Oklahoma State storms into NCAA Championship with runaway victory in Stillwater Regional on its home course

    The first five teams punched their ticket into the NCAA Championship as the Stillwater Regional, with tournament officials fearing some bad weather, finished up a day earlier than the other five regionals Tuesday at Karsten Creek Golf Club.

   Probably not a huge surprise that Big 12 champion Oklahoma State, playing on its home course, rolled to a 14-shot victory over Big Ten champion Illinois. The Cowboys, No. 4 in the latest Golfstat rankings and the top seed, closed with a solid 11-under-par 277 over the 7,502-yard, Karsten Creek layout that gave them a 28-under 836 total.

   The Fighting Illini, ranked ninth and seeded second, earned a trip to the NCAA Championship, which tees off May 28 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., as they closed with a 1-over 289 for a 14-under 850 total.

   American Athletic Conference runnerup SMU, ranked 21^st and seeded fourth, was another 14 shots behind Illinois in third place with a final round of 6-over 294 that left the Mustangs with an even-par total of 864.

   SMU was led by individual champion Noah Goodwin, a junior from Corinth, Texas and No. 31 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), as Goodwin stamped himself as a contender for an NCAA individual title at Grayhawk by closing with a 4-under 68 that left him with a 15-under 201 total. Goodwin captured the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur crown at Flint Hills Golf Club in Andover, Kan.

   The surprises started behind SMU as a couple of long shots, Sam Houston State, out of the Southland Conference, and Little Rock, the runnerup in the Sunbelt Conference’s match-play final, grabbed the final two berths to Grayhawk.

   Sam Houston State, ranked 49^th and seeded eighth, was forced to play without its best player, Will Holcomb, a senior from Crockett, Texas who was not allowed to start due to contact tracing for COVID. But Holcomb’s teammates picked him up as they closed with a 7-over 295 that gave them an 11-over 875 total. That left them 11 shots behind SMU in fourth place.

   Little Rock, ranked 55^th and seeded ninth, closed with a 6-over 294 to finish four shots behind Sam Houston State in fifth place with a 15-over 879 total. More importantly, the Trojans finished a shot ahead of Southeastern Conference power Auburn, the third seed, and the Big 12’s Baylor, seeded seventh.

   Bo Jin, a freshman from China and No. 86 in the WAGR, led the way for Oklahoma State as he closed with a 4-under 68 to earn runnerup honors individually, finishing six shots behind Goodwin with a 9-under 207 total. Jin was the runnerup in the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.

   Backing up Jin was Eugenio Chacarra,  a sophomore from Spain and No. 33 in the WAGR who finished with a 2-under 70 to land in a large group tied for third place at 5-under 211, two shots behind Jin.

  Austin Eckroat, a junior from Edmond, Okla., and No. 12 in the WAGR, was another shot behind Chacarra as he closed with a 1-under 71 to finish alone in seventh place with a 4-under 212 total. Eckroat was in the lineup three springs ago when the Cowboys captured a national championship on this very same Karsten Creek layout. He was also a member of the winning United States side in the Walker Cup Match two weekends ago at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla.

   Aman Gupta, a sophomore from Concord, N.C., finished up with a 1-over 73 to end up in the group tied for 14^th place at 3-over 217. Gupta made a run to the semifinals of last summer’s U.S. Amateur at the Bandon Dunes Resort.

   The Cowboys may have found a fifth starter during the regional as Brian Stark, a freshman from Kingsburg, Calif., replaced fellow freshman Jonas Baumgartner of Germany following the opening round. After contributing a 7-under 65 to Oklahoma State’s second-round surge, Stark matched Jin for medalist honors for the final round for the Cowboys with a 4-under 68.

   It was a disappointing eighth-place finish for fifth-seeded Notre Dame, out of the ACC, as the Fighting Irish closed with a 1-over 289 to end up with a 20-over 884 total.

   Notre Dame was led by sophomore Palmer Jackson, the 2018 PIAA Class AAA champion as a senior at Franklin Regional. Jackson closed with a solid 4-under 68 to finish in the group tied for 12^th place with a 2-over 216 total.

  In the Tallahassee Regional, another host team, Florida State, ranked second and the top seed, closed in on a regional crown as the Seminoles, playing on their Seminole Legacy Golf Club home, added a 7-under 281 to their opening-round 271 to take an eight-shot lead over 16^th-ranked Liberty, seeded third.

   Florida State, the runnerup in the ACC, was led by Brett Roberts, a freshman from Coral Springs, Fla. who fired a 3-under 69 over the 7,505-yard, par-72 Seminole Legacy layout to get a share of third place in the individual standings at 7-under 137.

