Capone Earns NCAA Tournament Bid for Men's Golf
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 22, 1999
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Wake Forest senior Michael Capone (Cranston, R.I.) fired a career-low-tying 66 in the final round of the NCAA East Regional Tournament to finish fifth and earn an individual berth to the NCAA Championships in two weeks. Capone competed as an individual in the event, which was played on the 6,734-yard, par-71 course at the Rhode Island Country Club in Providence - just 20 minutes from his hometown.
Of the 23 teams and five individuals competing in the East Regional, the top 11 teams and two individuals not on those 11 teams advanced to the NCAA Championships in Chaska, Minn., on June 2-5.
Capone stood in sixth place after carding a 71 in the first round, but his 75 on Friday dropped him to 33rd place and seemingly out of contention for an individual bid. His 66 on today catapulted him to fifth place, giving him a 54-hole total of 212, or 1-under par. Capone finished just four strokes behind the individual champion, South Carolina's Kyle Thompson, and was the top individual in the field who was not a member of one of the 11 qualifying teams.
In team competition, Georgia Tech fired a 282 in the final round to successfully defend their East Regional title, recording a 54-hole total of 845, or 7-under par. Other teams advancing to the NCAA Championships were South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, East Tennessee State, Duke, North Carolina, Richmond, Mississippi, Clemson, and Augusta State. South Alabama's D.J. Nelson, who finished tied for eighth at 1-over par, earned the other individual berth.
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1 Georgia Tech* 283-280-282=845 -7
2 South Carolina* 286-292-276=854 +2
3 Florida* 297-288-274=859 +7
4 Georgia* 294-284-285=863 +11
5 E. Tenn. St* 297-286-286=869 +17
6 Duke* 293-288-289=870 +18
North Carolina* 293-293-284=870 +18
8 Richmond* 296-290-285=871 +19
9 Mississippi* 292-289-294=875 +23
10 Clemson* 291-282-303=876 +24
Augusta State* 300-293-283=876 +24
Mississippi St. 299-292-285=876 +24
13 Georgia State 293-299-285=877 +25
14 South Alabama 295-288-295=878 +26
15 North Florida 300-289-294=883 +31
16 Penn State 302-292-294=888 +36
17 Maryland 300-292-297=889 +37
Seton Hall 302-291-296=889 +37
19 NC State 304-295-291=890 +38
Rhode Island 299-299-292=890 +38
21 Connecticut 300-304-300=904 +52
22 James Madison 304-305-296=905 +53
23 Yale 305-309-310=924 +72
TOP TEN INDIVIDUALS
1 Kyle Thompson, S. Carolina 72-73-63=208 -5
2 Matt Kuchar, Ga. Tech 70-69-70=209 -4
3 Bryce Molder, Ga. Tech 69-74-67=210 -3
Ryuji Imada, Georgia 71-71-68=210 -3
5 Michael Capone, Wk Forest* 71-75-66=212 -1
Wes Latimer, Ga. Tech 72-70-70=212 -1
7 Camilo Benedetti, Florida 73-70-70=213 E
8 Chris Wisler, E. Tenn. St. 74-70-70=214 +1
Jamie Elson, Augusta St. 75-70-69=214 +1
Chad Moseley, Richmond 73-70-71=214 +1
D.J. Nelson, S. Alabama* 72-67-75=214 +1
* advanced to NCAA Championships (note: Clemson and Augusta State advanced
over Mississippi State by scoring lower in a one-hole playoff)
