Jones, a senior from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, was named a four-time all-American after a stellar senior season. She capped her time for the Stars with a tie for fourth and an all-tournament nod at the NAIA championships with a 77-77-76-73–303. Jones posted three tournament wins and landed in the top 10 in seven events as a senior.

“For Laura to be honored as a four-time all-American is a very big honor for her,” OCU coach Marty McCauley said. “There is no doubt she meant a great deal to the OCU program and will be missed.”

A recent graduate with a degree in kinesiology, Jones was honored as the first-ever two-time NAIA women’s golfer of the week. Her 76.52 stroke per round average in 23 rounds placed her second in the NAIA. Jones carded an NAIA-best 50 birdies on the year. She joins Emily Albrektson (2003-06), Christina Cung (2006-09) and Ashley Sholer (2006-09) as OCU’s four-time all-Americans in women’s golf.

Martin, a senior from Ardmore, Okla., picked up honorable-mention all-American honors for the Stars. A recent business administration graduate, she posted her first career win at the Lions Classic along with three top-10 finishes her senior season. Statistically, Martin was slotted in 17th overall in the NAIA averaging 79.72 shots per round. Her tally of 39 birdies in 25 rounds this year was good for third in the NAIA. Martin finished in a tie for 20th at the national championships.

“For Paige to get her second all-American award and to barely miss out on qualifying for scholar-athlete is a credit to her hard work both on the course and in the classroom,” McCauley said. “She’s been a great asset to the program, academically and athletically.”

The Stars have posted 19 tournament wins in the past four seasons, including two national titles, a runner-up finish and a fourth-place finish at the NAIA championships.

Preview:

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – The Oklahoma City University women’s golf program will begin the quest for an unprecedented sixth national title at the NAIA Championships scheduled for May 17-20 at Link Hills Country Club.

The Stars, ranked fourth in the NAIA, earned an at-large berth into the tournament field of 25 teams. OCU was edged out of the Sooner Athletic Conference automatic qualifying spot after a second-place finish in the conference tournament.

OCU snapped a winning streak of five consecutive national championships with a runner-up finish in 2010. Dating back to 2003, OCU has finished as either national champion or runner-up for eight consecutive seasons. The Stars seek to stand atop the leaderboard once more after a year highlighted by eight top-10 finishes in its 10 tournaments, including two tournament championships.

“We are looking forward to the opportunity to compete for a national championship,” OCU coach Marty McCauley said. “We had a great week of practice and I feel like we are beginning to play much more consistent golf heading into nationals. If we can stay patient and trust in our games, we have a very good chance to be there with a chance to win in the end.”

The four-round stroke-play format runs Tuesday through Friday on the 6,733-yard, par-71 course. Established in 1954 and designed by famed architect Robert Trent Jones, Link Hills Country Club is nestled in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains. The projected weather for the tournament calls for a high chance of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 50s. Precipitation percentages diminish later in the week with temperatures expected to warm into the 80s for Friday.

“The course is playing difficult, so hopefully that will play into our favor,” McCauley said. “We will need strong senior leadership to compete, and Paige and Laura are both playing well for us right now.”

The Stars are led by a pair of seniors who boast top-20 standings in the NAIA.

Laura Jones, a senior from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, paced the team with three individual tournament titles this season. She posted wins in both OCU-hosted tournaments, besting the field at the OCU Stars Fall Classic and the Quail Creek Classic. Jones also tied for top billing at the CBU Spring Break Invitational. The three-time all-American sits in second in the NAIA with a 76.65 stroke per round average. Jones has carded 50 birdies in 23 rounds, tops in the NAIA.

Paige Martin, a senior from Ardmore, Okla., comes into the tournament with an average score of 79.92, 17th in the NAIA. Martin posted three top-10 finishes in her senior campaign, winning the Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions Classic and most recently finishing tied for sixth in the SAC Championships. Last year, Martin tied for fourth in the NAIA Championships en route to all-tournament and all-American acclaim.

Tanya Tibshraeny, a sophomore from Westhaven, Kirkwood, South Africa, averages 81.59 strokes per round for OCU. She has finished in the top 10 in three events this year, including a third-place performance in the Quail Creek Classic.

Taylor Howard puts up average scores of 83.00 strokes in her 17 rounds this season. Howard, a sophomore from Ada, Okla., finished second at the OCU Stars Fall Classic.

