Shintaro Ban is one of five players currently tied for the lead
(Golfweek Photo)
STILLWATER, OK (May 25, 2018) - Shintaro Ban’s strong spring for UNLV continued Friday with an opening 5-under 67 to share the individual lead at the NCAA Championship.
And his former teammate may get some props for the round as well.
Ban and John Oda, the former Rebels star who skipped his senior season by turning pro last August, have been and remain quite close. The two still live together (along with fellow golf team members Justin Kim and Justin Chong) and as freshmen, Ban drove Oda everywhere because his counterpart didn’t have a license. They’ve been known on several occasions to, by accident, walk out the door dressed virtually the same.
And now, apparently, they’ve shared the same golf bag.
Ban has been using Oda’s old UNLV bag during the 2018 spring season. It’s a spring in which Ban has won three times and has finished T-13 or better in all but one start. He’s ninth in Golfweek‘s college rankings for the 2017-18 season.
And now he can set up next to professional John Oda … as college John Oda.
“We go practice together and it’s like, ‘Hey, two Johns out here,’ ” Ban said, laughing.
He adds that the bag has caused some humorous confusion this spring.
“A lot of coaches think I’m John as well,” Ban said. “I remember last week at regionals, one asked me, ‘Do you want the flag in or out, John?'”
He’s heard the jokes as well, Oh are you honoring a legend?
Teammates were confused at first but eventually joined in on needling the senior.
“In the beginning, I’d always say (to Shintaro), ‘What’s up, John?’” Kim said, smiling.
OK, but why is Ban using Oda’s bag this spring? The reason is simply practical: His own Rebels bag broke.
The UNLV team went on a trip to Australia over winter break. They flew back into Los Angeles, and from there, Ban jumped on a plane to San Francisco to go home. The travel case holding his golf bag was delayed in baggage, though, and when he came back to get it later, he noticed something was off.
“I guess (the case) touched something really hot, because the middle patch was melted,” Ban said. “My bag was fine and everything, I thought, and then I went to go practice later with my brother that day, I picked up (the bag), two straps, and the bag just fell.”
So yeah, he needed a new bag but he didn’t feel it was a big deal. With Oda off the team, it made more sense just to use his rather than go through the hassle of getting a new one.
Oda was on board right away. And Ban figured with his college career closing out, it might be fun.
“My last semester, why not?” Ban said. “I’ll take it and represent him.”
Through 18 holes at nationals, he’s doing that just fine.
TEAM STANDINGS
With first round play at Karsten Creek suspended until Saturday morning the lead belongs to 8-under Northwestern. The Wildcats are one of 14 teams to have completed their opening round. Defending champion Oklahoma is on holes Nos. 15-18 and they are 5-under in second place.
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.
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