No. 1-ranked UNC Charlotte, which didn’t lead until the final putt, pulled off what coach Jamie Green called “a miracle finish” to win The Stockton Sports Commission Pacific Invitational, presented by Ron Berberian, Bank of Agriculture & Commerce and Berberian European Motors at Brookside Golf and Country Club.
Charlotte, which trailed Kansas State the first two days, and was behind nine shots with nine holes to play, won with a classic comeback that will be hard pressed to ever match. In fact, Charlotte’s Steffan Wiedergruen, who won medalist honors at 17 under, congratulated Kansas State coach Tim Norris with three holes to play. “We were down six strokes and I told him they played great all week and they were deserving of the championship.”
Ooops. Something happened on the way to the trophy presentation.
On No. 16, Wiedergruen makes a 25-foot putt.
On No. 17, Wiedergruen makes a 24-foot putt.
On No. 18, Wiedergruen puts his second shot from 240 yards on this par 5 to within 20-feet. Kansas State’s Joe
Ida, meanwhile, battling to hold onto the team lead and a share of medalist honors, plopped one into the lake. His bogey six and Wiedergruen’s birdie four made the comeback complete.
Birdie, birdie, birdie and Charlotte’s miracle finish, No.-1 ranking and string of four tournament victories was preserved.
Charlotte finished with a team score of 824 for the three-day event, 40 under par. “That’s six strokes better than last year’s champion BYU. Kansas State was two back and Marquette finished in third, 12 shots off the team total.
Wiedergruen also claimed medalist honors with a 199 total, 17 under par on Brookside’s par 72, 6,777-yard course. “I’ve never finished a tournament like this. It’s like hitting a homerun in the seventh game of a World Series. It really is a miracle.”
Said Charlotte Coach Jamie Green, “I’ve never, ever seen a finish like this. We didn’t lead until the last putt, but this course is perfect for a finish like this. We learned something about how you can win a golf tournament. That was some big-time clutch play.”
As pleasing as it was for Charlotte, it was equally as disappointing for Kansas State, ranked 80th and the Cinderella of this event, sponsored by the Stockton Sports Commission and hosted by Pacific.
“I realized where we stood on the last hole and I tried to block it out,” said Joe Ida, who finished at 203, 13 under par. “I was 210 yards away and hit a five iron. It’s probably the only bad shot I hit this week, but I knew exactly where it was headed.”
Said Kansas State’s Norris, “Joe played great all week. But that’s why Charlotte is No. 1. We slept on the lead a few days and we made progress. But everyday is a learning experience and today certainly was one for us. That’s golf.”
For a list of individual scores (team scores below), visit www.golfstat.com. For more event coverage, visit www.pacificinvitational.com
Team finish (3 round totals):
- UNC Charlotte, 824, 40-under par; Kansas State, 826, (-38); Marquette, 836 (-28); Oregon, 837 (-27); Fresno State, 843 (-21), San Jose State and UC Davis, 845 (-19); Ohio State 847 (-17); UC-Santa Barbara, 854 (-10); BYU, 858 (-6), Pacific 860 (-4); Cal State-Northridge, 861 (-3); Rice University, 873, (+9) and Northern Colorado, 883 (+19).
Notes
- Steven Bidne, a freshman from Northern Colorado, had the first-ever hole-in-one in this two-year-old event. He used a pitching wedge on the on the 131-yard 12th hole. “It hit behind and the backspin brought it back into to the hole. I had to look twice. That’s my first hole-in-one and I was pretty pumped up.”
From the Stockton Sports Commission
- “This was a showcase for Stockton and it’s nice to be the sponsor for the next two years,” said Sports Commission executive director Don Miller. “Great weather, a great finish and a great event from Brookside and Pacific, that’s exactly what we were hoping for.
Hats off to Bookside
- Coaches and players shared feelings about Brookside’s hospitality. “Of all the tournaments we played, I’ve never seen better hospitality,” said Marquette coach Tim Grogan. “The food was incredible and this is the only college event where I’ve seen leaderboards on the course.”
- Said BYU coach Bruce Brockbank, “To have members of a club like Brookside turn over this course to a college tournament is unheard of these days.”
- That gratitude worked both ways. “We’re ecstatic about this event,” said Brookside general manager Jerry Olson. “If this is the way college golf is headed, then we couldn’t be happier to be part of it. Our members are unique about giving up a course for four or five days, but we want people to see what we have. We’re proud of our course, our club and this event.”
From Pacific Coach Brandon Goethals
- “There’s no way you can run an event this first-class without a support staff like we had from Brookside. Everything they do is with thought and precision. I’m one to pay attention to details and they covered everything from start to finish.”
- About his team, “We’re young so we have to look at this as a learning experience. I’m looking forward to the spring and watching our progression.”
Event Summary:
- The Stockton Sports Commission Pacific Invitational, presented by Ron Berberian, Bank of Agriculture & Commerce and Berberian European Motors.
- Brookside Country Club, 3603 Saint Andrews Drive, Stockton
- The Stockton Sports Commission goal is to bring new sporting events and tournaments to the area, and retain and enhance the many events Stockton has been hosting over the years. For information on the Stockton Sports Commission, visit www.stocktongov.com/sportscommission/index.cfm
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