Flanagan Ties for Big Ten Title, But Gophers Fall to 9th

FLOURTOWN, Pa. -- Angus Flanagan bogeyed the last two holes on Sunday, but his even-par round of 70 at the Philadelphia Cricket Club's Wissahickon Course was good enough to earn co-medalist honors in the Big Ten Conference Championships for the University of Minnesota's No. 1 player. The sophomore from Woking, England concluded 54 holes with a 212 total. 

That put him in a tie with Adrien Dumont de Chassart of Illinois. He closed with a 66.

Flanagan and de Chassart finished one stroke ahead of Michigan's Charlie Pilon, who shot 69. 

On Friday, Flanagan shot the lowest score by a Gopher in the Big Ten tournament, a 65, to take a three-stroke lead. He followed it with a 77 on Saturday, a day when conditions were difficult, and the average score for the field was 78. 

"Angus was nothing short of spectacular," Minnesota assistant coach Justin Smith said on Sunday. "He broke a bunch of records Friday, and then yesterday he played just as solid in so many ways, but the conditions were so brutal that a couple of things get away from you, and then it just piles up. He played an absolutely professional round of golf today. I know he wasn't thrilled with how his round ended, but he put himself in a position to still be a champion."

This is the 10th time a Gopher has won the Big Ten individual crown. Les Bolstad was the first, and he did it twice, in 1927 and '29. The last to do it before Flanagan was Jose Mendez in 2014. 

Minnesota began the final day tied with Illinois for first in the team competition, but went 24 over par collectively (304) and fell back to ninth, with an aggregate of 894.

Illinois posted the lowest one-day total of the tournament, a 278 (2 under) and won its fifth consecutive conference championship -- and 10th in 11 years -- with a three-day total of 868. Purdue claimed second place with an 873, and Michigan was another 10 shots back in third with 883.   

The Gophers' 2018-19 season is over, but not Flanagan's. He will find out on Wednesday which one of the six NCAA regional tournaments (May 13-15) he will be heading for. The regional selections will be announced on the Golf Channel, beginning at 8 p.m.


MEN'S COLLEGE GOLF

Big Ten Championships

At Philadelphia Cricket Club

Wissahickon Course

Par 70, 7,119 yards

Flourtown, Pa.

Final results 

1. Illinois                     287-303-278--868

2. Purdue                   282-309-282--873

3. Michigan State       291-304-288--883

4. Michigan                 299-296-290--885

5. Nebraska               295-305-286--886

6. Rutgers                  291-316-280--887

T7. Ohio State           296-313-281--890

T7. Indiana                293-312-285--890

9. Minnesota              287-303-304--894

10. Penn State          294-317-287--898

11. Iowa                    293-314-292--899

12. Maryland            301-307-293--901

13. Northwestern      294-309-298--902

14. Wisconsin           302-318-297--917

Individuals

T1. Angus Flanagan, Minn.                65-77-70--212

T1. Adrian Dumont de Chassart, Ill.     73-73-66--212

3. Charlie Pilon, Michigan                    72-72-69--213

T4. Christopher Gotterup, Rutgers      69-74-71--214

T4. Donnie Trosper, Mich. State         70-70-74--214

6. Timmy Hildebrand, Purdue             69-74-72--215

7. Giovanni Tadiotta, Illinois               72-76-68--216

8. Jarie Volden, Purdue                     68-80-70--218

Other Gophers

T39. Evan Long,                                 74-73-79--226

T48. Thomas Longbella                    74-75-80--229

55. Lincoln Johnson                          74-82-76--232

T61. Harry Plowman-Ollington         78-78-79--235