Arkansas wins Callaway Collegiate Match Play
BRADENTON, Fla. (March 20, 2012) -- Arkansas defeated Duke, 3.5-1.5 to claim the team title at the Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.
Top-seeded Arkansas took an early lead when Sebastian Cappelen - who posted a 4-0 record for the week - downed Brinson Paolini 4 and 3. Duke’s Julian Suri would even the team score with a 5 and 3 win over Ethan Tracy. The Razorbacks would reclaim the lead with Austin Cook's 3 and 1 defeat of Austin Cody. When Arkansas’ Thomas Sorensen birdied the 18th hole of his match to pull even with Tim Gornik and Duke’s Yaroslav Merkulov and Kolton Crawford were all square thru 18 both matches went to extra holes. In both matches third playoff hole Crawford recorded a birdie to win in 21 holes and clinch the team championship for Arkansas. Crawford and Gornik’s match was considered halved.
“We got of to a little bit of a slow start but were able to get a couple of matches up early,” said Arkansas Coach Brad McMakin. “Sebastian (Cappelen) and Austin (Cook) were in pretty good shape, 4-up and 3-up, so I felt good there. We had a couple of freshmen (Crawford and Sorensen) in the lineup trying to close this thing out so we were a little nervous but they did a great job. It was great for them. This tournament is designed to prepare kids for the future and they will grow leaps and bounds from this experience.”
“Golf is so much confidence,” continued McMakin. “Today the match was close and even in the first round against Washington State we won on the last hole. Today could have gone either way. Winning five tournaments this year helps them coming down the stretch. They’re used to being in the match, being in the tournament, helps them grind it out, save strokes, make a birdie.”
In other results from the final round, California downed Chattanooga for third place, Indiana beat East Carolina for fifth and Oklahoma State defeated Tennessee in the seventh-place match. Liberty, Arizona State, UNCW and Kennesaw State all won their matches in the consolation bracket.