LUBBOCK, Texas – Cal (279-287-282 – 848, -4) came up a single stroke shy of extending its school-record streak of appearances at the NCAA Championships to six by finishing seventh in a wild NCAA Lubbock Regional that concluded on a windy Saturday with winds gusting up to 50 miles per hour at the par-71, 7,349-yard The Rawls Course.
“We had put ourselves in a good position at the turn, but we ended up being a day late and a couple of shots short,” head coach Steve Desimone said. “Still, I'm so proud of the guys. We gave it all we had and we left everything out there, but we just came up a little bit short.”
The Golden Bears played their final hole in four-under par with each of the team's four scoring members making birdie on the par-five, 539-yard ninth hole to finish with a flourish but it was not enough to reach a playoff for the fifth and final spot between Houston and Purdue that was won by the Cougars on the first extra hole.
“I'm really proud of the way we finished on our last hole,” Desimone said. “We needed birdies to even have a chance to get back into it and all four guys came through. Even though we came up short, it was one of the most clutch finishes I've ever seen. It got us right to the precipice, but we just weren't quite lucky or good enough to pull it off.”
KK Limbhasut (66-68-74 – 208, -5) tied for the best NCAA Regional finish ever by a Cal freshman by tying for fourth and got into a playoff for the single NCAA individual spot awarded to the top individual not from one of the advancing teams before falling to Louisville's Robin Sciot-Siegrist (71-67-70 – 208, -5). Sciot-Siegrist made par on the first playoff hole while Limbhasut three-putted the 18th green for a bogey.
Limbhasut had led the tournament by one stroke heading into Saturday before a three-over par third and final round that included only a single birdie on his final hole on the ninth. He started his round with a bogey on the par-three 10th and also had bogeys on the par-four 14th, first and eighth holes.
Limbhasut did become the third player in school history and the first Cal freshman to finish in the top 10 at both an NCAA Regional and the Pac-12 Championships, where he tied for sixth last month. He also tied for the best finish ever by a Cal freshman at both events.
Limbhasut finished his first campaign at Cal with five top-five finishes including his first career victory at the Aggie Invitational also last month. He was also in the top 10 on six occasions and the top 15 eight times to lead Cal in all three categories. In addition, Limbhasut led the Bears on the season with a 71.58 stroke average and was the only Cal player to participate in each of the team's 13 events and 40 rounds.
“KK's a wonderful player and a cornerstone of this program going forward,” Desimone said. “He's not just a great player, but he's a solid student and he's one of the most outstanding young men I've ever coached. We are so fortunate to have him.”
Shotaro Ban (73-72-67 – 212, -1) and Sebastian Crampton (72-72-68 – 212, -1) both had big final rounds Saturday to get into the red for the tournament and finish in an eight-way tie for 14th, surging up the leaderboard 32 and 28 spots for the day, respectively.
Ban had six birdies including all three of course's par-five holes (17, 18, 9) with the other three coming on par-fours (12, 1, 5). His two bogeys came on the par-three 16th and par-four eighth.
Crampton split his four birdies between a pair of par-fours (15, 1) and two par-fives (18, 9). His lone bogey was on the par-four fifth.
Alexander Wilson (68-75-73 – 216, +3) finished in a tie for 39th, while Cameron Shaw (77-76-77 – 230, +17) tied for 71st.
All but Ban were playing in an NCAA Regional for the first time in their collegiate career with the three rookies – Crampton, Limbhasut and Wilson – tying a school record for the most freshman in an NCAA Regional lineup. Ban tied for 20th in his previous NCAA Regional experience in 2014 at the NCAA Sugar Grove Regional.
Texas (273-282-275 – 830, -22) captured the team title after firing a nine-under par round Saturday that was the best of the day. Host Texas Tech (278-274-282 – 834, -18), Duke (276-282-286 – 844, -8), Auburn (280-285-280 – 845, -7) and Houston (274-287-286 – 847, -5) were the other teams to advance to the NCAA Championships scheduled for May 29 – June 3 at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.
Houston's Blair Hamilton (68-69-68 – 205, -8) and Texas Tech's Clement Sordet (67-69-69 – 205, -8) were the event's co-medalists.
Cal's four victories in 2014-15 were the fourth-most victories in school history and extended the Bears' string of seasons with at least three wins to six in a row despite a roster without a senior, with five of the nine players that saw action for Cal freshmen.
“This season we all learned many things to be successful whether it is looking at our mistakes or other teams,” Limbhasut said. “I have to say that we because we were young we didn't have experiences like other teams, but we will not be young anymore after this season.”
“It's been a heck of a year,” Desimone added. “The transition continues in a really positive way. There are bigger and better things to come, and I'm already looking forward to late August and getting going again, and I know the guys are, too.”
NCAA LUBBOCK REGIONAL (HOSTED BY TEXAS TECH)
LUBBOCK, TX
THE RAWLS COURSE (PAR 71, 7349 YARDS)
FINAL TEAM LEADERBOARD (after 3 of 3 days/3 of 3 rounds/54 of 54 holes)
1. Texas (273-282-275 – 830, -22)
2. Texas Tech (278-274-282 – 834, -18)
3. Duke (276-282-286 – 844, -8)
4. Auburn (280-285-280 – 845, -7)
*T5. Houston (274-287-286 – 847, -5)
*T5. Purdue (279-289-279 – 847, -5)
7. Cal (279-287-282 – 848, -4)
8. Louisville (283-281-288 – 852, E)
9. Southeastern Louisiana (285-279-292 – 856, +4)
10. UC Irvine (287-291-287 – 865, +13)
11. North Florida (291-292-287 – 870, +18)
12. Georgia State (287-284-300 – 871, +19)
13. Charleston Southern (286-309-295 – 890, +38)
*Houston (-1) defeated Purdue (E) on first playoff hole (18) for final NCAA qualifying spot
FINAL PLAYER LEADERBOARD – INDIVIDUAL CO-MEDALISTS (after 3 of 3 days/3 of 3 rounds/54 of 54 holes)
T1. Blair Hamilton – Houston (68-69-68 – 205, -8)
T1. Clement Sordet – Texas Tech (67-69-69 – 205, -8)
FINAL PLAYER LEADERBOARD – CAL INDIVIDUALS (after 3 of 3 days/3 of 3 rounds/54 of 54 holes)
*T4. KK Limbhasut (66-68-74 – 208, -5)
T14. Shotaro Ban (73-72-67 – 212, -1)
T14. Sebastian Crampton (72-72-68 – 212, -1)
T39. Alexander Wilson (68-75-73 – 216, +3)
T71. Cameron Shaw (77-76-77 – 230, +17)
*Louisville's Robin Sciot-Siegrist (par) defeated Limbhasut (bogey) on first playoff hole for NCAA individual qualifying spot
