May 18, 2008

UAB
The UAB men's golf team is headed to the NCAA National Championships at West Lafayette, Ind. in two weeks after finishing play Saturday with another outstanding day at the NCAA East Regionals. Behind the play of junior Zach Sucher, who earned co-medalist honors, the Blazers finished in fifth place overall with a three-round total of 13-under par 839, the second-best 54-hole mark in school history.

The Blazers fired a 6-under par 278 Saturday, following their scores of 287 and 274 the first two rounds to finish fifth overall in the 27-team field. The top 10 teams from each of the three regional sites this weekend now advance to the NCAA Championships, scheduled for May 28-31 at the Birck Golf Complex in West Lafayette. It is the first time since 2002 and just the third time in school history that UAB will make an appearance in the NCAA Men's Golf Championships (2001 and 2002).

Sucher, who Friday blistered the course with the second-best single-round score (62) in NCAA Championship history, came back Saturday with a 69 and tied Georgia's Russell Henley for individual medalist honors. Sucher and Henley each finished with scores of 13-under par 200, two strokes better than Augusta State's Henrik Norlander. More impressively, Sucher finished the weekend 10-under par on par-5 holes on his way to becoming the first UAB men's golfer to win an NCAA Regional event.

The Mobile, Ala. native is no stranger to the NCAA Nationals. Last season, Sucher went to Nationals as an individual and finished in a tie for fourth overall to earn Honorable Mention All-America honors. He is entering this year's event on an impressive roll, as he now has claimed three consecutive medalist honors (Bank of America Intercollegiate on April 7-8 and the Conference USA Championships on April 20-22.

Sucher's round began on the back nine and he picked up right where he left off after Friday's record-setting performance. Following a par on the opening hole, Sucher eagled the par 5, 535-yard 11th hole and also birdied the par 5, 546-yard 13th to begin three-under through his opening four holes.

However, he missed short birdie putts on No. 15 and 16 to give him a chance to extend his lead. It would catch up to him on the 18th hole with a three-putt bogey. Then after making the turn, Sucher hit his second shot over the green on hole No. 1 and went on to bogey that hole as well.

Sucher would respond by collecting birdies on the par 5, 583-yard sixth hole and the par 3 seventh to give him a one stroke advantage as he teed off on his final hole of the day. But following a second shot on the par 4 ninth hole that left him with a 50-foot putt for birdie, Sucher three-putted to end up with a bogey five and drop him into a tie for the overall lead.

The Blazers also got outstanding play from their other golfers throughout most of the tournament. Adam West carded a 3-under par 68 in Saturday's final round and finished at 209, 4-under par and tied for 17th place. West's 36-hole mark of 141 tied a career-low score, while his 54-hole mark beat his previous best tally by two strokes.

West had an ominous start to the final round, as he bogeyed his first hole and settled for a three-putt par on the very next hole. However, the Montgomery, Ala. native responded by going 4-under par over his final 16 holes to result in his career-low round.

Brad Smith shot a 214 for three rounds, closing with an even par 71 Saturday. Smith tied for 51st. Kyle Sapp also was at even par Saturday and finished the tournament at 218, +5 for three rounds and tied for 89th place. Mike Oimoen was 1-under Saturday with his final round 70 and finished at 219. He fired a 71 Friday after an opening round 78. Oimoen finished in the 94th position.

Georgia, the top-seeded team at the regional, easily won the team competition as the Bulldogs fired a cumulative score of 811, 41 strokes under par and 21 shots better than team runner-up Augusta State (832). UC Irvine was third at 836, just three shots ahead of UAB, while Mississippi State placed fourth at 838.

SMU
SMU freshman Kelly Kraft came up one shot short in his bid to advance to the 2008 NCAA Men's Golf Championship on Saturday, May 17, at Council Fire Golf Club. Kraft carded a final round 70 and finished tied for eighth at 6-under 207 for 54 holes. Joel Sjohol (-8) of Georgia State and Jurrian van der Vaart (-7) of Virginia Tech claimed the individual Championship berths from the East Regional as only the top two individuals not on advancing team gain entry to the NCAA Championships.

As a team, SMU finished tied for 23rd at 14-over 866. Ben Tewes (219), Scott Barton (222) and Dan Kleckner (223) each shot 75 on Saturday and finished 87th, 104th and 113th, respectively. James Minahan (226) rounded out the SMU squad in 129th place.

MEMPHIS
Memphis men's golf team shot an even-par round as a team in the third round of the NCAA East Regional on Saturday. The round was the Tigers best of the tournament. The regional was held at the Council Fire Golf Course in Chattanooga.

Sophomore Brandon Bunn paced the Tigers in round three, firing a two-under 69. Bunn tied senior Ian Rochester for 65th place. Rochester shot a one-under 70 in the final round. Senior Robbie Greenwell led the squad with a three-day total of 215. Greenwell tied for 58th in the regional. Junior Brad Benjamin tied for 87th with a total of 219. Senior Kyle Ritchie shot a final round 78.

The Tigers' NCAA Tournament appearance was the program's first since 1988.

UCF
The 25th-ranked UCF men's golf team concluded play at the NCAA West Regional on Saturday, placing 19th in the field of 27 teams. The Knights fell short in their bid to reach the NCAA Championship as the top 10 teams advanced from each of the three regionals across the country.

Freshman Kyle Cobb posted his best round of the tournament and the day for the Knights as he carded a 73 (+1). The team finished with a 300 (+12), which was its best round of the 54-hole event at the Gold Mountain Golf Club. The Knights' three-day total was 903 (+39).

The Knights had to play without their top player on Saturday after junior Greg Forest had to withdraw after five holes due to an illness. Forest had the best 36-hole score for the Knights (148 (+4) entering the final round.

Southern Cal won the West Regional and advanced along with Oregon, Clemson, Washington, UCLA, Stanford, St. Mary's (Calif.) and Arizona State. Pepperdine, Texas and San Diego State were going to have a playoff to decide the final two teams to advance to West Lafayette, Ind., in two weeks for the national championship.

Junior David Johnson joined Cobb by posting his best round of the tournament with a 74 (+2). Johnson made third birdies in his final 18 holes, while senior Giwon Suh made four birdies and an eagle in his final event for the Knights to card a 75 (+3).

Suh was the top finisher for UCF, placing in a tie for 53rd with a three-round score of 225 (+9). Sophomore Mike Stern (Miami, Fla.) carded a 78 (+6) in his final round to finish with a three-day total of 229 (+13). Cobb and Johnson both finished with 54-hole totals of 230 (+14).

The Knights had one of their better seasons in recent memory, winning two events in a season for the first time since the 2003-04 season.