Madison Haley, a junior from El Reno, Okla., boasts an average of 83.14 shots in 22 rounds for the Stars. Coming off her best individual performance in her collegiate career, Haley finished tied for second in the SAC Championships. She also tied for fifth at the California Baptist Spring Break Invitational and ended tied for 10th at the Lions Classic.

OCU is primed to head into action at 7:50 a.m. Oklahoma time in the first round of competition Tuesday. The Stars are paired with Savannah Art & Design (Ga.) and Westminster (Utah) in the first two rounds of the four-round stroke-play tournament. In Wednesday’s second round, OCU tees off at noon.

Day 1:

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Oklahoma City University put together a 330 on a rain-shortened first day of the NAIA women’s golf championships Tuesday at Link Hills Country Club.

The fourth-ranked Stars were seventh place among teams able to finish 18 holes. Rain forced a four-hour delay as only half of the field played the entire round.

Of those squads that were able to play a full round, California Baptist carded a 319 and holds a two-stroke advantage on British Columbia’s 321.

Kylie Barros of British Columbia leads the individual leader board of completed competitors after firing an even-par-73. Laura Jones of OCU fired a 77 to round out the top five individuals.

Jones, a senior from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, knocked in three birdies Tuesday. She came in under par on the first, third and 10th holes.

The Stars’ Taylor Howard turned in an 83. Howard, a sophomore from Ada, Okla., managed one birdie in her round. Madison Haley, a junior from El Reno, Okla., and Paige Martin, a senior from Ardmore, Okla., each put together an 85. Tanya Tibshraeny, a sophomore from Kirkwood, Westhaven, South Africa, carded an 86.

The remaining 23 pairings will resume play at the hole they left off on after play was suspended due to darkness 6 a.m. Oklahoma time Wednesday. The second round will begin approximately 20 minutes following the completion of the first round.

Day 2:

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Oklahoma City University shaved 24 strokes off its opening round total to sit in sixth after 36 holes of the rain-soaked NAIA women’s golf championships at Link Hills Country Club Wednesday.

The fourth-ranked Stars posted a 330-306–636 to sit nine strokes back from leader and conference foe Lubbock Christian (Texas). The Lady Chaps finished with a 325-302–627 to own the advantage over the 25-team field. Embry-Riddle (Fla.) fired a 323-305–628 to end one stroke back in second.

“The girls showed a lot of courage to come back and play the way they did today,” OCU coach Marty McCauley said. “They played with a lot of poise and it showed in the results. We will need to continue to have patience and compete until the end.”

Laura Jones paced OCU with a consistent 77-77–154 total. Jones, a senior from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, sits tied for seventh on the overall leader board, seven shots behind Kylie Barros of British Columbia. Barros fired a 73-74–147 to finish one-over par through 36 holes.

Taylor Howard, a sophomore from Ada, Okla., fired an 83-77–160 to finish tied for 29th in the individual standings. Howard birdied the first, sixth and 17th holes in her round.

Tanya Tibshraeny posted the low round of the day for OCU, finishing two-over par. Tibshraeny, a sophomore from Kirkwood, Westhaven, South Africa, came in with an 86-75–161. She rolled in 13 pars and two birdies on the day.

Paige Martin, a senior from Ardmore, Okla., carded an 85-77–162 for the Stars. Madison Haley rounded out the scoring with an 85-81–166. Haley, a junior from El Reno, Okla., started her round with an eagle on the par-5, 420-yard first hole.

Day 3:

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Oklahoma City University jumped into a tie for third at three rounds of the NAIA women’s golf championships at Link Hills Country Club on Thursday.

The fourth-ranked Stars posted a 330-306-314–950 to sit seven strokes back from the leaders, Embry-Riddle (Fla.). Embry-Riddle fired a 323-305-315–943 to overtake the lead from Lubbock Christian (Texas). California Baptist took over the second spot in the standings. The Lancers shot a 312 to jump into contention with the low round of the day.

“We didn’t play our best, but the girls fought the entire round,” OCU coach Marty McCauley said. “Being paired in the final group is all that we could have asked for after the opening round.”

Laura Jones moved into a tie for sixth after pacing the Stars with a 77-77-76–230 performance. Jones, a senior from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, sank two birdie tries on the fifth and 16th holes.

Defending national champion Nathalie Santos of California Baptist carded a 76-73-73–222 to climb into a share of the lead. Kylie Barros of British Columbia fired a 73-74-75–222 to retain a portion of the lead. Barros has held at least a share of the lead through the first 54 holes of action.

