Carmel Cup: No. 1 Oklahoma State Wins at Pebble Beach

September 3, 2017 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

Three in a row for the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Pebble Beach<br>(Oklahoma State Twitter photo)

All 6 players shoot in the 60s to win the first big college tourney of the season; a playoff settled the individual title

PEBBLE BEACH, CA (September 3, 2017) - Oklahoma State University, the preseason #1 men's college golf team, validated their ranking on Sunday by winning the Carmel Cup at Pebble Beach Golf Links, their third straight win in the event.

Scores were amazingly low all three days at the U.S. Open venue, with the Cowboys shooting 52 under par in the best 5-of-6 format to win by 14 shots over Texas Tech University. For the tournament, all of Oklahoma State's 18 rounds were par or better.

In all, there were 46 rounds in the 60s, and 31 of the 48 players in the field finished the tournament under par.

Related: 61 at Pebble Beach: Long Sets Course Record at Carmel Cup

Texas Tech was just three shots behind starting the round and actually took the lead after a hot start that saw them go 11 under over their first five holes. But Oklahoma State pulled ahead on the strength of three bogey-free rounds and going 12 under par on the back nine.

Hayden Wood (Oklahoma State), the medalist in the U.S. Amateur three weeks ago, and Hurly Long (Texas Tech), who on day two shot a course record 11-under 61, were paired in the final group and had a thrilling duel for the individual title. When Long started out par-eagle-birdie, he had played his last 21 holes in 14 under par and had a four shot lead over Wood. But Wood birdied four of the next five holes and took a two-shot lead of his own when Long bogeyed the 8th and 9th.

Long tied it up with birdies at 11 and 13, only to see Wood retake the lead with a birdie at the 14th. Long struck back at the very next hole to tie it up again, and it remained tied until the 18th. With Wood in close for birdie, Long had to make a matching birdie putt from 15 feet, which he did to force a playoff. Wood shot 66, Long a 67, and the two players finished at 19 under, six shots ahead of everyone else.

Hurly Long's birdie putt on #18 to force a playoff

Hurly Long with a birdie on the last to get in playoff. Clutch again!!! Playoff on hole #1 in an hour. Updates coming. pic.twitter.com/1Pq3tvEiZX
— Texas Tech Mens Golf (@TTUMensGolf) September 3, 2017

On the first playoff hole, Wood went long and made bogey, which allowed Long to tap in for par and win the individual title.

Garett Reband of the University of Oklahoma finished alone in third at 13-under 203, with Patrick Martin of Vanderbilt and Kristoffer Ventura of Oklahoma State tied for fourth at 12-under 204.

The reigning national champion Oklahoma Sooners finished third as a team, followed by Vanderbilt, TCU, Arkansas, Georgia and Ohio State.

Results: Carmel Cup

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Hurly Long	, Germany	700	69-61-67=197
2	Hayden Wood	Edmond, OK	500	64-67-66=197
3	Garett Reband	York, SC	400	68-67-68=203
T4	Patrick Martin	Birmingham, AL	400	69-67-68=204
T4	Kristoffer Ventura	, Norway	400	66-70-68=204

View full results for Carmel Cup

About the Carmel Cup

Carmel Cup: No. 1 Oklahoma State Wins at Pebble Beach

Started in 2011, the Carmel Cup is a 54-hole men's college event hosted by Mississippi State University and played at the Number 1 ranked public golf course in the United States, Pebble Beach Golf Links. Its field comprised mostly of top teams from t...