   ASUN champion Liberty had the best team score of the day, a sparkling 11-under 277 to move into second place at 16-under 560.

   Florida State’s ACC rival Georgia Tech, ranked 27^th and seeded fifth, carded a 2-under 286 and was solidly in third place with a 13-under 563 total.

   The Yellow Jackets’ in-state rival Georgia, an SEC power, posted a 6-under 282 to move into fourth place with a 9-under 567 total. The No. 11 Bulldogs are seeded second.

   Surprising Big Ten entry Ohio State, ranked 66^th and seeded 11^th, posted a solid 3-under 285 and held onto the fifth spot, still very much in with a shot at a berth to the NCAA Championship with a 7-under 569 total.

   Backing up Roberts for Florida State were Vincent Norrman, a graduate student from Sweden and No. 14 in the WAGR, and Cole Anderson, a redshirt sophomore from Camden, Maine, both of whom landed in the group tied for fifth place at 6-under 138. Norrman and Anderson each added a 2-under 70 to their opening-round 68s.

   John Pak, a senior from Scotch Plains, N.J. and No. 3 in the WAGR, gave the Seminoles three players inside the top nine as he matched par with a 72 to join the group tied for ninth place at 5-under 139. Pak, too, was at Seminole two weekends ago, becoming part of a winning U.S. Walker Cup team for a second time.

   Rounding out the Florida State lineup was Frederik Kjettrup, a freshman from Denmark who also matched par with a 72 and was among the group tied for 29^th place at 1-over 145.

   Putting himself in position for the lone individual berth to nationals up for grabs was Jacksonville’s Michael Sakane, a redshirt junior from Japan who fired a sizzling 6-under 66 to take the individual lead with an 11-under 133 total.

   Georgia’s Davis Thompson, a senior from Auburn, Ala. and No. 4 in the WAGR, was right on Sakane’s heels as he carded a second straight 67 to stand alone in second place, a shot behind Sakane with a 10-under 134 total. Thompson was also a member of the winning U.S. Walker Cup team at Seminole.

   Joining Florida State’s Roberts in the tie for third place, three shots behind Thompson at 7-under 137, was Georgia Tech’s Ben Smith, a redshirt junior from Novi, Mich. who posted a solid 3-under 69.

   Liberty got a solid effort from junior Zach Barbin, winner of a pair of Golf Association of Philadelphia major championships last summer, the BMW Philadelphia Amateur at Lancaster Country Club and the Patterson Cup at The 1912 Club. Barbin of the golfing Barbins of Elkton, Md. added a 2-under 70 to his opening-round 71 to join the group tied for 14^th place a 3-under 141.

   In the Noblesville Regional, Texas, ranked fifth and the top seed, maintained its hold on the top spot as the Longhorns, a Big 12 power, carded a solid 9-under 279 at The Sagamore Club, the best team round of the day, that left them with a 15-under 561 total heading into the final round.

   Tennessee, ranked 18^th and seeded third, posted a solid 5-under 283 over the 7,173-yard, par-72 Sagamore Club layout, leaving the Volunteers, out of the SEC, seven shots behind Texas in second place with an 8-under 568 total.

   North Carolina, ranked eighth and seeded second, were a shot behind Tennessee in third place. The Tar Heels, out of the ACC, registered a 4-under 284 that left them at 7-under 569 total.

   Another ACC entry, Louisville, ranked 28^th and seeded fifth, was another shot behind North Carolina in fourth place with a 6-under 570 total. The Cardinals carded a solid 6-under 282 in the second round.

   Holding the fifth spot was North Florida, ranked 19^th and seeded fourth, as the Ospreys, out of the ASUN, matched par with a 288 and were three shots behind Louisville with a 3-under 573 total. North Florida was led by individual co-leader Nick Infanti, a graduate student from Clarksburg, Md. who carded a second straight 3-under 69 to share the top spot with North Carolina-Wilmington’s Blake McShea, a graduate student from Zebulon, N.C., at 6-under 138.

   Texas was led by Cole Hammer, a junior from Houston and No. 13 in the WAGR who carded a solid 4-under 68 and was alone in third place at 5-under 139, a shot behind Infanti and McShea.

   Pierceson Coody, a junior from Plano, Texas and No. 2 in the WAGR, and Travis Vick, a sophomore from Houston, landed in the group tied for fourth place at 4-under 140. Pierceson Coody carded a second straight 70 while Vick, who had grabbed the individual lead with an opening round of 4-under 68, matched par with a 72.

   Hammer and Pierceson Coody both wore the Red, White & Blue for the U.S. in the Walker Cup victory at Seminole. Like Florida State’s Pak, it was the second U.S. Walker Cup victory for Hammer.

