Golf Ties For Fourth At NCAA Championships
5/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 30, 2003
STILLWATER, Okla. - Wake Forest posted its best national finish since 1997 with a tie for fourth at the 2003 NCAA Golf Championships on Friday. The Demon Deacons shot 10-over 298 - the third-best round of the day - to finish with a 46-over 1198 for the tournament. The four-day, 72-hole event took place at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla.
WFU, which went back and forth in the standings with Florida over the final nine holes, ended up tied with the Gators thanks to a strong performance on No. 18. The Deacs collectively went five-under on the final hole with an eagle by Bill Haas and three birdies. Florida went two-under on the same hole.
Clemson captured the NCAA title with a two-stroke victory over host Oklahoma State. It marks the first national title in men's golf for the ACC since WFU last won in 1986. The Tigers posted a 39-over 1191 over the four days, while the Cowboys finished at 1193. UCLA placed third, just one stroke ahead of WFU and Florida at +45.
Demon Deacon seniors Brent Wanner and Chad Wilfong, as well as Haas, all finished in a tie for 26th after concluding the tournament with a 12-over par 300. Wanner, who started the day in contention for a top-10 individual finish, scored a disappointing 79 but provided the final birdie on 18 to help clinch the fourth-place tie for the team.
Haas, even for most of the day, used the eagle on No. 18 to finish at two-under 70, the Deacons' best 18-hole score of the tournament. Wilfong, who was WFU's leader for most of the round at one-under, double-bogeyed No. 16 then bogeyed 17 before carding par at 18 to finish two-over for the day.
The Deacon trio finished 13 strokes back of individual medalist Alejandro Canizares of Arizona State. The freshman overtook three-day leader Lee Williams of Auburn late in Friday's round with a three-under 69. He finished at one-under 287 for the tournament, the only player to finish under par. Williams was runner-up at one-over.
Senior Chris Yoder turned in his second-straight 75 to end the tournament with a 20-over 308, placing in a tie for 49th overall. Senior Cortland Lowe posted an 80 on Friday, tying for 63rd at 24-over 312.
"I am very proud of these guys," said head coach Jerry Haas. "Not only for their performance this week, but for the way they've carried themselves throughout their careers here at WFU. They've been great golfers, great students and great representatives of the University.
Lowe, Wanner, Wilfong and Yoder all closed out their collegiate careers on Friday. Haas, a junior, will return next season as the lone senior on the Deacon squad.
The Deacons' finish marks the 15th time WFU has finished among the top five at the NCAA Championships. WFU was runner-up in 1997.
NCAA Championships
May 27-30, 2003
Karsten Creek GC (par 72, 7,301 yards)
WFU Final Results To Par Strokes Off Lead
T4 Team 304-306-290-298 1198 +46 7
T26 Brent Wanner 75-75-71-79 300 +12 13
T26 Chad Wilfong 79-74-73-74 300 +12 13
T26 Bill Haas 77-82-71-70 300 +12 13
T49 Chris Yoder 78-80-75-75 308 +20 21
T63 Cortland Lowe 74-77-81-80 312 +24 25
Full leaderboards available at www.golfstatlive.com.