OCU’s Taylor Howard fired an 83-77-79–239 to finish tied for 20th in the individual standings. Howard, a sophomore from Ada, Okla., birdied the first, 10th and 15th holes. She leads the Stars with seven total birdies through three rounds of play.

Tanya Tibshraeny, a sophomore from Kirkwood, Westhaven, South Africa, came in with an 86-75-79–240 for OCU. Madison Haley, a junior from El Reno, Okla., posted an 85-81-80–246 through three rounds.

Paige Martin, a senior from Ardmore, Okla., carded an 85-77-80–242 for the Stars. Martin rolled in an eagle on the first hole of the round, emulating what teammate Haley did Wednesday.

“We have put ourselves in a good position entering the final round,” McCauley said. “I’m proud the way the girls have competed, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity that we have tomorrow.”

OCU begins the fourth and final round of competition in the final group on Friday. The Stars are paired with Embry-Riddle and California Baptist teeing off at 12:50 p.m.

Day 4 – final round:

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – The top four spots of the NAIA women’s golf championships were decided by three strokes, with Oklahoma City University finishing in fourth at Link Hills Country Club on Friday.

OCU senior Laura Jones capped her collegiate career with a tie for fourth individually. Jones, from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, fired an even-par round in the final day of action to total 77-77-76-73–303. Jones rolled in birdies on the first, 10th and 13th holes in the round. Jones earned her third NAIA Championships all-tournament selection.

The fourth-ranked Stars posted a 330-306-314-305–1255, three strokes behind the national champions. California Baptist and Embry-Riddle (Fla.) were tied at 1252 after all four rounds of the championship. In tie-break action, California Baptist took the team title. Kylie Barros of British Columbia fired a 73-74-75-75–297 to end with the wire-to-wire individual victory.

Taylor Howard posted an 83-77-79-76–315 for the Stars to finish tied for 18th in the individual standings. Howard, a sophomore from Ada, Okla., birdied the first, 10th and 15th holes to finish with 10 birdies in the tournament.

Paige Martin, a senior from Ardmore, Okla., carded an 85-77-80-74–316 for the Stars to tie for 20th overall. Martin putted in birdie tries on the first, 10th and 14th holes in the final round of play.

Tanya Tibshraeny, a sophomore from Kirkwood, Westhaven, South Africa, came in with an 86-75-79-82–322 for OCU. Madison Haley, a junior from El Reno, Okla., posted an 85-81-80-82–328 to round out the Stars scoring.

“It was tough to lose,” OCU coach Marty McCauley said, “but I couldn’t be prouder of this group for the effort they gave. The seniors played great and left their legacy with today’s performance.”

Jones leaves the Stars as a three-time all-American. With her fourth-place finish this season, she has three career top-10 finishes at the NAIA Championships. As a senior, Jones counted three tournament wins to her credit and seven top-10 performances. In her four-year career, Jones has won seven tournaments and placed in the top 10 on 22 occasions. Jones played a total of 95 rounds and averaged 77.61 shots per round. She posted a career-best 76.52 stroke per round average as a senior.

Martin completed her three-year OCU career with an 80.49 stroke per round average. She posted her first career win in her senior season, taking the title at the Lions Classic. Martin has played her way into the top 10 in 10 events, including a tie for fourth at the 2010 NAIA Championships.

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Oklahoma City University put together a 330 on a rain-shortened first day of the NAIA women’s golf championships Tuesday at Link Hills Country Club.

The fourth-ranked Stars were seventh place among teams able to finish 18 holes. Rain forced a four-hour delay as only half of the field played the entire round.

Of those squads that were able to play a full round, California Baptist carded a 319 and holds a two-stroke advantage on British Columbia’s 321.

Kylie Barros of British Columbia leads the individual leader board of completed competitors after firing an even-par-73. Laura Jones of OCU fired a 77 to round out the top five individuals.

Jones, a senior from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, knocked in three birdies Tuesday. She came in under par on the first, third and 10th holes.

The Stars’ Taylor Howard turned in an 83. Howard, a sophomore from Ada, Okla., managed one birdie in her round. Madison Haley, a junior from El Reno, Okla., and Paige Martin, a senior from Ardmore, Okla., each put together an 85. Tanya Tibshraeny, a sophomore from Kirkwood, Westhaven, South Africa, carded an 86.
The remaining 23 pairings will resume play at the hole they left off on after play was suspended due to darkness 6 a.m. Oklahoma time Wednesday. The second round will begin approximately 20 minutes following the completion of the first round.

