STEVINSON, Calif. - The University of Nevada men's golf team battled stormy conditions to capture a nine-stroke victory at the 16-team Stevinson Ranch Invitational, held Monday-Tuesday, April 6-7 at the par 72, 7,142-yard Stevinson Ranch Golf Club.
Nevada came into the final round trailing tournament host Colorado by one stroke but carded a one-over 289 on Tuesday to earn the victory. With its three-round total of five-over 869, the Wolf Pack bested the Buffs by nine strokes and earned its first outright tournament victory since capturing the WAC Championship in 2007. It is also the fourth top five finish of the season for Nevada, which also tied for first but lost in a playoff at the Giustina Memorial Classic in September.
Colorado finished second at 14-over 878, while Washington State (879), Loyola Marymount (880), San Francisco (889) and Cal State Stanislaus (589) rounded out the top five.
“The weather was awesome yesterday and this morning, but with five or six holes to go, a storm blew in, and it started raining and the wind starting blowing. The last five holes were brutal, but for this team to not only hold on but to win by nine strokes is huge,” Director of Golf Adam Pohll said. “It was a huge win for us, especially after a tough couple of weeks (at the Fresno State Classic and the Western Intercollegiate).
“For this team to get over that so quickly and win by nine shots is a huge confidence booster for us. It is the perfect scenario going into the WAC Tournament.”
For the Wolf Pack, junior Ryan Hallisey led the team with a second-place finish, his first top 10 showing of the year. He carded a three-under 69 on Tuesday, his third consecutive sub-par round, to finish at seven-under 209 (71-69-69). Hallisey finished just one stroke behind individual medalist Pat Grady of Colorado (69-68-71=208).
Sophomore Scott Smith finished in a tie for eighth at two-over 218 (68-77-73), while junior Jared Becher ended up in a tie for 11th at three-over 219 (76-70-73). It marked the team-leading sixth top 20 effort of the season for Smith, while Becher was in the top 20 for the fourth time this year. Junior Taylor Coffman (77-74-76=227) and sophomore Chris Plappert (79-75-74=228) finished tied for 44th and 49th, respectively, to round out the Wolf Pack lineup.
The Wolf Pack next heads to the 2009 Western Athletic Conference Championships April 27-29 at the Rio Secco Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nev. The winner of the WAC Championship will receive an automatic berth to one of six NCAA Regional sites, while the Wolf Pack will be looking to capture its second WAC Championship and its seventh overall conference golf title.
