech’s James White have been named co-recipients of the 2012 Byron Nelson Award presented by Cleveland Golf/Srixon, in cooperation with the Four Seasons Resort and Club Las Colinas, the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, Friends of Golf (FOG) and the GCAA.

Candidates for the Nelson Award must be a graduating senior and the selection committee considers equally a nominee’s entire collegiate academic and golf career and his character and integrity while in college. Particular consideration will be given to a nominee’s good citizenship, as portrayed by Mr. Byron Nelson over the course of his life and golf career.

A native of Pretoria, South Africa, Frittelli is a two-time All-America selection. During his senior campaign, Frittelli has recorded nine top-10 finishes in 11 events – including sharing medalist honors at the Morris Williams Intercollegiate and was named a semifinalist for the Ben Hogan Award presented by Baird Private Wealth Management. He is a two-time All-Big 12 recipient and was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2010. Frittelli has tallied three career victories. The geography major was a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar after his junior season and has been named Academic All-Big 12.

Frittelli is also active in the Austin, Texas, community. He works with the Marbridge Foundation, a group that is active in the Special Olympics. He also volunteers with Longhorn Halloween, Marathon Kids, Pancakes for Parkinson’s and the Neighborhood Longhorns Banquet.

“Obviously it is a huge honor to receive the Byron Nelson Award,” said Frittelli. “Coming from Texas you hear all that Byron Nelson stood for on and off the golf course. I see this as recognition of my efforts on the golf course and in the community as well. It’s an honor to be recognized by the selection committee and earn such a prestigious honor.”

White is Georgia Tech’s third Byron Nelson Award recipient joining Troy Matteson (2003) and Roberto Castro (2007). He earned first-team All-America and All-Nicklaus Team honors last season. White was also recipient of Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Award for most outstanding student-athlete at Georgia Tech. The two-time All-ACC selection has five-top finishes in eight team events and has only place outside the top 20 once this season. White was also named a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar as well as ACC Scholar-Athlete of the year in golf as a junior.

As a two-year member of Georgia Tech’s Student-Athlete Advisory Board, White has been active in the athletic department’s local elementary school reading program. He is also been very involved in the Special Olympics. During Friday nights in the winter he volunteers with his church program providing clothing and food to the homeless. He’s also active in junior golf assisting The First Tee and the Atlanta Junior Golf Clinic at the Dogwood Invitational.

“I’m extremely excited to be one of the winners of the Byron Nelson Award this year,” said White. “I couldn’t be happier to share it with a guy like Dylan Frittelli. I couldn’t be more excited or honored to be a part of this award.

Texas freshman Jordan Spieth is among those in the running for The Ben Hogan Award. Photo Credit: USGA

This year’s 10 semifinalists for The Ben Hogan Award have been selected.

The most prestigious award in men’s college golf, The Ben Hogan Award is presented annually to the top men’s NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during the past 12-month period. The Ben Hogan Award Selection Committee represents leaders in professional, amateur and collegiate golf.

In alphabetical order, The Ben Hogan Award semifinalists are: Blayne Barber (Auburn, Jr.), Julien Brun (TCU, Fr.), Patrick Cantlay (UCLA, So.), Dylan Frittelli (Texas, Sr.), Corbin Mills (Clemson, Jr.), Cheng-Tsung Pan (Washington, Fr.), Patrick Rodgers (Stanford, Fr.), Jordan Spieth (Texas, Fr.), Justin Thomas (Alabama, Fr.) and Chris Williams (Washington, Jr.).

The list will be pared down to three finalists on Thursday, May 10. The three finalists will then attend a black-tie banquet at Colonial Country Club on Monday, May 21, where the winner will be crowned prior to the start of the PGA Tour’s Crowne Plaza Invitational.

The award, which was first issued in 1990 and also included academic achievement in its original list of standards, revised its criteria for the 2001-02 collegiate season to its current standard of honoring the outstanding amateur collegiate golfer.

