CARLSBAD, Calif. — Oklahoma State captured its 12th NCAA men’s golf title Wednesday at La Costa, with Eric Lee delivering the championship-clinching point in a 4-1 victory over Virginia.
Lee, a sophomore transfer from California, sealed the deal with a 2-up win over Josh Duangmanee. He took control with a clutch 25-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th, then followed it up with a precise chip to 5 feet on the par-5 18th. After Duangmanee missed his 15-foot birdie attempt, Lee’s birdie was conceded, giving the Cowboys their first national championship in eight years.
“It’s such a great feeling,” Lee said. “I’ve gotten so close with these guys.”
This wasn’t Lee’s first heroics of the week. Just a day earlier, he drained a pressure-packed 6-foot par putt on the 19th hole to lift the fourth-seeded Cowboys past Mississippi in the semifinals. Before that, Oklahoma State knocked off Bedlam rival Oklahoma in the quarterfinals.
Swedish freshman Filip Fahlberg-Johnsson got things rolling for the Cowboys, defeating Maxi Puregger 3 and 1 in the opening match. Gaven Lane followed with a dominant 4-and-3 victory over Paul Chang. When Lee secured the decisive third point, Ethan Fang’s match against Bryan Lee was halted with Fang 1 up through 15 holes.
Virginia’s lone point came from Ben James, the world’s No. 4-ranked amateur, who topped Preston Stout 3 and 2. The Cavaliers were seeking their first-ever team title.
For Oklahoma State coach Alan Bratton, it marks his second national championship in 12 seasons at the helm. The future looks bright in Stillwater, too.
“Fortunately, we have all these guys back, and we’ll go to work on the next one starting tomorrow,” Bratton said.
