SEOSU takes second, OC’s Norby wins individual title in Broncho Invitational at Oak Tree CC
EDMOND, Okla. – Southeastern posted two of the six best rounds of the entire tournament with a 285 and a 282 to open play at the Broncho Invitational by RCB Bank in Edmond, Okla., but a final round 305 moved the Savage Storm into a tie for second with an 872 score for the week.
SE was nine shots off the top mark posted by St. Mary’s of 863 and was tied at 872 with Missouri-St. Louis.
Zach James continued his stellar play, shooting 67-70-73 to finish tied for second individually. Oklahoma Christian’s Trevor Norby closed with a 71 to earn his first collegiate victory.
Jordan Holifield posted a second-round 68 to highlight his 54-hole tournament that also included rounds of 72 and 74 to card a 214 and finish seventh. Hayden Foster opened with a 68 and followed with a 71 before putting up a 79 in his final round to post a 218 for the week and finish tied for 13th.
Ruben Figueiredo turned in rounds of 78, 77, and 79 to finish with a 234 in a tie for 67th, while Bryce Hughesrounded out the squad with a 240 on rounds of 79, 73, and 88 to finish tied for 82nd.
SEOSU was the highest finisher in both the Great American Conference and the region, with conference rivals Southern Arkansas finishing seventh with an 884, followed by Henderson State in ninth with an 889, and Southern Nazarene tied for 10th with an 893. Southwestern turned in a 13th place finish with a 901, while Harding was next in with a 927 in 14th place.
Since Trevor Norby arrived at Oklahoma Christian, OC coach David Lynn quietly has thought it wouldn’t be long before he emerged as a force in NCAA Division II men’s golf.
Norby began fulfilling that promise at the Broncho Invitational at Oak Tree Country Club’s East Course, shooting a 1-over-par 71 on Tuesday to seal a four-shot win – the first at the collegiate level for the junior from Carlsbad, Calif.
Norby, who transferred to OC from San Diego State last summer, finished the three-round tournament at 4-under 206 on a 7,102-yard course he knows well, from the Eagles’ many practice rounds played there. He entered the final round tied for the lead with Emilio Gonzales of St. Mary’s (Texas) for the lead and put together a steady round that included 15 pars, one birdie and two bogeys in his final round.
The individual win was the first by an OC golfer since Garrett White won last year’s Heartland Conference Championship at Slick Rock Golf Course in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. Norby was the 20th OC player to win an individual tournament title since the program was revived in 1997.
Norby kept OC in contention in the team race for most of the final round. The 12th-ranked Eagles, down nine shots after the first round and five after the second round, closed within two shots of the lead at one point Tuesday but eventually settled into fourth place in the 16-team field at 873 after their final-round 302.
OC’s second-highest individual finisher was senior Juan Pallach, who shot a final-round 72 to close at 223, tied for 34th. Senior Cameron Brown (82) tied for 47th at 228, while sophomore Andres Brictson (83) tied for 57th at 230. Another shot back, tied for 61st, was White (77).
Sophomore Jackson Phillips led the group of four Eagles playing the tournament as individuals, shooting a final-round 82 to finish at 230, tied for 57th. Seniors Ethan Smith (85) and Grady Neal (79) tied for 71st at 235 while sophomore Reese Gorman (87) was 94th at 250.
The Eagles will play next Monday and Tuesday in the St. Edward’s Invitational at Onion Creek Club in Austin, Texas.