Ohio State Qualifies for NCAA Championships – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – In just the second year under head coach Donnie Darr, the Ohio State men’s golf team has qualified for the NCAA Championships by finishing fourth in the NCAA West Regional. The Buckeyes third round score of 288 (-2) brought their three-round total to 865 (+1) on the par 72, 6,947-yard The Farms Golf Club in the San Diego suburb of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
The Buckeyes reach the NCAA Championships for the first time since former head coach Jim Brown’s last season in 2009 where the Scarlet and Gray finished 25th overall at the Inverness Club in Toledo. Ohio State has two national titles in the program’s history with the first coming in 1945 and the second in 1979.
UCLA erased a four-stroke deficit on the final day to take first place at the event with a team score of 854 (-10). Southern California finished in second at 857 (-7). To go along with its team victory, UCLA also took home the individual crown as Patrick Cantlay was first in a runaway fashion with a 13-under 203 total.
Michael Cress, a native of Dublin, Ohio, led the charge for the Buckeyes. Cress put together a 4-under 68 effort included seven birdies and was his second-consecutive round of 68. The senior’s total score of 211 (-5) was good for a fourth-place tie.
Brad Smith provided another solid round for the Scarlet and Gray, shooting an even-par 72 on the final day. The senior closed out the event in a tie for 13th at 217 (+1). Bo Hoag notched his first sub-par round of the tournament and nailed a 1-under 71 in the final round. Hoag’s 218 (+2) score for the event put him in a tie for 17th place.
Dan Charen endured an up-and-down round, but a birdie on the 18th brought him to 3-over 75 on the day. Charen, a junior, closed out in a tie for 24th at 219 (+3). Also competing for Ohio Stat was sophomore Zack Sobel, who fired a 6-over 78.
The Buckeyes will spend the next week preparing for the NCAA Championships which will be hosted by Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla. Round 1-3 will be played May 31-June 2. The top eight teams will advance to the match play portion, which will take place June 3-5.
NCAA West Regional – Round 3
The Farms Golf Club, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
Par 72, 6,947 yards
Team Results
1. UCLA 287-285-282 – 854 (-10)
2. Southern California 278-290-289 – 857 (-7)
3. San Diego294-290-280 – 864 (E)
4. Ohio State 300-279-286 – 865 (+1)
5. Texas 287-297-289 – 873 (+9)
6. SMU 295-288-292 – 875 (+11)
7. Pacific 298-289-291 – 878 (+14)
8. San Francisco 298-290-295 – 883 (+19)
9. North Texas 293-294-297 – 884 (+20)
10. Middle Tennessee State 298-287-302 – 887 (+23)
11. Tulsa 300-286-305 – 891 (+27)
12. UNLV 295-297-305 – 897 (+33)
13. Cleveland State 303-302-304 – 909 (+45)
Ohio State Results
T-4. Michael Cress 75-68-68 – 209 (-5)
T-13. Brad Smith 75-70-72 – 217 (+1)
T-17. Bo Hoag 75-72-71 – 218 (+2)
T-24. Dan Charen 75-69-75 – 219 (+3)
72. Zack Sobel 80-85-78 – 243 (+27)