The Stars, ranked second in NAIA women’s golf, took advantage of the more favorable weather conditions to not only roar back to take the lead, but also to top the field by a 10-stroke differential. The field consisted of four ranked teams, Lubbock Christian (Texas) entered in 12th, Wayland Baptist in 17th and Southern Nazarene in 20th.

“Our ladies were impressive today. They played like a championship team after putting themselves in a bad position after the first round,” OCU coach Marty McCauley said. “I am very proud of this win and impressed by the courage that we showed today.”

Laura Jones, a senior from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, took the individual title as she put together rounds of 74-75–149 to best the field by 12 strokes. After carding the low round on Monday, Jones’ 75 on Tuesday was only matched by one competitor, Oklahoma’s Mariah Montoya. Montoya finished the tournament in second with a 86-75–161.

“I’m really happy with my game at the minute,” Jones said. “I feel like my attitude has completely turned around this semester. I’m handling myself better on the course.”

This marks the second consecutive tournament in which Jones has won or owned a share of the individual tournament title after tying for first in the Cal Baptist Spring Break Invitational in Primm, Nev.

“Yesterday’s weather was really bad,” Jones said. “Being from England and playing the wind, I had an advantage because I was a little more used to it. I had some shots in my bag that the other girls didn’t. Today was completely different and you had to think about every shot.”

Along with the medal-winning performance by Jones, OCU’s Tanya Tibshraeny scored an 85-77–149 to nab third overall. Mary Larsh, playing as an individual medalist, shot an 88-79–167 to take eighth in the tournament.

“Laura’s win this week is one of the most impressive individual efforts that I have ever witnessed,” McCauley said. “The two scores she shot in those conditions are simply unbelievable. It was also great to have Tanya step up and collect her second consecutive top 5. She has made vast improvements recently through her hard work.”

The Stars also got a solid effort by Paige Martin, a senior from Ardmore, Okla. Martin posted an 84-88–173 for OCU. Madison Haley added a 98-84–182 and Taylor Howard carded a 96-87–183 to finish out the team scoring. The Stars finished with a 340-323–663 to take the team title.

Next week at Baylor will be the most difficult field we compete against this season,” McCauley said. “It will be a great opportunity for us to improve and get ready for conference.”

The Stars hit the links at the Baylor Spring Invitational at Twin Rivers Golf Club in Waco, Texas April 11-12.

Day 1 coverage:

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University faced blustery conditions and intense winds to finish out the first day of the Quail Creek Classic sitting in second after Monday’s round at Quail Creek Golf and Country Club.

OCU’s Laura Jones carded the low round of the day, shooting a 74 to hold the individual lead by five strokes. Second place is occupied by Ayne Magombe of Wayland Baptist (Texas), who came in with a 79. Jones, a senior from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, birdied the fifth, 12th and 18th en route to her perch atop the leader board.

The Stars, ranked second in NAIA women’s golf, posted a combined score of 340 on the par-72, 6008-yard course. No. 17 Wayland Baptist (Texas) held the nine-stroke lead after netting a 331.

Paige Martin and Tanya Tibshraeny, both added an 85 for the Stars to sit in a tie for eighth in the individual standings. Taylor Howard posted a 96 and Madison Haley contributed a 98 to round out OCU’s team scoring. Mary Larsh, playing as an individual medalist in the event, shot an 88.

The morning temperatures reached a high of 51 degrees, with a stiff NNW wind of 29 miles per hour wrecking havoc on the course.

The final round of the two-day tournament commences at 8 a.m. at Quail Creek Golf and Country Club, with pairings and tee times based on first-round finish.

Laura Jones played in the California Baptist Spring Break Invitational with more than golf on her mind. She played with family in her heart. The individual tournament win was dedicated in her grandmother’s memory.

Jones’ spring break win earned her multiple accolades, including NAIA golfer of the week, Sooner Athletic Conference golfer of the week and, of course, OCU’s Super Star.

Jones left the Primm, Nev., course with a co-championship, but not before ending with high drama in the desert.

The senior from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, needed to hole an eagle shot with a precarious lie on the par-5 18th to the claim her share of the championship. Primm Perspective, as it’s called, allowed Jones just that opportunity.

