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BYU men’s golf team ties for second, advances to NCAA Championship
By Ari Davis, Sports Information Director for Golf at Brigham Young University
NORMAN, Okla. — Top-5 individual finishes by Patrick Fishburn and Peter Kuest propelled the No. 39-ranked BYU men’s golf team to a tie for second place at the NCAA Normal Regional at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club. With the runner-up finish, the Cougars advance to the NCAA Division I Golf Championships for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
BYU entered Wednesday’s final round of the regional tournament tied for fourth with No. 10 Auburn at 573 (-3), six shots behind the leader Oklahoma at 567 (-9). The Cougars closed out the 54-hole event with a 278 for a three-round total of 295-278-278—851 (-13). The 10-under-par closing round proved to be the best final-round score of day and jumped BYU into a second-place tie with North Florida, just one shot behind No. 3-ranked Oklahoma. The Sooners won the tournament with three-day total of 283-284-283—850 (-14).
“The team was so impressive the last two days,” BYU head coach Bruce Brockbank said. “It was a total team effort. It was so awesome to have all five guys competing in the final stretch of the tournament. Kuest was absolutely fantastic today and Fishburn really stepped up.”
The Cougars were led by senior Fishburn who shot a 69 (-3) in the final round. The Utah native, finished the regional in second place, carding a 71-66-69—206 (-10). Fishburn birdied three holes on the final day to finish just one shot behind North Florida’s Travis Trace, who won the individual title with a 70-70-65—205 (-11).
Peter Kuest had the lowest BYU score of the final round with a 6-under-par 66. His three-day total of 74-70-66—210, placed the sophomore in a fifth-place tie with WCC foe Joshua McCarthy of Pepperdine. Kuest birdied seven holes on the final day, including two of his last three holes, to help secure BYU’s second-place finish.
Rhett Rasmussen shot 72 on the final day to finish the regional tied for 18th with a three-round total of 75-68-72—215. The sophomore birdied three holes in a row on back nine to post an even-par final round. CJ Lee, a senior, fired a 1–under-par 71 to finished tied for 39th with a 54-hole total of 75-75-71—221 (+5). Spencer Dunaway, a junior, wrapped up the three-day competition tied for 65th with a 54-hole total of 231.
BYU’s men golf team advances to the NCAA Championship along with top-5 finishers No. 3 Oklahoma (850), No. 27 North Florida (851), No. 10 Auburn (861) and No. 15 Arkansas (861). The Championships will be held in Stillwater, Oklahoma, at Karsten Creek Golf Club from May 24-30.
2018 NCAA Norman Regional – May 14-16, 2018
Jimmie Austin Oklahoma University Golf Club
Place
Player
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Total
To-Par
2
Patrick Fishburn
71
66
69
206
-10
T5
Peter Kuest
74
70
66
210
-6
T18
Rhett Rasmussen
75
68
72
215
-1
T39
CJ Lee
75
75
71
221
+5
T65
Spencer Dunaway
84
74
73
231
+15
Place
Team
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Total
To-Par
1
No. 3 Oklahoma
283
284
283
850
-14
T2
No. 39 BYU
295
278
278
851
-13
T2
No. 27 Florida State
288
283
280
851
-13
T4
No. 10 Auburn
288
285
288
861
-3
T4
No. 15 Arkansas
288
293
280
861
-3
6
No. 22 Florida State
293
284
285
862
-2
7
No. 46 Virginia
297
281
285
863
-1
8
No. 33 Pepperdine
295
274
295
864
E
9
Nevada
294
285
288
867
+3
10
San Diego State
290
290
290
870
+6
11
Missouri-Kansas City
293
297
291
881
+17
12
Sam Houston State
301
289
298
888
+24
13
Navy
323
302
296
921
+57
14
Prairie View A&M
315
316
312
943
+79