   Pierceson Coody’s twin brother Parker, No. 72 in the WAGR, carded a solid 2-under 70 and was among the group tied for 12^th place at 1-under 143. Pierceson and Parker Coody are the grandsons of Charles Coody, who celebrated the 50^th anniversary of his Masters victory this spring.

   Rounding out the Texas lineup was Mason Nome, a sophomore from France who posted a solid 1-under 71 and was in the group tied for 45^th place at 4-over 148.

   UNC-Wilmington’s McShea fired a 4-under 68 to land atop the leaderboard alone with Infanti at 6-under.

   West Virginia senior Mark Goetz, a Greensburg native and Kiski Prep product, fired a sparkling 6-under 66 to join the group tied for fourth place at 4-under 140. Goetz is likely chasing McShea for the lone individual ticket to the NCAA Championship.

   In the Kingston Springs Regional, surprising Mountain West Conference representative San Diego State, behind individual co-leader Youssef Guezzale, a senior home boy from San Diego, fired an 8-under 276 at the Golf Club of Tennessee to take a two-shot over Vanderbilt heading into the final round.

   The Aztecs, ranked 26^th and seeded fifth, were at 11-under 557. SEC champion Vanderbilt, ranked 13^th and seeded third, posted a solid 4-under 280 over the 7,107-yard, par-71 Golf Club of Tennessee layout that left the Commodores in second place at 9-under 559.

   Vanderbilt’s SEC rival Arkansas, ranked 24^th and seeded fourth, was four shots behind the Commodores in third place with a 5-under 563 total after the Razorbacks also registered a 4-under 280.

   ACC entry North Carolina State, ranked 10^th and seeded second, posted a 4-over 288 and stood two shots behind Arkansas in fifth place with a 3-under 565 total.

   ACC champion Clemson, ranked third and the top seed, climbed into a tie for fifth place with Charlotte, ranked 42^nd and seeded seventh, on the strength of a 5-under 279 that left them with a 2-under 566 total. Not that you would need much motivation with an NCAA Championship berth on the line, but Clemson wants to send out its legendary coach Larry Penley, who is in his 38^th and final year at the helm, with a trip to nationals.

   Conference USA entry Charlotte carded a solid 7-under 277 to move into the tie for fifth place at 566.

   Guezzale posted a solid 3-under 68 to share the top spot in the individual standings with Vanderbilt’s Reid Davenport, a junior from Austin, Texas, at 5-under 137.

   Backing up Guezzale for San Diego State was Puwit Anupansuebsai, a senior from Thailand who was the low Aztec for the day with a 4-under 67 that left him among the group tied for third place at 4-under 138. Zhao Jin, a senior from China, added a solid 2-under 69 and was among the group tied for eighth place at 2-uneder 140.

   Callum Bruce, a senior from Scotland, matched par with a 72 and was among the group tied for 20^th place with an even-par 142 total. Rounding out the San Diego State lineup was another San Diego home boy, senior Steve Sugimoto, who registered a 2-over 73 to join the group tied for 43^rd placed at 3-over 145.

   Vanderbilt’s Davenport had grabbed the opening-round lead with a 6-under 65. He cooled off with a 1-over 72 in Tuesday’s second round, but maintained a share of the individual lead with San Diego State’s Guezzale at 5-under.

   Loyola of Maryland senior Evan Brown, one of the Ches-Mont League’s top players during his scholastic career at Kennett, remained in the hunt for an individual berth to the NCAA Championship as he matched par with a 71 to join the group tied for third placed at 4-under 138.

   In the Albuquerque Regional, surprising Pac-12 entry Oregon State, ranked 41^st and seeded seventh, carded a sizzling 13-under 275 at the Championship Course at the University of New Mexico to maintain its hold on first place with a 20-under 536 total.

   The Beavers were led by individual leader Spencer Tibbits, a senior from Vancouver, Wash. who fired a 6-under 66 over the 7,555-yard, par-72 Championship Course layout to end up with a 9-under 135 total.

   The Big 12’s Texas Tech, ranked 22^nd and seeded fourth, carded a solid 10-under 278 of its own and was five shots behind Oregon State in second place with a 15-under 561 total.

   Oregon State’s Pac-12 rival Arizona State, ranked 11^th and seeded second, was also solid, posting a 9-under 279 and was alone in fourth place with a 12-under 564 total, three shots behind Texas Tech.

   A couple of SEC entries, South Carolina, ranked 51^st and seeded ninth, and Texas A&M, ranked 14^th and seeded third, rounded out the top five as they shared fourth place, each landing on 8-under 568, four shots behind Arizona State. The Gamecocks registered a 5-under 283 while the Aggies posted a 4-under 284.

