Men’s Golf Earns NCAA Championship Berth

Wednesday, May 15

Louisville, Ky. - University of Louisville GC

Baylor

NCAA Louisville Regional

Men’s Golf Earns NCAA Championship Berth

5/15/2019 5:45:00 PM | Men's Golf

NCAA Louisville Regional Final Results and Statistics

Bears placed third at Louisville Regional, advancing to fourth straight Championship

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            In 22 years as a collegiate golf coach, including the last five at Baylor, Mike McGraw has missed the NCAA Championship just twice.
            Still, he never takes it for granted.
            Just like the 19 previous times his teams advanced through the regional tournament, McGraw was excited when the Bears finished third in the Louisville (Ky.) Regional on Wednesday and earned a program-record fourth consecutive NCAA Championship berth.
            "I've been a bunch, but it's always exciting to know that you're going to be there and you're tied for first in the national championship right now," said McGraw, who's been a part of three national championship teams. "There is nobody ahead of us at nationals right now. To know that and feel that and believe that, you know you've got just as good a chance as anyone."
            Baylor actually had a chance to win its second region title in three years, coming from 15 shots down and pulling within a single stroke late in the final round. But, top-ranked Oklahoma State had five birdies over the last two holes and pulled away to win the tournament title at 14-under 838, four shots ahead of Auburn (10-under, 842) and seven ahead of the Bears (7-under, 845).
            "Today, we just came out and really didn't have much to lose, because we were pretty safe," said senior Garrett May, who had a closing round of 5-under 66, moving up 15 spots to a tie for sixth at 4-under 209. "We were just playing really well. Toward the end of the round, we had a chance to win. And that's all you can ask for is to give yourself an opportunity to win."
            With the top five teams qualifying for the NCAA Championship May 24-29 in Fayetteville, Ark., 21^st-ranked Louisville (7-over, 859) and No. 13 North Florida (8-over, 86) grabbed the other two spots, with 48^th-ranked West Virginia just two shots back at 10-over 862.
            "We were never scared the whole week as far as the cut line was concerned, which you don't want to get on that bubble," McGraw said. "The bubble is a bad place. And we weren't there, which is great."
            May made sure the Bears didn't end up anywhere close to the bubble, firing a 66 that ties for the third-best NCAA tournament round in program history. He had six birdies in Wednesday's round and tied for the fifth-most in the 75-player field with 12 birdies over the 54-hole tournament.
            "Garrett's kind of had an epiphany on just how to manage your golf game. And it's happened over the last two months," McGraw said. "He's as aggressive a kid as he's ever been, but he's not being reckless. He's being smart with his aggressiveness. I think his final-round scoring average this spring is pretty low, so that's huge."
            Cooper Dossey and Ryan Grider both bogeyed the last hole, tying for 12^thand 18^threspectively, at 2-under 211 and 1-under 212. Grider, who came in as the No. 5 player on the team, had matching rounds of 1-under 70 sandwiched around a 1-over 72 on Tuesday.
            "His game is coming. You can tell, you can see the confidence building in him," McGraw said of Grider. "I'm excited for him. I know he's excited, he can't wait to get over to Arkansas."
            Junior Colin Kober had an eagle on the par-5 13^thand posted Baylor's other scoring round with a 2-under 69, moving up 16 spots to a tie for 25^that 3-over 216. Senior Braden Bailey had a closing round of 3-over 75 and tied for 50^that 10-over 233.
            May, who had pars on all three par-5 holes, said he is "happy with where my game is," but added that he will have to "clean up a few things on my golf swing" when he gets back to Waco.
            "I've got to make it a little more consistent, a little more dangerous," he said. "And then for nationals, just go out there and play free and try to win it."
            Twenty-three of the top-25 teams made the NCAA Championship field, with only 15^th-ranked Texas Tech and No. 24 North Carolina State left out. In addition to Baylor and Oklahoma State, the Big 12 will be well-represented in the 30-team field at nationals with No. 5 Oklahoma, sixth-ranked Texas and No. 30 TCU.
            "I've missed nationals twice, and both times were painful," McGraw said. "I knew what I was missing when I was home doing gardening and weeding the yard, trying to punish myself. You do not take the years for granted when you advance to the national championship – they're great, always."


THE RUNDOWN
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Baylor men's golf finished in third place at the NCAA Louisville Regional, punching its ticket to a school-record fourth consecutive NCAA Championship. The Bears posted the best round of the day with a 7-under 277 on Wednesday at University of Louisville Golf Club, and they finished with a three-round total of 7-under 845, which was 17 strokes in front of the top-five team cut to advance to nationals.

No. 25 Baylor (-7) entered the day 15 strokes back of No. 11 Auburn for the tournament lead, and the Bears made up the difference passing Auburn and moving into a tie with No. 1 Oklahoma State atop the leaderboard about two-thirds of the way through the final round. OSU (-14) closed with 11 birdies over the final six holes to take the regional title, and Auburn (-10) took second place. Tournament-host No. 21 Louisville (+7) and No. 13 North Florida (+8) also earned NCAA Championship berths, while No. 48 West Virginia (+10) finished in sixth place, just two shots shy of earning a trip to nationals.