Since that time, the winners have been: D.J. Trahan (Clemson, 2002), Ricky Barnes (Arizona, 2003), Hunter Mahan (Oklahoma State, 2003), Bill Haas (Wake Forest, 2004), Ryan Moore (UNLV, 2005), Matt Every (Florida, 2006), Chris Kirk (Georgia, 2007), Rickie Fowler (Oklahoma State, 2008), Kyle Stanley (Clemson, 2009), Nick Taylor (Washington, 2010) and Peter Uihlein (Oklahoma State, 2011).

In addition to the above list of winners, the prestigious list of previous semifinalists includes: Brian Harman, Dustin Johnson, Anthony Kim, Spencer Levin, Graeme McDowell, Webb Simpson, Camilo Villegas and Nick Watney among others.

To find the latest information on The Ben Hogan Award, its candidates and its previous winners, visit www.facebook.com/BenHoganAward .

Stanford's Patrick Rodgers
Western Intercollegiate Individual Champion

Santa Cruz, Calif.—–Solid play on the par-5 holes the entire tournament propelled #1-ranked University of Texas to victory at the 66^th Western Intercollegiate men’s golf tournament hosted by San Jose State University at the Pasatiempo Golf Course.

The Longhorns’ six players combined to go 19-under par on the three par-5 holes on the par 70, 6,615-yard course. Julio Vegas and Toni Hakula each were five-under par playing the nine par-5’s over 54 holes.

Texas finished with a 10-over par 1,060 to win its seventh tournament of the season. Stanford was second at 1,064. UCLA was third at 1,067. USC at 1,089 and California at 1,100 rounded out the top five teams in a 14-team field that included six of GolfStat’s top-15 teams nationally.

Stanford’s Patrick Rodgers shot a final round 68 for a 206 total and individual honors. Rodgers had a bogey-free final round and birdied the 13^th and 18^th holes for the win.

“Obviously, I know there is a lot of history behind this tournament and Pasatiempo is a great golf course. To be able to come through this week with such a great field that includes the top three amateurs in the world, it feels really great,” said Rodgers. “I knew Justin Shin was 5-under par with three holes to play and I didn’t know how he finished. So I thought I needed 1-2 birdies on the last three holes. I made two really great par putts on 16 and 17. He had some tough holes play. He might have made a bogey. I was just concentrating on us as a team. I was trying to make birdie (on 18) to see if we could pull this out as a team. After I made the putt (on 18 for birdie), it was a good feeling.”

New Mexico State’s Justin Shin and UCLA’s Patrick Cantlay tied for second at 208. Shin, the second-round leader was in the lead through 15 holes at five-under par, but bogeyed his last three holes, holes 10 through 12, to finish with a final-round 71. Cantlay, the low amateur at the 2012 Masters one week earlier, matched Rodgers with a 68 or his 208.

The 66th Annual championship at Pasatiempo attracts top college teams and players

UCLA standout Patrick Cantlay, left, with instructor Jamie Mulligan.

Patrick Cantlay, the 2012 Masters low amateur title winner, will compete in the 66th annual Western Intercollegiate Golf Tournament April 14-15 at the Alister MacKenzie-designed Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif. A UCLA sophomore, Cantlay is the No. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings administered by the R&A and the USGA.

The Western Intercollegiate, one of the nation’s most revered men’s collegiate championships, continues to attract high-profile teams and players. According to John Kennaday, San José State University men’s golf coach, seven of the top 20 teams nationally and 18 of GolfStat’s top 100 players are expected to compete in this 54-hole championship. Texas (No. 1), California (No. 3), UCLA (No. 5), USC (No. 7), Oregon (No. 9), San Diego State (No. 12) and Stanford (No. 13) are in Golfstat’s top-20 team rankings. In addition to host San Jose State, New Mexico State, UC Irvine, Denver, Hawaii, Hawaii at Hilo, and Kansas round out the 14-team field. UCLA is the reigning champion.

