Sooners earn best national finish since placing ninth in 1993.
May 31 , 2012
| |
| |
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Total |
| 1. |
Alabama |
285 |
287 |
287 |
859 |
| 2. |
UCLA |
289 |
287 |
285 |
861 |
| 3. |
Texas |
290 |
295 |
284 |
869 |
| T4. |
California |
295 |
289 |
287 |
871 |
| T4. |
SDSU |
292 |
295 |
284 |
871 |
| 11. |
Oklahoma |
289 |
292 |
296 |
877 |
|
| |
|
| |
| |
OU Players |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Total |
| T9. |
W. Kropp |
69 |
75 |
70 |
214 |
| T21. |
A. Ancer |
70 |
72 |
74 |
216 |
| T61. |
M. Schoolcraft |
76 |
70 |
76 |
222 |
| T120. |
R. Pumphrey |
78 |
75 |
76 |
229 |
| T135. |
M. Gellerman |
74 |
75 |
83 |
232 |
|
| |
|
| |
OU Men's Golf Central
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NORMAN, Okla. - The 28th-ranked Oklahoma men's golf team's season came to a close Thursday as it shot a third-round 296 (+12) to finish the stroke play portion of the NCAA Championships in 11th place in Pacific Palisades, Calif. It was the program’s best finish since placing ninth at the 1993 NCAA Championships.
The 22nd-seeded Sooners, who held a share of fourth place through the first two rounds, needed a top-eight finish to advance to Friday's first round of match play finals. But OU dropped to 11th, just two strokes out of the top eight, after Thursday’s final 18 holes at the 7,292-yard, par-71 Riviera Country Club course. Oklahoma registered a three-round 877 (+25).
"This one will sting for a little while," OU head coach Ryan Hybl said. "Things just didn't quite work out for us, but we gave it all we had.”
Alabama won the three-day stroke play portion of the championships with a 7-over-par performance. UCLA finished in second place with at 9 over and Texas took third at 17 over. California and San Diego State tied for fourth and were followed by Washington in sixth and Oregon in seventh.
Kent State and Florida State tied for eighth place at 23 over par and will compete in a playoff at 8 a.m. PT Friday to determine the final team to advance to the match play finals.
Will Kropp opened the event with a 2-under 69 and in the top five, but dropped to 16th after a 4-over second round. The junior rebounded in the final round with a 1-under 70. Kropp parred his first seven holes before carding a bogey on No. 8. He went on to register four birdies and two bogeys in the final nine holes, including back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 and 17. Kropp earned a season-best ninth-place finish in the 156-man field with a three-round 214 (+1).
"It was a great tournament for Will," Hybl said of OU’s top finisher. "I am really proud of him."
Abraham Ancer was one of four OU golfers to open the final round with a birdie, but offset it with a bogey on the second hole. The junior added another bogey and birdie to close out the front nine before finishing the day with three bogeys on the back nine en route to a 3-over 74. Ancer finished just outside the top 20 in a tie for 21st place with a 3-over 216.
Michael Schoolcraft also birdied his first hole, but followed it with five bogeys on the front nine. The sophomore then parred eight straight holes before carding a bogey on No. 18. Schoolcraft finished the event in a tie for 61st place with a three-round 222 (+9).
Riley Pumphrey's collegiate career came to a disappointing end in California. The senior concluded the tournament with a final-round 76 (+5) and a share of 120th place. Pumphrey carded three birdies on the day, but could not overcome six bogeys and a double bogey.
Freshman Michael Gellerman closed the event with a 12-over 83 to finish in a tie for 135th place at 19 over par.
"It hurts a lot more when you get this close," Hybl said. "But I can tell you the future is bright with OU golf."