“It was important to her to win. She really wanted to and she said that on the last hole,” OCU coach Marty McCauley said. “It was one of those that she had like 190 yards in to the pin and she had a choice to either lay up or go for it. I made her go for it and she landed in the desert, so I thought I really messed her up doing that.”

Jones recounted clinching the co-championship on the last hole of the two-day tournament.

“I was quite nervous walking down the 18th because I knew that there was a chance of winning the tournament,” Jones said. “My coach came and walked the fairway with me on 18. After I had hit my second shot, I was up by the green. He told me how to play the shot and it had to be perfect. It landed and it rolled down onto the green and went in for an eagle. So that was pretty exciting.”

Jones’ fellow competitor with whom she tied, Megan Woodland of Victoria (British Columbia), had already begun her travels home so no playoff was possible.

The tournament win had special meaning for Jones, who journeyed back to England after the loss of her grandmother early in her final semester of college.

“When she was alive I saw her every day,” Jones reminisced. “We were really, really close so it was a big shock and a big loss to the family. She always used to come out and watch me play golf so I had to dedicate that one to her, definitely.”

For McCauley, willing an individual to victory is unusual. The coach places more emphasis on team scores during competition.

“As a coach, you’re obviously more concerned with the team,” McCauley said, “but in the same hand every shot that you save for an individual, you save for a team. Luckily she made the last shot and we got second as a team while she won her individual title.”

Jones and the rest of the OCU women’s golf team have two more regular-season tournaments before post-season is upon the team. Jones is working to take top billing as both an individual and as a group. Not only for herself, but for her grandmother.

The Stars return a veteran team with a new face at the helm in head coach Marty McCauley. McCauley comes to OCU from the plains of the Lone Star State where he was the assistant at Texas Tech. The coaching switch does not change the expectations of the program, however.

Last season, the Stars took top honors in the Sooner Athletic Conference, both as a team and individually, with OCU rallying in the final round for the team title. Seniors Laura Jones and Paige Martin turned in a 1-2 individual performance en route to the conference victory. The Stars finished the post-season as NAIA runners-up after previously rolling to five consecutive national championships.

“Our expectations this year are to win a Sooner Athletic Conference championship and an NAIA national championship,” McCauley said. “For this goal to be accomplished, we must focus on one shot at a time. You cannot win championships by just showing up, they must be earned. We will work extremely hard and make for certain that we do everything possible to earn a championship.”

OCU played in four tournaments in the fall, three of which were NCAA Division I tournaments, and picked up a 20-stroke win in the Stars Fall Classic. OCU’s spring began in the Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions Classic last week. The Stars finished as tournament runner-up with Martin picking up her first career tournament victory for OCU.

“Our main goal for the spring will be to focus on what we can control,” McCauley said. “In a game like golf, it is easy to look at all of the outside factors and distractions. To be a championship team, we must learn that some things are out of our control. All we can do is compete on each and every shot and trust that the end result will be positive.”

Jones, a senior from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, brings experience and leadership to the course for the Stars. She averaged 76.82 strokes in 11 rounds in the fall to lead OCU. Jones carded an even-par 144 in the Stars Fall Classic to pick up the individual title. Jones, a three-time all-American, was the third place medalist in last year’s national championships and won her second consecutive individual SAC title.

“She has the natural talent to be the best player in the country,” McCauley said. “Laura will be counted upon heavily to be a team leader not only on the course but off of the course.”

Martin, a senior from Ardmore, Okla., earned all-American honors last year and expects to contend for national recognition again in her final collegiate season. Martin, who tied for fourth in last year’s national tournament, carded her first individual win for the Stars in their first tournament of the spring. She averaged 77.55 shots in 11 rounds in the fall for OCU.

“She has tremendous length off of the tee and great control in her iron play,” McCauley said of Martin. “I expect her to be a key player in the success of the team.”

Madison Haley, a junior from El Reno, Okla., returns for her third year at OCU to bring added experience to the Stars’ roster. Haley averaged 81.63 shots in eight rounds for the Stars in the fall.

“Madison has a competitive attitude and wants to win,” McCauley said. “Tournament experience and improved consistency will be key for her to make strides in her game.”

Taylor Howard, a sophomore from Ada, Okla., looks to use her talent and athleticism to her advantage for the Stars. She posted an average of 79.50 strokes per round in the fall and finished second behind Jones in the Stars Fall Classic to card her best collegiate tournament finish.

