ASU ends No. 1 Oklahoma State's Win Streak at Seven
Blake Wagoner led Arizona State with a fourth place finish
(ASU Athletics Photo)
TEMPE, AZ (April 15, 2018) - Coming into the ASU Thunderbird Invitational no team had been able to beat No. 1 Oklahoma State, winners of seven straight, since late October. All of that changed on Sunday at Karsten Golf Course as the host Arizona Sun Devils finished 22-under and as the one-stroke winners over second place No. 23 UNLV (-21).
The Pokes began the final round in sixth place and 15 shots off the pace before making a final round charge that brought them as close as two-strokes back on Sunday. Oklahoma State was led by a trio of players carding sub-70 final rounds led by Zach Bauchou bogey-free 6-under 65 as the Cowboys sprinted to the finish with a 14-under team tally.
Ultimately Oklahoma State finished fourth at 17-under just behind third place eighth-ranked Oklahoma at 19-under and just in front of fifth place 14-under Arizona.
22nd ranked Arizona State started the final round tied for the lead with UNLV before birdieing nine times on the second nine to inch out their third victory of the season with a Sunday 4-under mark. Winners of two of their last three tournaments ASU was led on Sunday by Blake Wagoner (4th; -8) who fired a 3-under 68 that included three birdies, an eagle and two bogeys.
After bogeying the opening hole Wagoner rebounded quickly with an eagle two on the par-4 2nd and a birdie on the ensuing hole. A dropped shot on the 8th saw Wagoner turn in 1-under 34 before playing the second nine in a flawless 2-under 35.
Three other Sun Devils finished in the top-15; Chun An Yu (T8; -5), Mason Andersen (T15; E) and Jino Sohn (T15; E).
In the medalist race Shintaro Ban of UNLV and Yannik Paul of Colorado shared the title at 11-under. For Ban the win was his third of the season and fourth of his career.
The victory for Paul was his first of the year and second in his career.
Oklahoma's Quade Cummins was third at 9-under, Wagoner took fourth while David Laskin of Arizona was 7-under in fifth.
ABOUT THE
ASU Thunderbird Collegiate
54 hole men's college tournament hosted by
Arizona State University. Team (best four scores out
of
five players each round) and individual competitions.
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