In addition to Cantlay, the 2012 Western Intercollegiate will attract Texas freshman Jordan Spieth, Golfstat’s No. 1 nationally ranked men’s college player (April 3 rankings) and the No. 3 player in the WAGR. He will be joined by Texas teammate senior Dylan Frittelli, ranked No. 2 by Golfstat, and Oregon senior and 2010 Western Intercollegiate Champion Eugene Wong, ranked No. 5.

Now in its 66th year, the Western Intercollegiate is one of the longest-running collegiate tournaments in the country. It is contested at the Pasatiempo Golf Club, a venue that’s ranked among the best by GolfWeek, Golf Digest, and Golf Magazine. Spectators are free to join the gallery at Pasatiempo on April 14-15.

The Western Intercollegiate is made possible through its platinum sponsors Frys.com Open, Jerry Hamilton of Cooper-Challen Realty, Brandenburg Family Foundation, and Don & Sally Lucas.

To learn more about the championship, the college-am, and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.westernintercollegiate.net.

World's Number One AmatuerPatrick Cantlay

The 66th Annual championship at Pasatiempo attracts top college teams and players

Patrick Cantlay, the 2012 Masters low amateur title winner, will compete in the 66th annual Western Intercollegiate Golf Tournament April 14-15 at the Alister MacKenzie-designed Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif. A UCLA sophomore, Cantlay is the No. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings administered by the R&A and the USGA.

The Western Intercollegiate, one of the nation’s most revered men’s collegiate championships, continues to attract high-profile teams and players. According to John Kennaday, San José State University men’s golf coach, seven of the top 20 teams nationally and 18 of GolfStat’s top 100 players are expected to compete in this 54-hole championship. Texas (No. 1), California (No. 3), UCLA (No. 5), USC (No. 7), Oregon (No. 9), San Diego State (No. 12) and Stanford (No. 13) are in Golfstat’s top-20 team rankings. In addition to host San Jose State, New Mexico State, UC Irvine, Denver, Hawaii, Hawaii at Hilo, and Kansas round out the 14-team field. UCLA is the reigning champion.

In addition to Cantlay, the 2012 Western Intercollegiate will attract Texas freshman Jordan Spieth, Golfstat’s No. 1 nationally ranked men’s college player (April 3 rankings) and the No. 3 player in the WAGR. He will be joined by Texas teammate senior Dylan Frittelli, ranked No. 2 by Golfstat, and Oregon senior and 2010 Western Intercollegiate Champion Eugene Wong, ranked No. 5.

Now in its 66th year, the Western Intercollegiate is one of the longest-running collegiate tournaments in the country. It is contested at the Pasatiempo Golf Club, a venue that’s ranked among the best by GolfWeek, Golf Digest, and Golf Magazine. Spectators are free to join the gallery at Pasatiempo on April 14-15.

The Western Intercollegiate is made possible through its platinum sponsors Frys.com Open, Jerry Hamilton of Cooper-Challen Realty, Brandenburg Family Foundation, and Don & Sally Lucas.

To learn more about the championship, the college-am, and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.westernintercollegiate.net.

Jordan Spieth (University of Texas)

By Jim Dover

Nobody will dispute the drive that most college golfers have to ultimately compete on the PGA and LPGA tours. But with the opportunities that top college players now have to compete on the professional level through various exemptions, the temptation to turn pro before finishing school is stronger than ever.

Patrick Cantlay (UCLA)

UCLA’s Patrick Cantlay was a prime example in 2011. Stories about the talented collegian more than holding his own against the best players in the world often included how much money he would have earned if he was playing as a professional. Cantlay is on record as saying he will stay all four years at UCLA, just as Oklahoma State star Peter Uihlein said before last season. Uihlein, however, recently gave up his final semester as a Cowboy to pursue his dream of playing professionally.