“Taylor is naturally gifted,” McCauley said. “She has few weaknesses in her game with strong potential on the course. She will continue to improve with each event.”

Mary Larsh, a sophomore from Edmond, Okla., will use her strong work ethic and desire to succeed to continue to improve and contribute for the Stars. Larsh averaged 80.63 strokes per round in the fall for OCU.

“Mary continues to improve off of last year’s performance,” McCauley said. “She is always willing to listen and should keep improving with some small changes and hard work.”

Tanya Tibshraeny, a sophomore from Westhaven, Kirkwood, South Africa, is expecting to continue to hone her skills on the course to help the team. Tibshraeny averaged 82.13 shots during her eight rounds in the fall.

“She has a great amount of raw talent,” McCauley said of Tibshraeny. “She is a good student of the game with lots of potential. I think if she can put together a good tournament, she should be able to be a great college player.”

With a contingent of golfers that relies on experience and a strong competitive drive for success, McCauley expects the Stars to be in contention for every tournament crown this year.

“We play a strong schedule this spring and it will only help us to be more competitive when postseason arrives,” McCauley said. “We made improvements towards the end of the fall and expect that we will continue to improve throughout the spring and be ready to compete to our fullest.”

OCU Stars Fall Classic individual champion, Laura Jones

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma City University women’s golf team won their first tournament of the 2010-11 campaign, taking top honors in the OCU Stars Fall Classic on Tuesday at Lincoln Park Golf Course.

The Stars shot a 303-294–597 to cruise to the team title for the third consecutive year. OCU expanded their five-stroke, first-round lead to win by a 20-stroke differential over Lubbock Christian (Texas), their closest competition in the tournament.

The 77-degree day was punctuated by afternoon winds that gusted up to 25 mph, and coupled with challenging pin placements on the 6,060-yard, par-72 course.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the way the ladies came out and competed today,” coach Marty McCauley said of the win. “I told them to go out and play to up to their competition today I’m absolutely proud of the entire team. The course played extremely difficult, so for the girls to go out and shoot a 294 today is remarkable.”

Individually, OCU’s Laura Jones shot a 72-72–144 to garner the individual championship trophy. Jones, a senior from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, had eight birdies during the competition, including two on the par 5, 460-yard, fifth hole. She finished at even-par, carding the tournament’s low scores in both rounds. Jones won the OCU Stars Fall Classic in 2008, and took third in 2009. She is glad to regain the tournament’s individual title, her first win of the year.

“I was happy with my consistency, and I was happy that I didn’t let any bogeys get to me because I knew I was making birdies too,” Jones said. “I was happy to retain the title, and I’m just really happy for the team. It’s a really good feeling to go into the spring season after a win.”

“Laura was really geared up in wanting to win her home tournament today,” McCauley said of his top golfer. “She’s really taking a leadership role as a senior, and I’m proud and happy to see her step up for the team.”

Taylor Howard, a sophomore from Ada, Okla., finished with a 74-73–147 to sit three strokes back from Jones, and firmly in second place. The highlight of Howard’s tournament was an eagle on the fifth hole on the first day of competition.

“This is really big for Taylor to step up and have a career finish,” McCauley said. “Taylor started off the season not making the team’s top five for the first tournament, and then played well in the second and third tournaments, with all six of her rounds counting towards the team score. Now to have a second-place finish here is great for her.”

OCU’s Paige Martin, a senior from Ardmore, Okla., ended the tournament with a 75-78–153 to tie for sixth overall. Junior Madison Haley, who hails from El Reno, Okla., came in with an 82-74–156 to end the tournament tied for 11th for the Stars. Mary Larsh, a sophomore from Edmond, Okla., rounded out the team scoring with an 82-75–157 to end tied for 13th for OCU.

Tanya Tibshraeny, playing as an individual medalist for the Stars, carded an 80-79–159 to tie for 17th, and Allison Sharrock shot a 77-86–163 for OCU to tie for 27th in the field of 51 golfers.

“I have expected this team to play like this all fall, and they finally showed their potential,” McCauley said. “I have been waiting for a breakout round all season, and I feel like that’s what we got today.

“I can’t say enough about building confidence going into spring, and winning today will help that a lot. We still have a lot to work on, but now we can concentrate on the finer parts of our game, and continue to get better going into the spring.”