   Backing up Tibbits for Oregon State was Shawn Lu, a senior from Honolulu who signed for a 2-under 70 that left him among the group tied for sixth place at 5-under 139. Jackson Lake, a sophomore from Clovis, Calif., matched par with a 72 and was in the group tied for 10^th place at 4-under 140.

   Carson Barry, a junior from Eagle, Idaho, fired a sparkling 4-under 68 to join the group tied for 30^th place at even-par 144. Rounding out the Oregon State lineup was Kyosuke Hara, a senior from Honolulu, Hawaii who posted a counting 1-under 71 and was among the group tied for 40^th place at 2-over 146 total.

   Top-seeded and top-ranked Oklahoma remained on the outside looking in for an NCAA Championship berth as the Sooners are in ninth place with a 3-under 573 total. Jonathan Brightwell, a redshirt senior from Charlotte, N.C., remained in the hunt for the individual title as he carded a 2-under 70 to join a trio of players tied for second place at 8-under 136.

   Joining Brightwell in the trio at 8-under were host New Mexico’s Bastien Amat, a freshman from France, and South Carolina’s Ryan hall, a junior from Knoxville, Tenn. Amat fired a sizzling 6-under 66 while Hall carded a second straight 4-under 68.

   Hall’s teammate, sophomore Jack Wall, a quarterfinalist in the 2019 BMW Philadelphia Amateur at Stonewall who plays out of the Manasquan River Golf Club at the Jersey Shore, carded a 3-over 75 and was among the group tied for 53^rd place at 5-ofver 149.

   Stanford, winner of the last NCAA Championship contested in 2019 at The Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark., is also in danger of not making it to nationals as the Cardinal carded a 3-under 285 and were in eighth place with a 4-under 572 total.

   Senior Nate Menon, the 2016 PIAA Class AA champion as a junior at Wyomissing, contributed a 2-under 70 for Stanford to join the group tied for 24^th place at 1-under 143.

   In the Cle Elum Regional, Archie Davies and East Tennessee State turned things upside down as Davies, a redshirt freshman from England, fired a course-record 8-under 63 at the Tumble Creek Club at Suncadia Resort to lead the Bucs, ranked 50^th and seeded eighth, to an 11-shot lead in the team chase.

   Davies led East Tennessee State, a SoCon entry, to a 14-under 270 over the 7,069-yard, par-71 Tumble Creek layout for an 18-under 550 total. Davies’ record-breaking round left him with an 11-under 131 total and a four-shot lead over Wake Forest’s Alex Fitzpatrick, a junior from England and No. 11 in the WAGR, in the individual standings.

   San Francisco, ranked 25^th and seeded fifth, carded a 1-under 283 and was alone in second place at 7-under 561. The Dons are a West Coast Conference entry. Pac-12 entry Washington, ranked 37^th and seeded seventh, posted a 2-under 282 and was a shot behind San Francisco in third place with a 6-under 562 total.

   ACC power Wake Forest, ranked sixth and the top seed, was three shots behind Washington in fourth place at 3-under 565 after the Demon Deacons registered a 3-over 287.

   West Coast Conference champion Pepperdine, ranked seventh and seeded second, and Pac-12 entry Utah, ranked 54^th and seeded ninth, were tied for fifth place, each landing on even-par 568. The Waves posted a 5-over 289 while the Utes moved up with a 1-over 285.

   Only the top five teams advance to the NCAA Championship, so Pepperdine can’t afford a letdown.

   Backing up Davies for East Tennessee State were Shiso Go, a junior from Japan, and Trevor Hulbert, a graduate student from Orlando, Fla., who were in fifth and sixth place, respectively. Go carded a 3-under 68 and stood at 4-under 138 while Hulbert was a shot behind his teammate at 3-under 139 after carding a 2-under 69.

   Remi Chartier, a redshirt freshman from Canada, registered a solid 1-under 70 to join the group tied for 17^th place at even-par 142. Rounding out the East Tennessee State lineup was Jack Rhea, a senior from Jonesborough, Tenn. who posted a 2-over 73 and was among the group tied for 43^rd place at 5-over 147.

   Wake Forest’s Fitzpatrick, a member of the Great Britain & Ireland team that fell to the U.S. in the Walker Cup Match at Seminole, carded a solid 3-under 68 that left him four shots behind Davies in second place with a 7-under 135 total.

   Utah’s Tristan Mandur, a junior from Canada, carded a second straight 3-under 68 and was alone in third place in the individual chase with a 6-under 136 total that left him a shot behind Fitzpatrick.