Here are recent storylines involving the textbook-toting crowd:

Jordan Spieth stayed in his home state of Texas and is the second-ranked college player as a freshman for the Longhorns behind teammate Dylan Frittelli. While it would have been a stretch to believe Spieth could skip school and compete on the PGA Tour, his recent results are impressive. The Isleworth Collegiate Invitational medalist also played this summer on the U.S. Walker Cup team and was a quarterfinalist at the U.S. Amateur. Combine that with two impressive finishes at the PGA Tour’s Byron Nelson Championship – a tie for16th in 2010 and a tie for 32nd in 2011 – and it could be sooner rather than later before Spieth embarks on a pro career.

Bud Cauley (Alabama)

Leaving one year early from Alabama, Bud Cauley began his professional career at the U.S. Open and subsequently made seven of eight cuts. That was enough money to obtain a PGA Tour card and skip Q-School, making him only the seventh player to accomplish that feat. A three-time All-American for the Crimson Tide, Cauley was a member of the winning 2009 U.S. Walker Cup team, which he lists as his biggest accomplishment in golf. As a young full-time member of the PGA Tour this year, he should have many more chances to add to his achievement list.

Patrick Cantlay could have jumped to the PGA Tour without a second thought after his four top- 25 finishes and one top 10 in 2011. His decision to stay in school did have one controversial blip when Cantlay played in the Frys.com Open in October instead of teeing it up for UCLA at the Nicklaus Invite at Muirfield Village. Cantlay, who has received a sponsor exemption for the Northern Trust Open at nearby Riviera Country Club this month, is likely to get more PGA Tour invitations as the year progresses. He already has an exemption to play in this year’s British Open at Royal Lytham by virtue of his amateur ranking.

Peter Uihlein (Oklahoma State University)

Peter Uihlein, the 2010 U.S. Amateur champion, turned pro in December and will begin most of his professional career on the European Tour. Uihlein signed with Chubby Chandler’s International Sports Management Group, which also handles Lee Westwood and Charl Schwartzel, among others. Uihlein’s career could be put on hold if he doesn’t perform well in the seven sponsor exemptions he is allowed on the European Tour schedule. His record in PGA Tour events is three cuts made in six events. His top finish at a professional event was 48th at the 2011 British Open.

Pepperdine’s Danielle Kang had an impressive amateur record when she won U.S. Amateur titles in 2010 and 2011 but a less-than-spectacular exit from college after becoming academically ineligible her sophomore year. She turned pro after winning the 2011 U.S. Amateur and competed in five LPGA tournaments, with her best finish a tie for 49th at the British Open. Competing at LPGA Q-School also resulted in limited success as Kang finished in a tie for 39th for conditional status this season. If Kang has learned from her school of hard knocks, she definitely has the talent to succeed down the line.

Sandra Changkija (Nova University)

If you haven’t heard of 16-time collegiate winner Sandra Changkija, it’s likely because she played her golf at tiny Nova Southeastern College, where she was the four-time Division II Player of the Year. Earning her LPGA Tour card on her first try at Q-School, Changkija proved you don’t necessarily have to compete at a big school to achieve big results. Changkija was competing with fellow teammate Taylor Collins, who failed to make the 72-hole cut but will have full status on the Futures Tour by virtue of qualifying for the final stage.

Leaving Texas after one year was a risky move for Rebecca Lee-Bentham, especially considering she had only one top-5 finish during her eight starts as a Longhorn. However, a determined Lee-Bentham earned her LPGA Tour card by carding a sensational 5-under-par 67 on the final day of Q-School to vault from 38th to a tie for ninth. Lee-Bentham’s feat was equaled by fellow Canadian Maude-Aimee Leblanc, who earned her card on her first attempt following a four-year career at Purdue.

Stephanie Kono (UCLA)

Stephanie Kono might be the only golfer in history to have mixed emotions about earning her tour card. The UCLA senior had no intention of leaving school early, but a ninth-place finish at the LPGA Tour Qualifying School and some incorrect information from officials along the way resulted in her receiving her card. The three-time All-American handled the situation with class and spared the LPGA further embarrassment. UCLA coach Carrie Forsyth, who now must compete for the national title without her star player, was more critical of the LPGA and plans on addressing the issue at the National Golf Coaches Association meeting this year.

