The USC Trojans are the champions of the NCAA West Regional
(USC photo)
AUBURN, WA (May 17, 2017)--With three players finishing in the top five, the USC Trojans turned in a solid final round to win the NCAA West Regional at Aldarra Golf Club by six shots.
USC entered the final round with a three shot lead over first-round leaders Florida State, but were never really challenged by the Seminoles, who lost ten shots to the Trojans over the course of the day and finished tied for third.
Kent State continued its steady performance at the West Regional, closing with a two-over 286 to move ahead of Florida State into the runner-up position. The Golden Flashes were led by Ian Holt, whose 67 was tied low round of the day and who finished as joint runner-up with USC's Sean Crocker and Justin Suh at four-under 209.
Crocker led after round one, and Suh led after round two, but neither could do enough to catch Penn State's Cole Miller, who shot his third straight round in the 60s to set a target score of seven-under 206 that no one could match.
The low five teams and the low individual not on a qualifying team qualify for the NCAA Championship, to be held at Rich Harvest Farms in Elk Grove, IL, May 26-31.
Going into the final round, Alabama held a one shot lead over Washington for the fifth and final spot into the championship, with Texas A&M another two shots back and San Diego State another shot behind. There was a three-way tie in the race for the lone individual spot in the championship, with P.J. Samiere of San Diego State and Michigan's Kyle Mueller and Nick Carlson all at 142.
Alabama got off the bubble quickly, with three under par rounds including a 68 Lee Hodges, a 69 for Josh Sedeno and a 70 by Davis Riley. The Crimson Tide finished with the low round of the day, a two-under 282, to pull into a tie for third with Florida State.
Chandler Phillips tried to pull Texas A&M into the fifth spot with a 67, ad the Aggies posted an even-par 284, but in the end it wasn't enough as Penn State, on the strength of 68s by Miller and Ryan Davis, held off the Aggies by four shots. Washington was another two shots back, and San Diego State faded from contention.
The silver lining for Phillips was that his 67 earned him the lone individual spot, by one shot over Mueller. Phillips finished at two-under 211.
The folowing teams and individual advanced to the NCAA Championship:
- USC, Kent State, Florida State, Alabama, Penn State
- Chandler Phillips, Texas A&M
ABOUT THE
NCAA Division I West Regional
54 hole men's NCAA Regional from which the
low
teams advance to the NCAA Championship.
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