Segundo in First: Oliva Pinto is SEC Men's conference champion
- Steven Colquitt/UGA photo
Arkansas junior Segundo Oliva Pinto fired rounds of 66-72-68 to claim medalist honors at the Southeastern Conference Championships at Sea Island (Ga.) Golf Club’s Seaside Course on Friday afternoon.
Oliva Pinto’s 6-under 204 total earned the junior a two-stroke victory over 36-hole leader Spencer Ralston of Georgia, who began the day with a one-stroke advantage. Oliva Pinto quickly moved into a tie for tie for lead with a birdie on the opening hole and took the lead outright on the second following a bogey by Ralston. That was all the cushion the native of Córdoba, Argentina would need en route to SEC medalist honors.
Oliva Pinto led by four shots at the turn and finished with a 68 while Ralston managed to cut the lead to two with birdies on holes 13 and 17 but could get no closer.
His 6-under 204 was the second-lowest total ever turned in by a Razorback at the SEC Championships and marked the second time Oliva Pinto claimed a conference championship. He also won the 2019 Colonial Athletic Association title as a freshman while playing for UNC Wilmington.
“Golf is a crazy sport,” Pinto told Arkansas Online. “I couldn’t break the top 50 in the spring in any tournament, then I got benched last week so I could practice and get my swing together. Now I’m an SEC champion, so it means a lot to me.”
His 6-under 204 was the second-lowest total ever turned in by a Razorback at the SEC Championships and marked the second time Oliva Pinto claimed a conference championship. He also captured the 2019 Colonial Athletic Association Championship held at Pinehurst No. 8, while he was a freshman at UNC-Wilmington. He is the third Arkansas player to claim SEC medalist honors in school history, following Bud Still in 1969 and Sebastian Cappelen in 2014.
Top-seeded and 10th ranked Georgia finished eight strokes ahead of Alabama, Tennessee and LSU in the stroke play portion of the event with a 54-hole score of 842. The Bulldogs will open team match play on Saturday against No. 8 Texas A&M while other quarterfinal matchups will feature No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 7 South Carolina, No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Vanderbilt and No. 4 LSU vs. No. 5 Arkansas.
The semifinals will be contested Saturday afternoon with the championship match slated for Sunday morning at St. Simon’s Island.
ABOUT THE SEC Championship
54-hole stroke play tournament crowns an individual
champion, then eight teams advance to match play
to
determine the SEC team champion.
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