By: OU Athletics Communications
Jase Summy and PJ Maybank III each posted double-digit scores under par to guide the Sooners to their fourth top-five finish of the season.
“There’s a lot of opportunity in front of us to get better,” head coach Ryan Hybl said. “I’m really proud of how competitive our guys were and how they battled. We certainly have room to grow, and we’re excited to get home, get back to work and prepare for Vegas.”
The Sooners (4, -33) used back-to-back 12-under rounds on days one and two to move into contention at the par-72 Grande Reserve Golf Course, but a 9-under final round wasn’t enough to catch No. 1 Virginia, who won the event at 55-under par. OU’s 33-under mark is its second-lowest tournament score of the season, trailing only the program-record 63-under posted at the Ka’anapali Classic in the fall.
Summy (T5, -14), who was named to the Hogan Award Watch List last week, carded rounds of 66-68-68 to tie for fifth, marking the All-American’s 11th career top-five finish. The senior’s three rounds in the 60s pushed his season total to eight and his career total to 47, breaking Drew Goodman’s school record of 44. Summy, who finished third at the Ka’anapali Classic to close the fall, is a combined 32-under par over his last two events.
“Jase really played well this week and handled himself like a pro,” Hybl said. “He showed great leadership for us and was big as we got the spring started.”
Maybank III (T9, -10) posted his first top-10 finish of the season, firing a career-low 206 (-10) to tie for ninth. The junior recorded 14 birdies and an eagle on the week, carding rounds of 68-70-68 for his best finish since placing ninth at last year’s Aggie Invitational.
“PJ had a really strong tournament,” Hybl added. “We know that’s exactly what he can do for us, so we’re really excited for him and how consistent he was this week.”
Clark Van Gaalen (T18, -8) sat 8-under through 36 holes before posting an even-par 72 in the final round to tie for 18th. The sophomore now owns 10 top-20 finishes in 16 career events.
True freshman Coltrane Mittag (T33, -5) made his collegiate debut after joining the Sooners in January, as he competed unattached and finished 5-under par in a tie for 33rd. His final-round 68 (-4) moved him into the top 35.
Asher Whitaker competed unattached and tied for 48th at 2-under par. Ryder Cowan (T66, +2), who won the event last season, tied for 66th. Adam Anderson rounded out the OU contingent with an 82nd-place finish at 9-over par.
No. 1 Virginia won the event at 55-under par, 18 shots ahead of runner-up No. 2 LSU. No. 18 Tennessee finished third at 36-under, followed by Oklahoma (-33) and South Carolina (-31).
South Carolina’s Frankie Harris fired a final-round 66 (-6) to break a tie atop the leaderboard and win the event at 16-under par, one stroke ahead of the nation’s top-ranked player, Virginia’s Ben James.
Oklahoma’s 63 birdies ranked fifth among the 15-team field and marked the second-most birdies the Sooners have recorded in a tournament this season.
OU returns to action March 1-3 at the Southern Highlands Collegiate, one of the toughest events each season, held at Southern Highlands Golf Club in Las Vegas.
For the latest on Oklahoma men’s golf, follow the Sooners on Twitter (@OU_MGolf) and like Oklahoma Men’s Golf on Facebook. To support the program, consider joining the Chip In Club, a group committed to elevating Sooner golf.
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