Recent UC Irvine stars come up short after advancing to the final stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament.

Mike Lavery earned an exemption to play on the Nationwide Tour.

By Jim Dover

Three golfers with UC Irvine ties were among the 173 players in the California desert competing in the final stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament in early December. The former Anteaters climbed a monumental hill to get to La Quinta by advancing through five stages and past the majority of a field that began with 969 players.

But in the end, Mike Lavery, Sean Shahi and John Chin came up short of their shot to earn a PGA Tour card. Lavery, however, did receive full exemption to play on the Nationwide Tour this season, and he hopes to use that status to reach his ultimate goal of playing on the PGA Tour.

John Chin finished in a tie for 82nd place after jumping as high as 41st.

“I certainly want to win on the Nationwide Tour,” said Lavery, who finished tied for 54th at Q-School. “In the players meeting they stressed that every tournament you are one week away from the PGA Tour, which is true. But that doesn’t happen unless you win, and that will be my first priority and my only clear goal at the start of the year.”

Lavery, who attended UC Irvine from 1999-2003 and won the Big West title in his final season with the Anteaters, started the final stage of Q-School with an opening 5-under 67 that put him in 10th position. But he knew there was plenty of work still to be done.

“The tournament is quite literally a marathon,” he said. “Six rounds of golf is a lot, and to get excited about one round of golf considering we had only played 18 holes of 108 would have been a little overzealous.”

As it turned out, he gave those shots back with a 5-over 77 on the second day. After an up-and-down middle portion of the final stage, Lavery rallied with a 4-under 68 on the final day to vault up the standings and secure his nice consolation prize. The top 27 players earned cards, with the next 50 finishers attaining full exemption on the Nationwide Tour. All remaining players received conditional status on the Nationwide Tour for making it to the final stage.

Sean Shahi was in 61st place after the first round, but would fall to 159th by the end of the tournament.

That latter group includes the other two former UC Irvine players in the field.

Chin (2006-10) was UC Irvine’s first PING All-American selection and earned a spot on the 2010 All-Nicklaus team as a senior. He has played recently on the Canadian Tour and Golden State Tour. Chin was in 126th place at Q-School after his opening round but played well enough to ascend to the 41st position after the fourth round. His final two days, however, included consecutive 1-over efforts and he finished tied for 82nd.

“I was happy that I made it to the finals, but a little disappointed I didn’t play well during the six rounds,” Chin said. “But it gives me a schedule for next year and helps me get closer to my goal of a PGA Tour card.”

Shahi (2007-09) left UC Irvine early to compete on the Asian Tour before moving to the Canadian Tour last year. A legitimate one-two punch with Chin during their college days, Shahi had a decent first round at Q-School with a 2-under 70 that left him in a respectable 61st place. But that was his best round of the final stage and he tumbled to the 159th spot after the final round.

While golf is an individual sport, the fact that three former Anteaters were at the final stage of Q-School lifted Lavery’s spirits and he was able to sneak an occasional peak at how Chin and Shahi were progressing during the week-long grind.

“I knew generally how they were doing in the tournament,” Lavery said. “They both came to UCI after I left, and I know them both, but I probably know John Chin a little bit better. John is a very good golfer.”

By Jim Dover

THE MEN

The Prestige at PGA West, October 9-11

Washington Freshman Cheng-Tsung Pan won The Prestige.

