FAIRFAX, Calif. – Cal (279-272-288 – 839, -13) came from two shots behind at the beginning of the third and final round for a two-stroke victory over Arizona State (271-278-292 – 841, -11) at the Alister MacKenzie Invitational hosted by the Golden Bears. Cal won the event for the sixth consecutive season and ninth time in 12 editions of the event that began in 2002 with the current win streak including a co-title with Oregon in 2011.
Arizona State finished in second place after having been the leader at the end of both the first and second rounds at the par-71, 6734-yard Meadow Club, with the Sun Devils' lead over the Bears at eight strokes following Monday's opening round.
“It's pretty much what we've done all year with a slow start, a really good second round and then we've played extremely well in the third round,” head coach Steve Desimone said. “We did it again today. Overall, these guys competed and played well, and I'm very satisfied with the win.”
Cal's third round in inclement weather conditions was the second-best in the field one day after its second round was the best.
“I would say we survived today,” Desimone said. “The weather was an incredible factor with the wind, fog and cold. It was probably the toughest day I have seen. I'm very proud of the guys. Not only did they compete but they were really tough today. It would have been very easy to have packed it in. We played very well up until the last couple of holes and then staggered in but a win is a win.”
True freshman Sebastian Crampton (68-66-73 – 207, -6) had the top finish of his career with a third-place showing that was his third consecutive top-10 finish to begin his collegiate career at Cal. He tied for fourth in his Cal debut last month at the Windon Memorial before tying for seventh in his previous event at the Itani Quality Homes Collegiate.
“Winning at home as a team is a great feeling because we only get a chance to do so once a year,” Crampton said. “I'm happy with my overall play this week, but I did make three or four mistakes today cost me the title. I'm really looking forward to next week for our biggest event of the fall and competing at a high level.”
“What an incredible start for a freshman,” Desimone said. “He's off to a great start and has clearly established himself as one of the top players in the country, not just one of the best freshmen. Watching him grow and develop has been a lot of fun so far, and I know it's going to get a lot better in the years to come.”
Keelan Kilpatrick (72-69-69 – 210, -3) tied for the best round of the day on Tuesday with a round that included five birdies by carding his second consecutive round of two-under par. Kilpatrick moved up 18 spots into a tie for sixth-place on the final leaderboard for his second top-10 showing of the season.
“I'm really pleased with the team performance today,” said Kilpatrick, who as a fourth-year junior is the team's most experienced player. “The conditions were brutal and there was no room for error. We really wanted the win today and we had to hang tough all day to do so. It's a good confidence boost heading to our next event where we will have our biggest test of the fall and get our first look at some of the top teams in the country.”
True freshman KK Limbhasut (71-68-73 – 212, -1) just missed his second top-10 performance in his first four outings as he finished tied for 11th.
“We stayed patient after the first round and used our home course to our advantage when the conditions got tougher in the second and third rounds,” Limbhasut said. “Everyone fought hard to be in contention and I am pleased about our team performance this week. As for myself, I am trying to learn from my mistakes at each tournament and still adjusting to college life as a student-athlete.”
Cameron Shaw (70-70-73 – 213, E) and Walker Huddy (70-69-79 – 218, +5) also competed for the Bears, finishing tied for 15th and tied for 35th, respectively.
The victory was Cal's second in four starts in 2014-15 with the Bears finishing among the top three in all four events.
Cal closes out its fall season October 19-21 at the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational hosted by Texas Tech at the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Fla.
ALISTER MACKENZIE INVITATIONAL (HOSTED BY CAL)
FAIRFAX, CA
MEADOW CLUB (PAR-71, 6734 YARDS)
FINAL TEAM LEADERBOARD (after 2 of 2 days/3 of 3 rounds/54 of 54 holes)
1. Cal (279-272-288 – 839, -13)
2. Arizona State (271-278-292 – 841, -11)
3. Oregon State (274-278-292 – 844, -8)
4. UC Davis (275-283-291 – 849, -3)
5. Pepperdine (283-285-285 – 853, +1)
6. San Diego State (273-284-297 – 854, +2)
7. Colorado (277-282-296 – 855, +3)
8. Minnesota (280-286-294 – 860, +8)
9. Brigham Young (277-286-302 – 865, +13)
10. San Francisco (273-295-300 – 868, +16)
11. Washington State (279-288-303 – 870, +18)
12. Saint Mary's (276-301-295 – 872, +20)
13. Michigan (285-289-299 – 873, +21)
14. Princeton (285-299-299 – 883, +31)
15. San Jose State (284-294-307 – 885, +33)
16. Hawai'i (281-300-307 – 888, +36)
FINAL PLAYER LEADERBOARD – INDIVIDUAL MEDALIST (after 2 of 2 days/3 of 3 rounds, 54 of 54 holes)
1. Max Rottluff (Arizona State) 68-66-70 – 204 (-9)
FINAL PLAYER LEADERBOARD – CAL INDIVIDUALS (after 2 of 2 days/3 of 3 rounds, 54 of 54 holes)
3. Sebastian Crampton 68-66-73 – 207 (-6)
T6. Keelan Kilpatrick 72-69-69 – 210 (-3)
T11. KK Limbhasut 71-68-73 – 212 (-1)
T15. Cameron Shaw 70-70-73 – 213 (E)
T35. Walker Huddy 70-69-79 – 218 (+5)