Baylor also placed in front of Mississippi State (+14), No. 37 Iowa State (+15), No. 49 Arizona (+17), Southern Illinois (+25), No. 35 Arkansas State (+26), New Mexico (+29) and Jacksonville State (+34).

BU was led by senior Garrett May, who carded six birdies on his way to a final-round 5-under 66 to climb 15 spots into a tie for sixth place at 4-under 209. Colin Kober posted his best round of the tournament with a 2-under 69 to move up 16 spots into a tie for 25^th place at 3-over 216. Ryan Grider nearly notched a bogey-free round, but even with a bogey on No. 18 he recorded 1-under 70 to finish tied for 18^th place at 1-under 212.

Cooper Dossey posted Baylor's final counting score of the day with a 1-over 72, and he finished tied for 12^th place at 2-under 211. Dossey has finished second, seventh and tied for 12^th in his three career NCAA Regional appearances. Senior Braden Bailey shot 4-over 75 to finish tied for 50^th place at 10-over 223. Bailey will become the first player in program history to make four NCAA Championship appearances, while May and Dossey will be appearing for the third consecutive season and Grider for the second straight year. Kober has been the Bears' designated alternate in each of the last two NCAA Championships.

HIGHLIGHTS

Baylor finished second in the 13-team field in par-4 scoring at 11-over 4.07, third in par-3 scoring at 8-over 3.13 and eighth in par-5 scoring at 13-under 4.71.
Baylor's 174 pars were third-most in the field, and BU tied for eighth with 43 birdies.
May tied for second in the 75-player field in par-4 scoring at 3-under 3.91, while Grider and Dossey tied for 13^th at 1-over 4.03.
Grider tied for seventh in the tournament in par-3 scoring at even-par 3.00.
Kober ranked seventh with 38 pars across 54 holes.
May tied for fifth in the tournament with 12 birdies over three rounds.
Dossey tied for seventh in par-5 scoring at 5-under 4.44.
Baylor's final round of 277 tied the third-best NCAA Tournament round in program history, while the Bears' first round of 280 tied BU's fifth-best NCAA Tournament round.
The top-seven NCAA Tournament rounds in school history have all been recorded in the last five years.
May's final-round 66 tied the third-best individual NCAA Tournament round in program history, while Dossey's first-round 67 tied for the sixth-best individual NCAA Tournament round.
Dossey has carded 68 or better in five of nine career rounds at NCAA Regionals.

STAT OF THE DAY
4 – Baylor extended its school-record by earning a fourth consecutive NCAA Championship berth. The Bears had only been to consecutive NCAA Championships once prior to the current streak (1966, 1967) and had only advanced through Regionals to qualify for Nationals twice prior to the Mike McGraw era (2002, 2010). This year will make the ninth NCAA Championship appearance in program history (1960, 1966, 1967, 2002, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019).

TOP QUOTE
"I don't take getting to the national championship for granted," head coach Mike McGraw said. "I've been a bunch, but it's always exciting to know that you're going to be there and you're tied for first in the national championship right now. There is nobody ahead of us at nationals right now. To know that and feel that and believe that, you know you've got just as good a chance as anyone. So, you don't take it for granted. I've missed nationals twice in 25 years, and both times were painful and I knew what I was missing when I was home doing gardening and weeding the yard trying to punish myself. You do not take the years for granted when you advance to the national championship – they're great, always."

WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor will compete at the 2019 NCAA Championship, which runs May 24-29 at Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark. The Bears will join Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and TCU to give the Big 12 Conference five squads in the 30-team field at the Championship. The nation's top-14 ranked squads and 23 of the top-25 advanced to the NCAA Championship. Live scoring of the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship will be available at www.golfstat.com. Follow @BaylorMGolf on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates throughout the season.

2019 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD
No. 1 Oklahoma State (1^st in Louisville)
No. 2 Arizona State (t-2^nd in Stanford)
No. 3 Wake Forest (3^rd in Myrtle Beach)
No. 4 Vanderbilt (3^rd in Athens)
No. 5 Oklahoma (3^rd in Pullman)
No. 6 Texas (1^st in Austin)
No. 7 USC (5^th in Austin)
No. 8 Georgia Tech (4^th in Pullman)
No. 9 Duke (2^nd in Athens)
No. 10 California (4^th in Myrtle Beach)
No. 11 Auburn (2^nd in Louisville)
No. 12 Stanford (1^st in Stanford)
No. 13 North Florida (5^th in Louisville)
No. 14 LSU (5^th in Stanford)
No. 16 Georgia (1^st in Athens)
No. 17 South Carolina (t-5^th in Pullman)
No. 18 Pepperdine (4^th in Austin)
No. 19 Clemson (3^rd in Austin)
No. 20 Texas A&M (1^st in Pullman)
No. 21 Louisville (4^th in Louisville)
No. 22 Liberty (5^th in Athens)
No. 23 Illinois (1^st in Myrtle Beach)
No. 25 Baylor (3^rd in Louisville)
No. 26 North Carolina (t-2^nd in Stanford)
No. 30 TCU (2^nd in Austin)
No. 32 BYU (2^nd in Pullman)
No. 34 UNLV (5^th in Myrtle Beach)
No. 46 Ohio State (2^nd in Myrtle Beach)
No. 58 Georgia Southern (4^th in Stanford)
No. 60 SMU (4^th in Athens)