The Arkansas men’s golf team’s season ended Thursday when the Razorbacks finished one stroke shy of being in a playoff at the NCAA Championships to decide the final three spots in an eight-team match play format that begins today
The Razorbacks, who were tied for fifth after Wednesday’s second round, finished 10th with a team total of 843 after their top four players combined to shoot 6-over-par 286 at the Capital City Club’s Crabapple Course in Milton, Ga.
Arizona State, New Mexico, UNLV and Texas A&M tied for sixth at 842 to force a playoff. The Aggies were eliminated when they made two bogeys on the first extra hole.
The Razorbacks had five double bogeys Thursday, which exceeded their total from the first two rounds combined.
Arkansas freshman Nicolas Echavarria shot a 2-overpar 72 Thursday and finished tied for 13th in the individual standings at 206. He had shot 64 - an Arkansas record for a round at the NCAA Championships - on Wednesday to move into a tie for second.
Echavarria opened with a bogey Thursday but made a birdie putt on No. 5 to get back to even. His tee shot on the par-3, 191-yard sixth went right and led to a double bogey. He birdied the par-5 No. 12, bogeyed No. 16, then hit a 35-foot putt on No. 17 to get the Razorbacks back in the running for the playoff.
Echavarria missed his par putt on No. 18 and had to settle for a bogey.
Razorbacks junior Sebastian Cappellen shot 70 Thursday and tied for 16th at 207. He had four birdies but double-bogeyed No. 11 and bogeyed No. 18.
Freshman Taylor Moore posted Arkansas’ low score Thursday with a 69 and tied for 60th at 213. He had three birdies Thursday.
Arkansas senior Austin Cook shot 75 to finish tied for 109th at 218. Sophomore Thomas Sorensen shot 77, which did not count among the Razorbacks’ total. He finished at 222 to tie for 135th.
“I was really pleased with the way that we played throughout the tournament,” Arkansas Coach Brad McMakin said. “We didn’t have a good day today, but we still had a chance to make match play late in the round and that is all you can ask for.
“Nicolas had a great tournament and he was really upset that he wasn’t able to make that putt [on No. 18], but we would not have been in that position if he hadn’t played so well all week.”
The Razorbacks’ 10th-place finish is their highest at the NCAA Championships since finishing second to Texas A&M in 2009 and their ninth top-10 finish.
No. 1 California had the best score over the three rounds of stroke play at 16-under-par 824. Also finishing in the top eight to advance to today’s match play were Georgia Tech, Alabama, Texas, Illinois, Arizona State,New Mexico and UNLV.
California senior Max Homa shot a 4-under 66 to win the individual title at 201.
Sports, Pages 21 on 05/31/2013