The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA Regional Championship
No. 1 Men’s Golf wins Franklin Regional to advance to 10th-straight NCAA Championship
05.18.2016 | Men's Golf
All five Longhorns finished in the top 18 to earn a team victory for the seventh time this season.
FRANKLIN, Tenn. — No. 1 Men's Golf advanced to its 10th-straight NCAA Championship after winning the NCAA Franklin Regional on Wednesday at Vanderbilt Legends Golf Club.
The win marks the seventh win for the Longhorns during the 2015-16 for the second-consecutive season Texas has won seven or more tournaments and the third time in history, after the 2011-12 squad won eight.
UT finished 45-under par, 11 strokes ahead of runner-up and host Vanderbilt.
Sophomore Doug Ghim led Texas with a third-round 69 to earn runner-up honors, finishing at 14-under par.
His tie for second marks the lowest finish of his Texas career.
Ghim made a birdie on the second hole to start the round 1-under par. He followed with a bogey on four, but made an eagle on seven's par-5 to continue 2-under par and stayed there through the turn. From there, he made a bogey on 12, but fired back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15 before making another bogey on 16. He completed the round with a birdie on 18 to finish 3-under par for the day.
Ghim's 64-69-69 marks the first time this season he has carded all three rounds under par this season.
Junior Gavin Hall posted the rounds' low score for Texas with a 68 to finish in a tie for sixth with sophomore Taylor Funk.
Hall started the day with a birdie on the first hole, but made a bogey on four to return to even par. He continued with pars on five and six before making an eagle on seven for the third-straight day. He rounded out the front nine with a birdie on nine to enter the turn 3-under par. On the back nine, he made a bogey on 10, but made pars until hole 15, where he made another birdie and finished the round with a birdie to complete the round at 4-under.
Funk also began the day with a birdie, following with another birdie on four before making a bogey on six to sit at 1-under par at the turn. He started the back nine with another birdie, continuing on with three bogeys to finish the day 1-over par.
Junior Beau Hossler rounded out the top-10 for the Longhorns with his third-round 71. Hossler made a bogey to start the round, but offset it with a birdie on seven. He made another bogey to open the back nine, but made birdies on 15 and 18 to finish 8-under par in a tie for ninth.
Sophomore Scottie Scheffler finished even par for the day, following rounds of 69 and 70 to tie for 18th at 5-under par.
Texas made a tournament-high eight eagles during the three rounds, Hall leading with three, while Scheffler and Ghim had two and Funk one.
Houston's Michael Perras earned medalist honors, finishing at 16-under par.
The Horns will make their 66th appearance all-time at the NCAA Championship in Eugene, Ore., beginning on Friday, May 27 with stroke play.
Post-Round Comments
Head Coach John Fields
On the tournament: I thought the guys did a great job the last few days here at Vanderbilt Legends Golf Club. We really had no idea what to expect with this golf course. We knew that Vanderbilt would likely play great golf on their own course, which they did today to put themselves in second. But our guys got off to a great start. They were focused, they worked hard before we got here and it paid off.
On the 10th-straight NCAA appearance: It is certainly something to be proud of, because there are a lot of good teams. To be able to do this 10-straight years is outstanding. I'm really proud of our guys—it isn't easy to compete at this level all the time, so I have a lot of respect for the teams that we play against, but I'm really happy for our program and the University of Texas.
On preparing for NCAAs: We just need to enjoy this win for a moment and then get prepared for the National Championship. Last year, we had a good tournament, got to the match play and got beat in the first round. I know these guys have something to prove—they want to get back there and do something. This is the first step. Step two is getting prepared and step three is going over there and getting it done.
Junior Gavin Hall
On leading the team into NCAAs: I'm just pleased that we are all playing well. I think that has been our main goal. Up until this time of the year, we just wanted to keep getting better and better and I think we are proving to ourselves that we are. We played great at Big 12s and then to come out here playing well as a team is huge moving forward to Eugene.
On his individual performance: I think I played well. I have a lot left in the tank, but to know I didn't have my best stuff on this golf course and still sneak into the top-10 is always a goal of mine. I can build a lot off of this week going into Eugene, which is really nice and I built a lot off the last two rounds I played at Big 12s. I feel really good with my game and this has really helped, because now I know I have a week to work on the things I need to work on and then go get it in Eugene.
On Texas' 10th-straight NCAA Championship appearance: I think it just proves that we are one of the best programs in the country and that is ultimately why I wanted to come to Texas—the legacy. I'm really proud to be a Longhorn, it's everything I expected it would be. To be in the national championship almost every year is not easy to do, especially in a three-day tournament like this regional. I know that for incoming freshmen and our recruits moving forward, we are building a program that is going to last for a while and that's something that I don't take lightly and I know the team doesn't take it lightly, to represent the Longhorns with pride and class. I think we are doing a really good job of that and I'm really looking forward to try and cap it off with a National Championship.
NCAA Regional - Franklin
FINAL
Vanderbilt Legends Golf Club (Par 72, 7,190 yards)
Team Leaderboard
1. TEXAS 268-271-280=819 (-45)
2. Vanderbilt 285-277-268=830 (-34)
T3. Houston 293-273-272=839 (-25)
T3. LSU 288-272-279=839 (-25)
5. Virginia 285-271-286=842 (-22)
6. Washington 283-280-280=843 (-21)
7. Kennesaw State 283-279-285=847 (-17)
8. East Carolina 279-289-281=849 (-15)
9. Pepperdine 296-286-281=863 (-1)
10. Michigan 303-284-285=872 (+8)
11. Troy 305-283-288=876 (+12)
12. Georgetown 295-289-293=877 (+13)
13. UT-Martin 293-294-291=878 (+14)
Player Leaderboard
1. Michael Perras, Houston 65-69-66=200 (-16)
T2. DOUG GHIM, TEXAS 64-69-69=202 (-14)
T2. Ryan Cole, James Madison 69-64-69=202 (-14)
4. Theo Humphrey, Vanderbilt 70-66-69=205 (-11)
5. Carl Yuan, Washington 65-69-72=206 (-10)
T6. TAYLOR FUNK, TEXAS 65-69-73=207 (-9)
T6. GAVIN HALL, TEXAS 70-69-68=207 (-9)
T6. Jimmy Stanger, Virginia 68-68-71=207 (-9)
T9. BEAU HOSSLER, TEXAS 73-64-71=208 (-8)
T9. Patrick Martin, Vanderbilt 70-71-67=208 (-8)
T9. Will Gordon, Vanderbilt 72-70-66=208 (-8)
T9. Eric Ricard, LSU 74-65-69=208 (-8)
T9. Ryan Cornfield, USC Upstate 73-70-65=208 (-8)
Additional Texas Players
T18. Scottie Scheffler 69-70-72=211 (-5)
Players Mentioned
