Wednesday, May 22, 2013

HERSHEY, Pa. - Western Washington's Jake Webb (Sr., Issaquah, WA - Skyline) moved up 14 places to tie for first in medalist play and the Vikings advanced to match play by tying for seventh in the team standings Wednesday at the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf National Championships being played at the Hershey Country Club East Course.

Both the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds are scheduled for Thursday, with the championship round on the 7,061 yard course set for Friday.

No. 8 seed WWU meets No. 1 Florida Southern in quarterfinal action.  The winner advances to the semifinals against either No.4 Lynn, Fla. or No. 5 South Carolina Aiken.

“We got off to a great start, being 7-under through six holes,” said WWU head coach Steve Card. “That bought us a little cushion as I knew we couldn’t sustain that and then things got anxious at the end. To do this after missing out by a stroke last year was very special.”

“Now it’s a clean slate and we’re excited to play more golf.”

Webb fired a 6-under par 65 Wednesday with seven birdies and just one bogey - the best round of the tournament by three shots.  The next lowest round was a 68, which was accomplished three times including once Wednesday.

Webb also bettered his previous career-best of 68.  He did that twice this season, including in the GNAC championship tournament last month.

Webb finished tied with Florida Southern’s Tim Crouch  and Matt Atkins from South Carolina Aiken with 211 totals. Crouch, who had a 69 Wednesday, took the medalist title in a two-hole playoff with Webb and Atkins, who shot 72 in the third round, tying for second.

“He (Webb) had a fabulous round, one of the best if not the best of my 20 years as coach when you consider the circumstances, the difficulty of the course and with that sort of pressure," Card said.

The Vikings had a 294 team score moving up five places to tie for seventh at 898 with Missouri-St. Louis, who had a 297 total. The top eight advanced to team play. WWU was tied for fourth after opening-day action Monday and was 12th following Tuesday’s second round.

Florida Southern led the team standings following Wednesday’s play, shooting a final-round 280, the best of the tournament, for a 54-hole total of 867.

Barry, Fla., was second at 876, followed by Nova Southeastern, Fla. at 877,  Lynn, Fla. at 888, South Carolina Aiken at 888 and Cal State Monterey Bay at 893.  

Nova Southeastern, which had a 295 total Wednesday, entered the tournament ranked No.1 in the final Golf Coaches Athletic Association Top 25 Poll.  Barry, which carded a 304 in the final round, was ranked second.

The Vikings’ Evan Needham (Sr., Lynden, WA - Meridian) tied for 59th (230), Dylan Goodwin (Sr., Mukilteo, WA - Kamiak) tied for 64th (231), Kyle Schrader (So., Olympia, WA - Tumwater) placed 75th (232) and Mark Strickland (So., Mukilteo, WA - Kamiak) tied for 87th (236).

Goodwin and Schrader closed with 75s, while Strickland had a 79 and Needham shot 80 in the final round.