CARLSBAD, Calif. – With their backs against the wall, the Oklahoma men’s golf team rallied in the third round of the NCAA Championship, jumping six spots up the leaderboard to make the cut and position themselves in the hunt for match play.
The Sooners (13, +25) used one of Sunday’s five under-par rounds at Omni La Costa’s North Course to go from seven shots back of the cut to safely above it and just five back of the eight-team final cut that will determine match play after Monday’s final round.
“Today was a big-time round for Oklahoma golf,” head coach Ryan Hybl said. “We challenged our guys to show us what they were made of, and knew that it was going to take something special like we saw at regionals, but they were just amazing today. We’re just getting started. People are being congratulatory, and that’s great, but there’s still work to do, and we’ve got a chance tomorrow to take one more step toward our goal.”
After starting off the 10th tee, the ninth-seeded Sooners battled over their first nine holes, making the turn at 3-over par but still well behind the cut. It took the strongest back nine of the week to catapult the Crimson and Cream up the leaderboard and into the top 15.
After Sunday’s round, the 30-team field was narrowed to 15, and on Monday, the remaining 15 teams will tee off in the final round of stroke play. Following Monday’s round, the top eight teams move on to match play, determining a team champion. All seven teams outside of Monday’s cut are within seven shots.
Since 2015, three teams have erased a seven-stroke deficit to qualify for match play in the final round. Notably, Oklahoma achieved the feat in 2016, erasing a nine-shot gap and beginning a streak under Hybl where it reached match play six out of seven times – the best stretch in the country.
Ben Lorenz (T40, +6) tallied six birdies on the day, including five across the back nine after starting on No. 10 to aid the Sooners’ rise. The Peoria, Ariz., product, named a PING All-Region selection over the weekend, wrapped his day with a 70 at the par-72 track to move up 51 spots on the leaderboard to 40th.
Despite firing a non-counting 77 (+5) on Sunday, Jase Summy still paces Oklahoma in a tie for 27th at 4-over for the week.
Drew Goodman (T73, +9) joined Lorenz in the red in the third round, signing for a 1-under 71 punctuated by four birdies over his final 10 holes.
After posting an 86 in the opening round and being subbed out of the lineup, senior Luke Kluver gave Hybl and the Sooners a pivotal 1-under 71 to help keep OU’s season alive. Kluver was nearly perfect on Sunday, posting two birdies, one bogey and 15 pars.
True freshman Ryder Cowan added a counting 74 (+2) and sits in a tie for 101st.
The Sooners, five back of the match-play cut, tee off at 12:45 p.m. CT on Monday off the first tee with East Tennessee State and Tennessee.
Illinois (-2) is the only team under par as the Fighting Illini lead the team race by six shots. Individually, the field is chasing Ohio State’s Adam Wallin who carded a 69 (-3) to move to 5-under for the week.
Live scoring will be available on Golfstat, and the Golf Channel will go live from La Costa beginning at 3 p.m. with coverage wrapping at 9 p.m. CT.
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