NCAA Championship: Eight Advance, Wise Medals

30 May 2016
by AmateurGolf.com Staff
see also: View results for NCAA Division I Championship, La Costa Resort and Spa - Champions Course, Aaron Wise Rankings
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Aaron Wise Celebrates his Birdie on 17 (Register-Guard photo)

EUGENE, Ore. (May 30, 2016) -- Strokeplay has concluded at firm and fast Eugene Country Club as the matchplay bracket has been decided and the individual champion crowned.

Unsurprisingly, Texas took the number one seed led by their star Beau Hossler who finished 5th individually. The Longhorns finished the four rounds at 14 over par and will go on to face the Oklahoma Sooners.

Oklahoma started the day in 14th place and made an incredible rally, shooting a 3-under 277 to squeeze inside the top 8. Junior Max McGreevy bounced back from an 80 yesterday to post 4-under 66 while freshman Brad Dalke added a clutch 2-under 68. This is the first time Oklahoma has qualified for matchplay since its introduction in 2009.

Another big rally was made by the South Carolina Gamecocks who also fired a 3-under 277 to climb five spots into the 7th spot. Will Starke was the biggest performer, closing with four back-nine birdies en route to a 66. Scott Stevens added a 68 while Sean Kelly put up a 69. South Carolina will meet University of Illinois who shot the round of the day with a 4-under 276.

Defending champions LSU earned the third seed and will face hosts Oregon while last year's runner-up USC will meet Vanderbilit. Oregon was fueled by their star Aaron Wise who capped off his final event as a collegiate golfer with a two-shot victory.

After his opening nine, Wise was 8-under for the tournament and four clear of the field. However, double bogeys on holes 12 and 16 put him tied for the lead entering the 17th hole. With a crowd of nearly 200 supporters gathered around the 17th green, Wise stared down a 10 foot downhill birdie putt.

"I told Van (Oregon's assistant coach) 'when I knock this thing in it's going to be a roar'," Wise told Golf Channel.

He knocked in and matched the roar with an emotional fist pump himself. He carried the momentum into the 18th hole with a fantastic approach shot out of the rough, over the trees, and softly aboard the green. Two putts from there secured the title.

Quarterfinal play will be broadcasted tomorrow on Golf Channel from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. ET followed by semifinals from 6 to 10 pm ET.

Results: NCAA Division I Championship

Place			Pts	Scores
1	Aaron Wise	Lake Elsinore, CA	1500	70-70-64-71=275
2	Rico Hoey	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	1200	70-69-69-69=277
T3	Matthias Schwab	Austria	900	71-68-67-73=279
T3	Jon Rahm	Spain	900	71-68-69-71=279
5	Beau Hossler	Mission Viejo, CA	900	70-70-67-73=280

View full results for NCAA Division I Championship

ABOUT THE NCAA Division I Championship

The NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship is the pinnacle of collegiate golf in the United States, held annually in late May or early June. The event brings together the nation's top 30 teams and six individual qualifiers, all of whom have advanced through a grueling regional qualifying process. Conference champions earn automatic regional berths, while a selection committee fills the remaining spots.

The championship begins with 72 holes of stroke play to determine the individual national champion. Following this, the top 8 teams advance to a match play bracket to compete for the team title — a format introduced in 2009 that added a dramatic head-to-head element to the final days of competition.

Some of the most decorated names in professional golf have competed in this event, including Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Tiger Woods, and Phil Mickelson. Winning the individual title now includes an added bonus: the champion receives an invitation to the following year’s Masters Tournament, provided they maintain amateur status.

The tournament dates back to 1897, originally run by the National Intercollegiate Golf Association. The NCAA began officially sponsoring the event in 1939. Over time, the championship has become not just a collegiate milestone, but also a launching pad for future PGA Tour stars.

After 72 holes of stroke play, the individual champion is crowned, and the low 8 teams advance to match play to determine the team champion.

View Complete Tournament Information

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