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NCAA Men's Golf Championships: ASU, 3 Pac-12 individuals make 54-hole cut

by Kevin Danna
May 27, 2018
Sun Devil Athletics

Arizona State is the only Pac-12 team to advance to the final round of stroke play at the 2018 NCAA Men's Golf Championships at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oregon's Norman Xiong, Stanford's Isaiah Salinda and UCLA's Cole Madey all made the 54-hole cut as three of the lowest nine individuals on non-qualifying teams.

After Monday's round, an individual champion will be crowned and the lowest eight teams will advance to match play to determine the 2018 NCAA team champion.

Joining Arizona State in the final round of stroke play are Duke, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Auburn, Texas A&M, Kent State, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, Clemson, Illinois and North Carolina.

The six other individuals advancing to the final round of stroke play alongside Xiong, Salinda and Madey are Broc Everett (Augusta), Phillip Knowles (North Florida), Patrick Fishburn (BYU), Shinatro Ban (UNLV), Justin Kim (UNLV) and Sam Triplett (Northwestern).

A 7-over 295 was good enough to get the Sun Devils into Monday's final round of stroke play, as the team's three-day total of 880 (+16) has it in 13th place and four shots clear of the two teams that tied for 16th place. In order to make the match-play quarterfinals, Arizona State will need to leapfrog five teams and make up at least eight strokes, as Kent State is in eighth place heading into Monday's round at 8 over.

Arizona State

The Sun Devils got a pair of 71s from Mason Andersen and Blake Wagoner, with Andersen registering an eagle on the par-4 12th to provide the highlight of the round of the Sun Devils. Chun An Yu is the lowest Sun Devil for the championship at even par after his worst round of the weekend (a 5-over 77).

This is the second time in three years that the Sun Devils will have at least top-15 finish at NCAAs.

Stanford

The Cardinal came oh-so-close to making the cut for Monday, finishing in a tie for 16th at 20 over with Northwestern. Stanford and the Wildcats missed out on a playoff to make the top 15 by two strokes; North Carolina is in 15th place at 18 over. The Cardinal had its worst round of the weekend, firing a 9-over 297 that was helped by an eagle and two birdies on the par-5 18th to finish out its stay in Stillwater.

That said, Isaiah Salinda's season will continue for another 18 holes, as the junior from South San Francisco was one of the lowest nine individuals on a non-qualifying team. Salinda shot 75 (+3) on Sunday but is 1-under for the championship, good for a tie for 22nd and eight shots off the lead. He is tied for the Pac-12 individual lead alongside Oregon's Norman Xiong.

Jeffrey Swegle had the low round of the day for Stanford, carding a 3-under 69 that was topped off by a birdie on 18.

UCLA

UCLA finished Sunday in a tie for 21st with Kentucky at 28-over after a 12-over 300 for its third round. The good news is that Cole Madey's season is still alive, advancing to the final round of storke play as an individual at even par (tied for 27th). Madey shot 2 over on Sunday, battling back from four consecutive bogeys on the front nine to post an eagle and the par-4 eighth (a 459-yard hole, no less) and birdie on the par-5 ninth to round out the front nine.

Hidetoshi Yoshihara had the lowest round of the day for the Bruins at 1 over.

Oregon

Oregon improved its placing by one spot to finish in 27th after a 15-over 303 gave the Ducks a 54-hole total of 899 (+35). The highlight of the weekend is that Norman Xiong made the cut as an individual, carding a 1-over 73 to get to 1-under through 54 holes. Xiong birdied his final two holes to get within eight shots of the lead and tie himself up with Stanford's Isaiah Salinda for the Pac-12 lead at NCAAs. 

Ryan Gronlund was the lowest Sunday on Duck, birdieing five holes en route to an even-par 72.

Arizona

Arizona's George Cunningham missed the individual cut by four strokes, finishing his collegiate career with a 7 over after posting a 2-over 74 on Sunday. The senior from Tucson registered four birdies on the day, at one point getting to 1 under for his round after a birdie on the par-5 18th (he started on the back nine).

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