Capan, Flanagan, Sigel Come up Short in NCAA Regionals

The University of Minnesota's Angus Flanagan got off to a dreadful start earlier this week in the Austin Regional, one of six NCAA Regional tournaments that served as qualifiers for the NCAA Championships. 

Flanagan is a sophomore from Woking, England. He was the co-medalist in the Big Ten conference tournament the last weekend in April, despite bogeying the last two holes of the final round. He started the regional in a similar manner, only worse, making a double bogey on the first hole of the University of Texas Golf Club, and adding three more bogeys on the front nine.

The result was a front-nine 40 (5 over). 

After that, he played very well, going 1 under for his last 45 holes. But he could never overcome that disastrous start, and missed advancing to the NCAA Championships by seven shots. 

Flanagan ended up with a 76 on Monday in the first round. He came back with a 1-under 70 on Tuesday and added a 71 in the final round on Wednesday for a 54-hole total of 217 (4 over). 

There were 14 teams competing in Austin, and Flanagan was one of five players competing as individuals only. The top five teams advanced, along with the highest finisher among the individuals not on an advancing team. 

Texas lapped the field in the team competition, posting an aggregate of 827, which was 20 strokes better than the runner-up total of TCU. Clemson claimed third place, another four behind at 851. Pepperdine was fourth at 858, and USC got the fifth and final spot at 860. 

Stafano Mazzoli of TCU put together a three-day total of 204 and tied with two Texas players -- Steven Chervony and Cole Hammer -- for medalist honors. 

The highest finisher not with an advancing team was Julian Perico of Arkansas, at 210. Flanagan actually beat Perico over the last 36 holes (141 to 143), but Perico was nine ahead after Day 1, thanks to an opening round of 67. 

Perico will be playing the NCAA Championships on his home course, Blessings GC, in Fayetteville, Ark. (May 24-29). 

There were six regional tournaments this week, five teams advanced from each, plus one individual not on an advancing team. No one from Minnesota or with Minnesota connections made it. 

Frankie Capan came the closest. Capan is a part-time Minnesotan. He spends his summers in Minnesota and is a member at North Oaks, but he went to high school in Phoenix -- and won the Arizona state tournament by 10 strokes as a senior last year, shooting a 59 in the process. 

He's now at Alabama, having just completed his freshman year. The Crimson Tide began the 2018-19 season ranked No. 8 in the country, but they faltered late. They finished last in the SEC tournament and could do no better than 11th this week in the Athens Regional at the University of Georgia Golf Course. The host Bulldogs finished first at 844 (8 under). Duke was second, seven behind, and Liberty took fifth with an overall 870. Alabama ended up 21 shots further back, at 891. 

His teammates may have struggled, but Capan held up his end of the bargain. He closed with a 69 on Wednesday for a 54-hole aggregate of 214, which earned him a tie for 10th place individually. That was four too many to advance as an individual. The one player to make it from Athens without a team was Billy Tom Sargent of Western Kentucky. He posted a 210 (71-69-70) and then won a playoff against Nevada's Steven Osborn with a par on the third extra hole.

The other Minnesotan competing in a regional was Ben Sigel, the former Mr. Golf from Minnetonka (2017) who is at Kansas. He played in the Stanford Regional at Stanford Golf Course and got better each day, shooting 73-70-69--212 (2 over), which was good for a tie for 21st. As a team, the Jayhawks finished 10th at 852. That was 10 shots out of fifth (LSU got the last spot with an 842).

Utah's Kyler Dunkle was the player who qualified for Fayetteville without a team. He was in the 60's all three days, 69-67-68, and tied for sixth with a 204, eight better than Sigel's total. 

There is one Minnesotan who could play in the NCAA tournament, and that's Derek Hitchner, the former state Class AA high school champion from Blake. He's a freshman at Pepperdine, and he's been in the Waves' lineup for more than half of their tournaments this season. But he was not a part of the Pepperdine team that finished fourth at the  Austin Regional. 

MEN'S COLLEGE GOLF

NCAA Division I Regionals

Austin Regional

At University of Texas Golf Club

Par 71, 7,355 yards

Austin, Texas

Final results (the top 5 teams advance to the NCAA Championships, May 24-29 in Fayetteville, Ark.)

1. Texas                        278-274-275--827 (-25)

2. TCU                          280-292-275--847

3. Clemson                   284-284-283--851

4. Pepperdine              278-290-290--858

5. USC                        290-288-282--860

Individuals (the low individual not on an advancing team qualifies for the NCAA Championships)

T1. Stefano Mazzoli, TCU                 71-69-64--204

T1. Steven Chervony, Texas             72-66-66--204

T1. Cole Hammer, Texas                  70-68-66--204

T6. Julian Perico, Arkansas              67-72-71--210 (advances as an individual)

T20. Angus Flanagan, Minnesota   76-70-71--217
 


Athlens Regional

At University of Georgia Golf Course

Par 71, 7,253 yards

Athens, Ga. 

Final results 

1. Georgia                         284-280-280--844 (-8)

2. Duke                             289-276-286--851

3. Vanderbilt                      286-284-283--853

4. SMU                             297-288-283--868

5. Liberty                          294-288-288--870

11. Alabama                     302-294-295--891

Individuals

1. Davis Thompson, Georgia               69-69-67--205

2. Will Gordon, Vanderbilt                    69-70-68--207

3. Spencer Ralston, Georgia               69-69-71--209

T4. Billy Tom Sargent, W. Kentucky    71-69-70--210 (won playoff with par on 3rd extra hole)

T4. Steven Osborn, Nevada                71-68-71--210

T10. Frankie Capan, Alabama             72-73-69--214


Stanford Regional

At Stanford Golf Course

Par 70, 6,727 yards

Stanford, Calif. 

Final results 

1. Stanford                      274-271-272--817

T2. Arizona State            283-272-274--829

T2. North Carolina          280-275-274--829

4. Georgia Southern       278-278-278--834

5. LSU                             287-273-282--842

10. Kansas                      288-283-281--852

Individuals 

1. Isaiah Salinda, Stanford             66-67-67--200

T2. Ryan Burnett, N. Carolina        73-67-63--203

T2. Cameron Sisk, Arizona State   69-69-65--203

T2. Chun An Yu, Arizona State      71-65-67--203

T2. David Snyder, Stanford            67-68-68--203

T21. Ben Sigel, Kansas                73-70-69--212