CARLSBAD, Calif. — Oklahoma State sophomore Eric Lee sank a clutch 6-foot par putt on the 19th hole Tuesday to send the Cowboys into the NCAA Championship final against Virginia after a dramatic finish at La Costa filled with wild swings of fortune.
Lee’s putt capped a tense battle with Ole Miss that featured unlikely bounces, missed opportunities, and extraordinary recoveries as the sun set over the course. The decisive moment came after both players had traded near-misses in regulation.
On the par-5 18th, Lee had crushed a 3-wood to just 7 feet with a chance to win. Meanwhile, Cohen Trolio of Ole Miss appeared headed for trouble when his second shot caught a lucky break — bouncing off wiry grass and onto a cart path instead of nestling into a difficult lie.
Trolio responded with a brilliant pitch to 3 feet for birdie, forcing Lee to make his eagle putt for the win. When Lee missed, they headed to extra holes. At the par-3 16th — their 19th hole — both players faced 30-foot birdie attempts. Trolio left his 8 feet short and three-putted, while Lee rolled his past the hole but converted the comebacker for the win.
Virginia, the surprising No. 7 seed, will face Oklahoma State in Wednesday’s championship match. The Cavaliers knocked off defending champion Auburn in the morning and No. 3 seed Florida in the afternoon as they chase their first NCAA golf title.
Ben James, ranked No. 4 in the world amateur rankings, delivered the clinching point for Virginia. He outlasted Luke Poulter, who showed flashes of his famous father Ian’s putting prowess by draining a 30-foot par putt on the 17th to stay alive. But Poulter found trouble on the 18th, allowing James to secure a 2-up victory.
“It came down to a putting contest at the end,” James said. “We both putted lights out. Luckily, I came out on top.”
That gave Virginia the third point they needed, but they had to wait nearly two hours to learn their opponent as the Oklahoma State-Ole Miss match unfolded in dramatic fashion.
Ole Miss junior Tom Fischer, who earlier went 21 holes to eliminate Michael Mjaaseth of Arizona State, caught a fortunate bounce off a clump of grass on the 18th that saved him from trouble and helped secure a 1-up victory in his match.
The Cowboys appeared to have another point locked up with Swedish freshman Filip Fahlberg-Johnsson comfortably ahead of Cameron Tankersley. But the match took a stunning turn when Fahlberg-Johnsson three-putted both the 16th and 17th holes, including a missed 3-footer that would have sealed the win.
Still 1 up heading to 18, the Swede semi-shanked a chip shot from left of the green, opening the door for Tankersley to win the hole and force extra holes.
The drama intensified on their 19th hole when both players found the water. Fahlberg-Johnsson then hit his next tee shot to 5 feet but missed the bogey putt that would have ended it. Finally, on their 21st hole, the Swede hit a spectacular shot from a waste area to 6 feet and converted the birdie to clinch the match.
“Very exhausted,” Fahlberg-Johnsson said. “It was one of the worst days on the golf course I ever had, and also one of the best.”
Oklahoma State, which easily handled Bedlam rival Oklahoma in the quarterfinals, will be seeking its 12th NCAA men’s golf title. Only Houston, with 16, has more championships.
The Ole Miss victory over Arizona State continued a curious trend: since the NCAA adopted the match play format in 2009, Oklahoma State remains the only No. 1 seed to win the championship (2018).
Programming note: Coverage of the men’s final begins Wednesday at 6 p.m. EDT.
