The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazer Golfers Appear Headed To NCAA National Championships
5/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 17, 2008
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ----- The UAB golf team appears to be headed to the NCAA Nationals at West Lafayette, Ind. in two weeks after finishing play Saturday with another outstanding day at the NCAA East Regionals.
With just a few teams still on the Council Fire Golf Club course, UAB is in fifth place having finished with a three-round total of 839. The Blazers fired a 6-under par 278 Saturday, following their scores of 287 and 274 the first two rounds.
The top 10 teams from each of the three regional sites this weekend now advance to the NCAA Championships, scheduled for May 28-31 at the Birck Golf Complex in West Lafayette.
UAB junior Zach Sucher, who Friday blistered the course with the second-best single-round score (62) in NCAA Championship history, came back Saturday with a 69 and tied Georgia's Russell Henley for individual medalist honors.
Sucher and Henley each finished with scores of 13-under par 200, two strokes better that Augusta State's Henrik Norlander.
Georgia, the top-seeded team at the regional, easily won the team competition as the Bulldogs fired a cumulative score of 811, 41 strokes under par and 21 shots better than team runner-up Augusta State (832). UC Irvine was third at 836, just three shots ahead of UAB, while Mississippi State placed fourth at 838.
The Blazers also got outstanding play from their other golfers throughout most of the tournament. Adam West carded a 3-under par 68 in Saturday's final round and finished at 209, 4-under par and tied for 17th place.
Brad Smith shot a 214 for three rounds, closing with an even par 71 Saturday. Smith tied for 51st. Kyle Sapp also was at even par Saturday and finished the tournament at 218, +5 for three rounds and tied for 89th place. Mike Oimoen was 1-under Saturday with his final round 70 and finished at 219. He fired a 71 Friday after an opening round 78. Oimoen finished in the 94th position.
