Men’s Golf Makes Terrific Comeback to Win Regionals
April 25, 2007

After the first round, they were in 5th. After the second round, they were tied for 2nd, eight strokes back. But after the final round, the Cougar men’s golf team was at the top of the leaderboard, winning the 2007 Region II Championship. Markus Wendel led the team with a third-place finish.

The win not only guarantees the 13th-ranked Cougars a spot in Nationals, but provides a huge boost of momentum going into the event.

At Regionals, which wrapped up Tuesday at Terra Lago Golf Course, the Cougar team persevered through a tough first round to edge out Cal Baptist for the win. CSUSM’s three-round total of 912 was three shots better than Cal Baptist’s mark.

As has been the case all season, it was a team effort for the Cougar squad. While Markus Wendel and Scott Conway turned in clutch final-day performances to carry the team to the win, all five Cougar golfers finished within 10 shots of each other.

On day one though, the team got off to a rough start, with only Conway breaking 80 on the par-72 course. Their team score of 319 put CSUSM fifth in the nine-team field.

But they wouldn’t stay there for long, as round two saw the Cougars shoot 302 and make up huge ground on the leaders. Brandon Scolman led the charge with a +1 (73), rebounding brilliantly from an 85 in round one. Wendel and Kevin Riley both shot +4 (76), while Matt Determan contributed with a +5 (77).

Down eight shots heading into the final round, Wendel and Conway took over. Wendel turned in a -2 (70), which in most tournaments would have been the team’s top round; but Conway did him one better, shooting -3 (69). Combined with solid rounds of 76 by Determan and Scolman, the team’s tournament-best round of 291 was just enough to secure the victory for CSUSM.

Wendel’s third-place finish is his highest as a Cougar, while Conway’s 6th-place finish marks his fourth top-10 finish in six events this spring. Those two, along with the rest of the team, will look to continue playing great golf when it heads to Plymouth, Indiana for the National Championships on May 22nd.