The Oregon Ducks cruised to their second straight tournament win with a three-shot victory over Washington at the highly competitive Prestige at PGA West. The Ducks never trailed during the three-day event and were led by senior Eugene Wong, whose 10-under performance was good enough for runner-up honors. Wong had the low round of the tournament with an impressive second round 8-under 64 on the 7,156-yard par-72 layout. Washington freshman Cheng-Tsung Pan used a tremendous 7-under final round 65 to overtake Wong by two-shots for medalist honors in only his second event as a collegiate golfer. Stanford finished in third place despite having only freshman Patrick Rodgers finish in the top 10 as an individual. Fourth-placed San Diego State had the opposite problem as the Cardinals, with Todd Baek and Alex Kang both cracking the top five, but the next Aztec, Wilson Bateman, finishing well back in 30th place.

Alister MacKenzie Invitational, October 17-18

Oregon captured a school record three-in-a-row when they tied with the Cal Bears for the top spot at the par-71, 6718-yard Meadow Club in Fairfax, California. The dramatic ending included a six-foot closing birdie putt by medalist Eugene Wong from Oregon after Cal’s Max Homa rolled in a monstrous 25-foot birdie putt to briefly give the host school Bears the 1-shot lead. Homa’s clutch play was also good enough for runner-up individual honors followed by Cal teammate Michael Kim and Oregon freshman Rak Cho who tied for fourth. San Diego State finished in third place as a team behind another top-five finish by Todd Baek. San Jose State entered the tournament having won their first three tournaments of the year. Unfortunately, a very tough first day left the Spartans out of contention and they finished well back in ninth place.

U.S. Collegiate Championship, October 23-25

Patrick Cantlay led the Bruins to their first win of the year.

UCLA won for the first time this season with a come from behind final round that had every Bruin birdie the final hole. Sophomore Patrick Cantlay led the Bruins with a third place individual effort and four Bruins finished in the top 20. The University of Washington finished in a tie for second with Auburn and were once again led by freshman Cheng-Tsung Pan, who ended up in a tie for third with five other players. Co-medalist for the event were Auburn’s Dominic Bozzelli and Johannes Veerman from Texas A & M, both shooting 6-under for the tournament. USC landed in seventh place behind Steve Lim’s first round 6-under 66 which led the tournament before Lim eventually finished in a tie for 13th.

Top Performers
Freshman Cheng-Tsung Pan could be this year’s Patrick Cantlay after winning The Prestige at PGA West as well as tying Cantlay at the US Collegiate. Chico State senior Kyle Souza followed up last year’s Division II Championship win with back-to-back medalist honors to begin the season. The Wildcats as a team also began the season undefeated in two starts before finishing seventh in their third event at the Otter Invitational.

THE WOMEN

Stanford Intercollegiate, October 14-16

Washington Freshman SooBin Kim won and set a new school record for the Huskies.

UCLA scored their second victory in as many events with a three-shot win over second place Vanderbilt. The win was even more impressive considering the Bruins didn’t use senior Stephanie Kono’s second-place individual score due to a prior playing commitment a week earlier at the Stage III LPGA Qualifying Tournament that didn’t allow her to compete for a team spot. Kono’s 54-hole 11-under score included all three rounds under 70 and was her personal collegiate best. Medalist honors fell to Washington freshman SooBin Kim who shot an impressive 13-under score that included an opening and closing round 5-under 66. Kim’s 54-hole total set a new school record for the Huskies and placed the team in third place for the event.

Mercedes-Benz SEC/Pac-12 Challenge, October 21-23
Alabama ended UCLA’s perfect season with a 4-shot victory over the Bruins in a stacked field that included eight of the top-10 ranked schools in the country. The Crimson Tide were led by medalist Stephanie Meadow who set a school record with her fourth career win. The sophomore won for the first time this year to go with her three wins last year that earned her SEC Freshman of the Year honors as well as first team All-American honors. UCLA led after the first round, but a poor effort on day-two was too much for the Bruins to overcome. Freshman Erynne Lee led the Bruins with a 1-under fifth place finish. USC finished in a tie for fourth place with Tennessee and were led by Lisa McCloskey and Kristen Park who tied for seventh individually. Park’s 4-under final round 68 moved her 30 spots up the leaderboard.

Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown, October 24-26

Pepperdine Sophomore Grace Na cruised to her first victory of the season.

