Unbeaten Sooners, Cowboys meet today in final pool play match at Big 12 Match Play Championship
HOCKLEY, Texas – Following two days of play and three separate matches, the Oklahoma men’s golf team sits atop the Big 12 Match Play Championship standings with a 3-0 record, while Oklahoma State is 2-0-1 after beating Baylor and Kansas and tying West Virginia. The in-state rivals meet early today in the final round of pool play with the winner going to the final match in the afternoon.
The No. 2-seeded Sooners have dominated the competition, dispatching Kansas, West Virginia and Baylor to claim a perfect nine points heading into the final day. Oklahoma is the only team to notch three victories and owns a championship-best +59-hole differential. A tie or win in Wednesday morning’s Bedlam match would send Oklahoma to the conference’s match play championship.
“Up to this point, all of our guys have done a nice job, in particular on the putting green,” head coach Ryan Hybl said. “We have seen a lot of putts go in, and we’ll need all of them tomorrow. Our state championship happens tomorrow morning and that’s all we’re focused on.”
The event consists of three days of play at the par-71, 7,007-yard Golf Club at Houston Oaks, guaranteeing each team five matches throughout the week. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning features five sessions of pool play to determine the teams for Wednesday afternoon’s championship match, which will be determined based on points earned. Each team match will be comprised of six individual matches.
On Monday morning, the Sooners swept Kansas 5-0-1 to improve to 1-0 and put three points on the board. Patrick Welch was dominant, securing a 5 and 4 wire-to-wire win over Cecil Belisle to put OU ahead. Shortly after, Jaxon Dowell wrapped up a 4 and 3 win, and Jase Summy locked up a 4 and 2 win to earn the Sooners at least a point. The match-clinching point came from Jake Holbrook, who knocked off Gunnar Broin 4 and 3 to deliver the win for Oklahoma. Finally, Stephen Campbell Jr. delivered a 2 and 1 win over William Duquette, and Drew Goodman earned a tie, securing the Sooner sweep. The Sooners’ +19-hole differential set the pace early for the field, leading No. 1 Texas Tech by six holes.
Monday afternoon proved to be more of the same for the Sooners, as Oklahoma flipped a switch around the turn to pull away from West Virginia. Campbell Jr. snuck in a 6 and 5 win over Max Green, Dowell put away Will Stakel via a 6 and 4 decision, while Goodman earned the Sooners at least a share of the match via a 4 and 3 win before play was suspended due to darkness. Finishing the match on Tuesday morning, Patrick Welch registered a 4 and 2 win over Jackson Davenport to improve Oklahoma to 2-0. Summy added a 2 up win, while Holbrook fell 3 and 1. For the second consecutive match, the Sooners led the field with a +19-hole differential, bringing their total to 38 holes won, 10 more than anyone in the field.
Later on Tuesday morning, the Sooners matched up with Baylor in their final match of the day. Holbrook got on the board first with a 6 and 4 win over Tyler Isenhart. That win was followed by a 4 and 2 victory from Welch and a pair of 3 and 1 wins from Goodman and Summy to push Oklahoma to 3-0 on the week. Another sweep was in order for the Crimson and Cream contingent, as Campbell Jr. and Jaxon Dowell both notched convincing victories without playing 18 holes. The Sooners’ +21-hole differential led the field for a third consecutive session as Oklahoma pushed itself to the top of the table.
The Sooners have never won the event, finishing third in back-to-back seasons. Hybl’s team will match up with state rival Oklahoma State at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning for a spot in the championship. The winner of the Bedlam match will take on the winner of Pool A, where Texas Tech and TCU are tied with seven points apiece. The Red Raiders knocked off the Horned Frogs 4-0-2 on Monday afternoon and hold a 33-hole differential tiebreaker, too. Texas Tech takes on Texas (1-1-1, -4) on Wednesday morning.
Oklahoma State opened the day Tuesday by finishing off a 5-0-1 victory over Kansas, which was suspended on Monday night due to darkness. After having the morning session off, OSU tied West Virginia, 3-3, during the afternoon session at the par-71, 7,007-yard layout.
Against Kansas, fifth year Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen handled Cecil Belisle, 3 and 2, while junior Jonas Baumgartner tied his match with Will King.
Freshman John Wild and junior Bo Jin each notched 4-and-3 victories over William Duquette and Sion Audrain, respectively.
Seniors Hazen Newman and Dillon Stewart each added 2-and-1 wins after taking down Gunnar Broin and Davis Cooper in their respective matches.
During the afternoon session, Neergaard-Petersen provided the first point against WVU, taking down Will Stakel, 4 and 3.
JIn delivered a 4-and-3 victory over Todd Duncan for the Cowboys’ second point of the match.
Wild fell in his match against Jackson Davenport, 4 and 3, to get the Mountaineers on the board. WVU got its second point courtesy of Trent Tipton’s 4-and-3 win over Newman.
Max Green put the Mountaineers in front with a 2-up win over Baumgartner before Stewart tied the match with a 2-and-1 triumph over Kaleb Wilson
The Cowboys will close out pool play tomorrow morning against Oklahoma.
Three Cowboys are competing individually this week at the TPC Colorado at Heron Lakes.
Senior Rayhan Thomas fired a 69 on Tuesday to move into a tie for seventh at 143, while fifth year Leo Oyo posted a 73 to stand in a tie for 13th place at 145. Sophomore Jordan Wilson wrapped up the day in a tie for 19th place at 146 after carding a 73 during his second round.