Drone flyover video of Omni La Costa North Course par-3 12th hole
Omni La Costa is hosting the NCAA mens and womens golf championships for a second year in a row. The North Course features a long par-3 12th hole.
Oklahoma State’s chase for a 12th men’s golf national championship has reached the final match.
Playing in his home state, Oklahoma State sophomore Eric Lee rolled in an 6-foot par putt on the first extra hole to win his match and clinch the team victory for the Cowboys, 3-2 over Ole Miss on Tuesday in the semifinals of the NCAA men’s golf championships at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.
Fourth-seeded Oklahoma State will face seventh-seeded Virginia — seeking its first-ever men’s golf title — with the championship match set to begin at 4:25 p.m. Wednesday on the Golf Channel.
Lee and Ole Miss’ Cohen Trolio had traded big shots down the stretch of the decisive match, with each team having secured two matches. Tied through 18 holes, the match went to the par-3 No. 16, where both players hit tee shots to the back edge of the green.
Neither player got inside of 6 feet from there, but Trolio missed his par putt and Lee followed with the clincher.
“It’s a great feeling with everyone here,” Lee, a sophomore from Fullerton, California, told the Golf Channel. “I have a lot of friends here, friends and family. I’m thankful for them coming out. But we haven’t finished the job yet. Gotta to get some rest tonight and do some work tomorrow.”
OSU’s Preston Stout, the Big 12 champion who finished third in the NCAA individual race, finished his match early, defeating individual medalist Michael La Sasso 5 and 4.
Ole Miss got wins from Tom Fischer and Kye Meeks to take a 2-1 lead and the Rebels looked to have momentum.
OSU freshman Filip Fahlberg-Johnson let a late lead slip away, but he made a birdie on the 20th hole to defeat Cameron Tankersley, which evened the match at 2.
That turned all the attention to Lee and Trolio, whose match was all square through 15 at the time. Each player answered each other’s big shots down the stretch until Lee put the match away on the 19th hole.
Cowboys win Bedlam duel
OSU advanced to the semifinals with a 3.5-1.5 match-play win over Bedlam rival OU in the quarterfinals earlier Tuesday.
OSU got wins from Fahlberg-Johnsson, Ethan Fang and Stout, who closed out the win 3-1 over OU’s Jase Summy. Stout also finished third overall in the individual portion of the tournament that ended Monday.
The Sooners’ lone win came from Ryder Cowen. OSU’s Eric Lee and OU’s Clark Van Gaalen were tied in their match when the Cowboys closed out the win.
It was the first time the in-state rivals met head-to-head in the match play portion of the NCAA Championships.
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