This tournament marks the end of the fall golf season for OCU. The Stars will compete in the Sooner Athletic Championships April 18-19 at Heritage Hill Golf Course in Claremore, Okla., before competing in the NAIA Championships in Greenville, Tenn., on May 17-20.

The defending NAIA men’s golf champion Stars carded a 279-274–553 on the first day of competition at the Their two-round total gives OCU a nine stroke lead over the field heading into the final round on the par-71, 6,576-yard course.

Top-ranked OCU held a three shot advantage over second-ranked Oklahoma Christian after the morning round, with Clark Collier and Sondre Ronold shooting sub-par rounds for the Stars. Collier, a junior from Edmond, Okla., carded a 66 that included nine birdies. Ronold, a sophomore from Stavanger, Norway, was just one shot back of his teammate after the first 18 holes of play. As a team, OCU tapped in 26 birdies in the first round.

In the afternoon, Collier equaled his first-round score to end the day with a 66-66–132, and a spot atop the individual leaderboard. The team of Collier, Ronold, Cameron Meyers, Elliot Groves and Michael Palmer were 10-under collectively in the second session.

The Stars’ second team in the tournament sits in 6th place after the first day of action, with a 288-282–570. A notable round of 63 by James Marchesani headlined the team’s efforts. Paired with a first-round 70, Marchesani currently sits in second overall, just one stroke behind Collier. Marchesani had an eagle in his second round, one of only six carded on the day from the field of 89 golfers.

Along with Collier and Marchesani, two other Stars, Ronold and Meyers, dot the Top 20 leaderboard at 5th and T-13th, respectively.

Morning temperatures dipped into the mid-50s before warming to a high temperature of 73 degrees. Winds were calm and skies were blue throughout both rounds. The final round of the tournament will begin Tuesday morning at 8 a.m.

Results
Course Statistics

The first match saw Oklahoma State’s Peter Uihlein matching up against fellow Big 12 golfer, the University of Texas’ Charlie Holland.  In a match that saw Holland jump to the lead from the first tee, Uihlein stayed in the match to the very last hole, and even forced a 19th playoff hole.  Holland birdied the first of the extras and took the match 1-up, knocking out the last golfer with Oklahoma ties out of the Tulsa, Oklahoma hosted tournament.

Ben Martin and David Lingmerth’s quarterfinal matchup started with Lingmerth taking and early lead and holding it for the first seven holes.  By the eighth, however, things were back to all square and momentum shifted Martin’s way.  Lingmerth had the round back to all square as late as the 12th, but after two bogeys from Lingmerth on the 14th and 16th and two birdies from Martin on 13 and 17, Martin went on to win the match 2 & 1.

Bhavik Patel defeated Phillip Mollica 1-up in the third match of the day on Friday.  Patel’s first lead of the day did not occur until the 15th hole of the round and he was able to hold this stroke advantage through the final stretch of four holes after going par-par-bogey-par.

The final match of the day proved to be the longest in the quarterfinals, as Steve Ziegler and Byeong-Hun An went to three extra holes.  The match seemed to be in An’s control for the vast majority of the round, with Ziegler trailing from the first tee and not sqaring the match until the final hole of regulation.  However, An was too much to handle for Zeigler and a par by An on the par 4 third proved to be the deciding factor in the match, completing the quarterfinals and leaving Southern Hills Country Club with just two more days of stiff competition to go.

After such down to the wire matches in the quarters, the semifinals went in the opposite fashion.  The first pairing saw Ben Martin defeat Charlie Holland 5 & 4 in a quick 13 hole showing.  Then Byeong-Hun An bested Bhavik Patel 3 & 2 in a match that was all square after 13.  But Patel made fatal bogeys on 14 and 15, followed by a double bogey on 16 that would end the match with two holes to play.

This set up a 36-hole finals showdown between Byeong-Hun An and Ben Martin.  The match was tight through the first 14 holes of play, but then An turned it on and ended the morning 18 with a 3-up lead, which he would never relinquish.  An needed just 31 holes to take the U.S. Amateur title 7 & 5 and become the youngest winner in championship history, at just 17.  He also becomes the second consecutive Korean born player to take the title.

The afternoon match between OSU’s Peter Uihlein and Connor Arendell was a compelling battle from the first tee to the sudden end on the 17th green. 

