Fresno State Athletics
Golf Prepares for NCAA West Regionals
5/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 6, 2003
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GOLF CAPTURES WAC TITLE
The Fresno State golf team finished first out of the 10-team tournament field at the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championship last week in Houston with a final score of 862. The Bulldogs were three strokes better than second place, Tulsa (865) and six better than UTEP (868). Individually, senior Nick Watney came in second with (73-66-69=208)(4-4-5) after a sudden death match with Tulsa's David Inglis (68-69-71=208)(4-4-4). Watney also earned First Team All-WAC and his third straight WAC Player of the Year award. Junior Chad Spencer came in third with 211 (72-70-69). Spencer garnered Second Team All-WAC honors. Freshman Ryan McDonald tied for 22nd with 223 (73-71-79), sophomore Ryan Carter tied for 32nd with 225 (74-72-79) and Jeremy Moreno finished 43rd with 234 (81-79-74).
WATNEY REGAINS GOLFSTAT NO. 1 SPOT
After a strong performance at the 2003 WAC Championships, senior golfer Nick Watney returned to the top spot of the national Golfstat Cup rankings this week. Watney spent last week ranked second behind Clemson's D.J. Trahan. Overlooked as a Ben Hogan Top 5 finalist, Watney has spent more weeks ranked No. 1 than any other player. He has been ranked in the top five all season long. Watney overcame a 5-stroke deficit to tie for the WAC championship played this week at The Colonial in Houston, Texas. He lost the title to Tulsa's David Inglis, the nation's No. 12 ranked player, on the third playoff hole. His second round of 66 tied the competitive course record. He is on pace to break the NCAA single-season scoring average record, and in the process become only the sixth player in NCAA history with a sub-70 season scoring average. He is currently at 69.51, the only player in the nation with a sub-70 scoring average. Watney has five tournament wins in 2002-03, most of any player in the nation, and he shattered the Bite/Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Tournament record with a 67-64-68 -- 199. Other accomplishments during this season include six straight sub-70 rounds, a stretch of eight of 11 sub-70 competitive tournament rounds, and 10 top-10 finishes. Watney was selected the 2003 WAC Player of the Year for the third straight season, becoming the first player in WAC history to win that award three times.
NCAA Season Stroke Average (as of May 5, 2003)
1. Bryce Molder, Georgia Tech (2000-01) 69.43
2. *Nick Watney, Fresno St. (2002-03) 69.51
3. Charles Howell, Oklahoma St. (1999-00) 69.57
4. Graeme McDowell, UAB (2001-02) 69.87
4. Paul Casey, Arizona St. (1999-00) 69.87
6. Phil Mickelson, Arizona St. (1991-92) 69.95
7. Phil Mickelson, Arizona St. (1990-91) 70.08
8. Joel Kribel, Stanford (1998-99) 70.12
9. D.J.Trahan, Clemson (2001-02) 70.33
10. Luke Donald, Northwestern (1998-99) 70.45
11. Luke Donald, Northwestern (1999-00) 70.47
12. Hunter Mahan, Oklahoma St. (2001-02) 70.51
13. D.J. Trahan, Clemson (2002-03) 70.55
14. Tiger Woods, Stanford (1995-96) 70.60
15. Matt Kuchar, Georgia Tech (1999-00) 70.65
16. Bob Tway, Oklahoma St. (1980-81) 70.69
17. David Duval, Georgia Tech (1992-93) 70.71
-- Bill Haas, Wake Forest (2002-03) 70.60
-- Hunter Mahan, Oklahoma St. (2002-03) 70.95
-- Ryan Moore, UNLV (2002-03) 70.96
-- Ricky Barnes, Arizona (2002-03) 71.56
* where Watney is currently ranked
Bolded names are Ben Hogan Top 5 finalists for 2002-03
