California
NCAA Regionals
5/18/2013 12:00 PM | Men's Golf
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PULLMAN, Wash. - No. 1 Cal (265-276-280 - 821, -43) broke the modern-era NCAA single-season win record Saturday when the Golden Bears closed out the NCAA Pullman Regional for their 11th victory in 13 tournaments this season. Michael Weaver (65-67-70 - 202, -14) became Cal's first NCAA Regional individual medalist and also won his first collegiate tournament to lead the way, sharing the individual title with Sam Smith of USC (62-64-76 - 202, -14).
"I've been doing this for 34 years and there's never been a team that's been close to this," head coach Steve Desimone said about the record. "There are a lot of reasons for it but primarily it has happened because these guys have understood all along what was out there for us and they've worked so hard. They are the epitome of a team."
"It feels surreal to have the most wins in history of the modern-era of NCAA golf," said Max Homa, a senior who missed his graduation ceremony at Cal on Saturday. "I really can't put it into words. I can't wait to get to Georgia and put it all on the line. This is what we work for. I told myself I needed to make today worth not getting to walk at graduation, so I guess I did that."
With the victory, Cal will advance to the 30-team field at the NCAA Championship hosted by Georgia Tech May 28 - June 2 at the Capital City Club in Alpharetta, Ga. Cal will be playing at the NCAA Championship for a school-record fourth consecutive season and the ninth time in school history. Cal will enter the NCAA Championship having won 17 of its last 27 tournaments overall dating back to the beginning of the 2011-12 campaign and having finished in the top five in all 27.
Last year, Cal reached the semifinals of the NCAA Championship before falling to Alabama, 3-2. Along the way Cal both reached match play and registered its first match-play victory for the first time with a 3-2 victory over San Diego State in the quarterfinals. Cal won its lone national title in 2004 when the format featured 72 holes of stroke play with no match play.
"The goal has been to get to Atlanta from the moment we lost last year in the semis," Desimone said. "We've accomplished that, and now we're looking forward to getting there and getting started."
TCU (276-285-280 - 841, -23), Saint Mary's (267-290-285 - 842, -22), USC (272-280-292 - 844, -20) and Ball State (281-284-291 - 856) will join Cal at the NCAA Championship after finishing second through fifth at the NCAA Pullman Regional. Ball State needed an extra hole to defeat San Diego State (270-293-293 - 856) in a playoff. Rodolfo Cazaubon of North Texas also qualified for the NCAA Championship as an individual as the top individual finisher not from one of the five teams advancing. Cazaubon (68-73-68 - 209, -7) tied for sixth overall.
Weaver started Saturday's third and final round in second place but six shots behind Smith, with the two both playing in the day's final threesome off the first tee. After combining to play the first two rounds in 18-under par, Smith struggled on Saturday and after his seventh bogey of the round on the par-four 14th hole the two were tied.
Weaver took his first lead of the day on the next hole with a birdie on the par-four 15th but dropped right back into a tie with Smith when he bogeyed the par-three 16th. The battle ended in a tie when each player birdied the 17th and bogeyed the 18th, both par-fives. There was no playoff.
Weaver's other birdies during his two-under par round came on the par-four first and the par-five fifth, ninth and 10th holes. He had back-to-back early bogeys on the par-four third and par-three fourth.
"This was a tremendous win for Michael," Desimone said. "I'm really happy for him and proud of him."
Weaver became the fifth Cal player to win an individual title in 2012-13 with all five of those players among the top 11 on the final player leader board at the NCAA Pullman Regional.
"It feels good to get my first win and to make it where all five of us have now won a tournament this year," Weaver said.
"That might very well be an NCAA record, too," Desimone said. "Hats off to every one of these guys. They've all played great golf this year. It's another statement about the quality, balance and depth of this team. There are five great players that are really in so many respects interchangeable parts. You never know where it's going to come from."
The other players in addition to Weaver to have won for Cal this year include Joël Stalter, Brandon Hagy, Max Homa and National Player of the Year Candidate Michael Kim.
Stalter (65-68-73 - 206, -10) and Hagy (66-73-69 - 208) finished third and fifth at the NCAA Pullman Regional to give Cal three of the top five finishers, while Homa (70-73-68 - 211, -5) and Kim (69-68-74 - 211, -5) tied for 11th. Homa shot 23 spots up the final leader board from where he started the final round by firing a four-under par score that was the team's best and tied for the best round of the day overall.
Stalter's one-over par final round included three birdies (par-four 8, 9, 17) and four bogeys (1, par-three 11, par-three 13, 14).
Hagy jumped up seven spots into his top-five finish with a round that included an eagle on the fifth hole for the Bears' only eagle of the day. He also had birdies on the 10th, 11th and 15th holes, as well bogeys on the par-three sixth and par-five 18th.
Homa birdied five of his final 10 holes (9, 10, 11, 14, 18) during his four-under par round that included only one bogey (6).
Kim's lone birdie came on the 10th hole after earlier bogeys on the first, third and ninth.
Cal's victory was both its second consecutive NCAA Regional win and second in school history after also being victorious in 2012 at the NCAA Stanford Regional. The 43-under par score by the Bears broke the course record at the par-72, 7,308-yard Palouse Ridge Golf Club. Cal had the best team score each of the first two days and tied for the best score Saturday with second-place TCU.
NCAA Pullman Regional (hosted by Washington State)
Pullman, Wash. - Palouse Ridge Golf Club (par-72, 7,308 yards)
FINAL TEAM LEADER BOARD (after 3 of 3 days/3 of 3 rounds/54 of 54 holes)
1. Cal (265-276-280 - 821, -43)
2. TCU (276-285-280 - 841, -23)
3. St. Mary's (267-290-285 - 842, -22)
4. USC (272-280-292 - 844, -20)
T5. Ball State (281-284-291 - 856, -8)
T5. San Diego State (270-293-293 - 856, -8)
7. Pacific (274-289-295 - 858, -6)
8. BYU (282-291-286 - 859, -5)
9. Memphis (276-299-285 - 860, -4)
T10. Baylor (289-285-287 - 861, -3)
T10. Virginia Tech (277-288-296 - 861, -3)
12. North Texas (277-300-288 - 865, +1)
13. Princeton (292-297-290 - 879, +15)
14. St. Francis, Pa. (300-314-313 - 927, +63)
FINAL PLAYER LEADER BOARD - CO-INDIVIDUAL MEDALISTS (after 3 of 3 days/3 of 3 rounds/54 of 54 holes)
T1. Michael Weaver (Cal) 65-67-70 - 202 (-14)
T1. Sam Smith (USC) 62-64-70 - 202 (-14)
FINAL PLAYER LEADER BOARD - CAL INDIVIDUALS (after 3 of 3 days/3 of 3 rounds/54 of 54 holes)
T1. Michael Weaver 65-67-70 - 202 (-14)
3. Joël Stalter 65-68-73 - 206 (-10)
5. Brandon Hagy 66-73-69 - 208 (-8)
T11. Max Homa 70-73-68 - 211 (-5)
T11. Michael Kim 69-68-74 - 211 (-5)