Uihlein shot out of the gates with a 3-up lead after 3 holes, thanks in part to an errant approach shot by Arendell on the first hole.  Arendell followed that error up with two poor tee shots.  His drive on number two found the water hazard to the left of the fairway and although Uihlein was wide right, Peter was able to win the hole with a bogey. 

Arendell’s tee shot on the third again went left preventing him from having a shot at the green.  Uihlein bombed his tee shot over the creek crossing the fairway near the green, hit the green with his approach, and two putted for par and a seemingly commanding lead. 
 
Just when it looked like Uihlein would win the fifth hole, hitting the green in regulation after a marvelous approach from 180 yards out of the rough and over a giant tree with 9-iron, Arendell made a great shot of his own.  Laying 3 and in the deep greenside bunker, Arendell holed out for birdie while Uihlein’s 30 foot birdie putt stopped just short of the cup. 

Uihlein regained his 3-up lead when Arendell bogeyed the par 3 6th.  Uihlein gave back a hole on number 9 with a double bogey when he was unable to recover from the deep rough behind the green.
 
So with a 2-up lead at the turn and playing well, Uihlein looked posed to cruise to an easy victory.  It was anything but.  The see-saw battle had just begun. 

Arendell cut into the lead and was only 1-down heading to the par 5 13th.  Uihlein won that hole only to bogey the par 3 14th and was clinging to a slim 1-up lead.  

Uihlein again missed the fairway on the long par 4 16th and looked to be completely hemmed in by a grove of trees.  When he hit his shot there was the loud smacking sound of the ball hit dead into a tree branch.  Miraculously the ball lost 19 yards of distance but was not knocked off its intended line and landed in the middle of the fairway just short of the green. 

After this ball off the tee, it looked like the match would go to all square and Uihlein’s early advantage would be back to nil.  While Arendell two putted for a routine par, Uihlein was able to get up and down, holing a hard left-to-right breaking putt to salvage par and keep his 1-up lead. 
 
Arendell hit driver off the 17th tee and put his ball squarely in the fairway a mere 50 yards from the green.  But when his approach shot sailed over the back of the green and his third shot rolled back into the fairway, he conceded the match to Uihlein who never had to putt.  The final score was 2 & 1 with Uihlein advancing to the quarterfinal match on Friday morning.

OSU sophomore Peter Uihlein -from okstate.com

Oklahoma State sophomore Peter Uihlein only needed 17 holes in the Thursday morning round to take care of his opponent, Connor Driscoll, an move to the afternoon’s “Sweet 16″ matches.  The front nine saw both Uihlein and Driscoll in a back and forth battle to gain position.  Driscoll was 1-up at the turn, but birdies by Uihlein on 10 and 11 gave him the lead, which led to an eventual 2 & 1 victory for the Cowboy golfer.  Uihlein will advance to the afternoon play where he will face off against Connor Arendell with a 1:25 p.m. central tee time.

 Also advancing to the afternoon matches is recent graduate from the University of Tulsa, Nico Geyger.  Geyger, from Chile,  was paired with another foreign player, Australia’s Matt Smith in Thursday morning action.  The front nine was rather close, with neither player leading by more than one stroke and Geyger just edging Smith at the turn for a 1-up lead.  After winning the 11th with a birdie, Geyger capitalized on bogeys by Smith on the 12th and 13th holes to extend his lead to four.  This deficit was too large for the Aussie to come back from and Geyger took the match 3 & 2 to advance to an afternoon matchup with #4 seed Ben Martin (1:35 p.m. cst).

The third match with Oklahoma ties on Thursday morning saw Oklahoma State’s Trent Whitekiller match up with recent Marquette University graduate Mike Van Sickle.  Van Sickle, who has one of the longest drives in the field – that I witnessed, outmatched Whitkiller from the first tee on and took the match 6 & 5.  The match that only took 13 holes proved to be one of two lopsided pairings in the round of 32. 

Other rounds of note include the stroke play winner, Tim Jackson, failing to advance to the afternoon round.  Charlie Holland was the 1-up victor in this match that pit the 50 year old with 15 U.S. Amateurs under his belt against Holland, a quarterfinalist in last year’s U.S. Amateur and a senior at the University of Texas.  If Jackson’s name has a sense of familiarity that perhaps you cannot place, think back to the 2009 U.S. Senior Open.  Jackson was the low amateur of the tournament and the 36 hole leader at the event.

The Thursday afternoon action will take the field from 16 to eight, with the quarterfinal matches set to begin at 9:30 a.m. cst on Friday morning.