Oklahoma golf: Sooners’ regional comeback earns spot in NCAA Championship
By Chip Rouse
The Oklahoma golf team saved it best for last in the 54-hole NCAA Albuquerque Regional, jumping five schools to finish fourth and qualify for the NCAA Championship next weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Sooners shot a final-round score of 10-under-par 278, their best 18-hole round of the tournament and the second-best round of the day on Wednesday at the University of New Mexico Championship Course.
Oklahoma, the No. 1 overall seed in this year’s NCAA Men’s Championship, was led over the final 18 holes by senior Quade Cummins, who shot a final round score of 68 (-4). Teammates Jonathan Brightwell and Grant Reband both finished with two-under 70s on the final day. Brightwell’s 54-hole score of 206 (-10) was good for third place on the individual leaderboard. Rebrand finished tied for 21st at 214 (-2) and Cummins 36th with a 54-hole total of 218 (+2).
Texas Tech, which came into the Albuquerque Regional ranked 22nd in the country and finished fifth in this year’s Big 12 Championship, took the team title in Albuquerque with a 54-hole score of 26-under-par 838, 10 better than No. 12 Arizona State and Oregon State, who tied for second at 848 (-16). The Sooners finished 13 shots back of Texas Tech with a score of 851 (-13).
More from Oklahoma Sooners
- Oklahoma Sooners finish in top 25 in 2022-23 Directors’ Cup standings
- Oklahoma football: Carl Albert running back Xavier Robinson commits to Sooners
- Oklahoma basketball: Two former Sooners enter NBA as free agents
- Oklahoma softball lands five players on DI Softball All-America First Team
- Oklahoma golf: Sooners just miss out advancing to NCAA Championship quarterfinals
Fifth place, and the final team to qualify out of Albuquerque for the NCAA Championship, was awarded to San Diego, which edged out Texas A&M by a stroke (852, -12).
Oklahoma began the third round five shots out fourth place and nine behind the third spot.
OU joins, Baylor, Texas and Oklahoma State as Big 12 schools that are advancing to the NCAA men’s finals.
The Sooners are the only team in the country to appear in the match-play portion of the NCAA Championship, which takes place over the final three days, every year since 2016 (the 2020 NCAA Championship was cancelled because of COVID-19).
Oklahoma finished fifth in the NCAA Golf Championship in 2019, fourth in 2018 and won the national championship in 2017.