Pepperdine sophomore Grace Na shot an opening round 9-under 63 and then cruised to her first victory of the season and second-career win. Her impressive nine birdie, no bogey performance in round one tied an NCAA record and led the Waves to a tie for second place with San Diego State. Winning the event was UC-Davis led by sophomore Jessica Chulya and freshman Bev Vatananugulkit who finished in third and fourth place respectively. It was the second win of the season for the Aggies, previously winning the Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic, and included a school record 11-under team score in round one for an eventual 15-shot victory.

Top Performers
Coach Carrie Forsyth has an embarrassment of riches with her current UCLA squad and handling those demands was never more apparent than at the Stanford Intercollegiate. Second-place finisher Stephanie Kono and current U.S. Public Links Champion Brianna Do both played in Stage III LPGA Qualifying Tournament that didn’t allow them to compete for a team spot. Forsyth played two freshmen and still won the tournament, while Kono and Do both advanced to the final stage of Q school.

U.K team snaps three-tournament Walker Cup skid

By: Alex Smolinski

Great Britain and Ireland defeated the United States 14-12 at the Walker Cup at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club in Aberdeen, Scotland, on September 11th, claiming victory in the two-day biennial tournament for the first time since 2003.

Paul Cutler, 22, of Northern Ireland, and Rhys Pugh, 17, and the youngest player for either team, of Wales, helped lead the European team to victory with undefeated records throughout the tournament. Cutler went 3-0-1, while Pugh finished 3-0. Pugh, who recently won the 2011 Irish Amateur Open, will attend East Tennessee State University in the fall.

After the first day of the tournament, The GB&I team led the U.S. 7-5, going 3-1 in the morning foursomes, and splitting even 4-4 with the U.S. in the afternoon singles play. In foursomes play, Tom Lewis and Michael Stewart (GB&I) defeated Peter Uihlein and Harris English, 2 and 1, Jack Senior and Andy Sullivan (GB&I) beat Russell Henley and Kelly Kraft, 2 and 1, and Paul Cutler and Alan Dunbar (GB&I) topped Nathan Smith and Blayne Barber, 5 and 4. The only U.S. duo to win Saturday morning was Patrick Cantlay and Chris Williams, who beat Steven Brown and Stiggy Hodgson (GB&I), 5 and 3.

Singles play in the afternoon was split evenly between the two teams 4-4. Peter Uihlein, Jordan Spieth, Harris English and Patrick Cantlay earned victories for the U.S., while Paul Cutler, Rhys Pugh, Steven Brown and James Byrne secured points for the GB&I squad.

The GB&I team was able to maintain their two-point advantage throughout the second day of the tournament to secure victory, splitting the day 7-7 with the U.S. Again, the Europeans were able to dominate in foursome play, winning three matches outright and halving the fourth (Jordan Spieth and Patrick Rodgers managed to tie Tom Lewis and Michael Stewart).

The Americans played significantly better in the Sunday singles match play, winning 6.5 to 3.5, but could not overcome the deficit. Russell Henley, Jordan Spieth, Peter Uihlein, Chris Williams and Harris English all won their matches for the U.S., while Nathan Smith, Blayne Barber and Patrick Cantlay all halved. Michael Stewart and Rhys Pugh were the only GB&I players to win their singles matches outright on the day.

“I said to the boys at lunchtime that we haven’t done it yet,” said GB&I captain Nigel Edwards. “We had to get on with it because the Americans are great players. I had a lot of faith in these boys as I’ve said all week. They are a great bunch. They want to win. They have a lot of passion and desire.”

The U.S. had won the previous three Walker Cup tournaments, but GB&I have now won four of the last five played on home soil, dating all the way back to the 1995 tournament at Royal Porthcawl in Wales. The United States leads the tournament overall 34-8-1. The next Walker Cup is set to take place Sept. 7-8, 2013, at The National Golf Links of America in Southampton, N.Y.