No. 1 Oklahoma took home the 18th Big 12 title in program history with its first place finish at the conference’s championship tournament Wednesday at Whispering Pines course in Trinity, Texas.
OU (850, -14) edged out No. 2 Oklahoma State (852, -12), No. 9 Texas (853, -11), and No. 5 Texas Tech (861, -3) to secure the victory. The conference championship is the Sooners’ first since 2018 and their second under coach Ryan Hybl.
The Sooners were in second place after round two, trailing Texas by one stroke, and needed a strong round three from redshirt senior Chris Gotterup, senior Logan McAllister, and senior Patrick Welch to propel them to the front of the pack. OU erased a four-shot deficit over the last four holes to take home the trophy.
𝐓𝐖𝐎👏𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓👏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃👏@lmcallister00 birdies and Coody bogeys the 18th, and the #Sooners are back on top of the leaderboard! Coming down to the wire here in Trinity. pic.twitter.com/u9X4oOCzeh
— Oklahoma Golf (@OU_MGolf) April 27, 2022
"Today was absolutely an emotional roller coaster," Hybl said in a press release. "We had the best start we could ever ask for which allowed us to get out in front. All of our guys did an amazing job this week and gave us a chance today and we seized the moment.
“We talked last night about how we had earned each other's trust throughout the year, so there was nothing to worry about since we knew each of us trusted and believed in each other. Today, we did that and more."
All five Sooners finished among the top-20 among individuals, and Gotterup, McAllister, and Welch all placed in the top-10. Gotterup produced another fantastic tournament, finishing with sole possession of second place. He shot a 210 overall, good for six under par, and secured the conference championship title with a par on the 18th hole in round three.
McAllister also performed well in the championship tournament, finishing with a share of sixth place. He shot a 213 through all three rounds, good for three under par. McAllister also hit six birdies during round three, helping the Sooners gain ground and eventually take over the lead they would sustain.
Lots of 🔴 on the cards! @lmcallister00 with back-to-back birds and the OU lead is up to 6️⃣!#Sooners | https://t.co/881o3xYbRN pic.twitter.com/ig62l98n2f
— Oklahoma Golf (@OU_MGolf) April 27, 2022
Welch ended the tournament tied for ninth place and shot a 214, good for two under par. In one of the most exciting moments of Wednesday’s finals round, he nailed a 30-foot putt on hole 18 to keep par and maintain a two-stroke team lead.
𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞. 𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗛.@vincentpwelch with a MASSIVE 30-foot putt on 18 to save par and the lead is still TWO!#Sooners | https://t.co/881o3xGAtd pic.twitter.com/l5CsXOZt2U
— Oklahoma Golf (@OU_MGolf) April 27, 2022
Freshman Drew Goodman finished in 11th place, narrowly missing the top-10. He shot a 215 overall, good for one under par. During round three, Goodman managed three birdies in a row and held sole possession of third place.
Redshirt freshman Stephen Campbell Jr. rounded out the team, and finished with sole possession of 18th place. He shot a 220 over three rounds, good for four above par.
After taking home the conference title and securing an automatic bid to the NCAA postseason, the Sooners will now look forward to the Division I regional tournament.
Selections for regional locations and opponents will be announced during the NCAA Selection Show at 4 p.m. on May 4. The regionals tournaments will take place from May 15-18.
