University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Place Seventh at Regional
5/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
The University of Minnesota men's golf team moved up on the leaderboard for the second consecutive day during the final round of the Northeast Regional in Galloway, N.J. but it wasn’t enough to secure a spot in the NCAA Championships.
The Gophers finished the tournament in seventh place with a 54-hole combined score of 905 (+53). Alabama took home the team title and will be joined at the championships in Toledo, Ohio by Tennessee, Illinois, Virginia and Wake Forest.
"It was a successful year and we feel good about where the program is heading," said Gopher Associate Head Coach Andrew Tank. "As a team we were in contention to win a Big Ten Championship and finished second in arguably the strongest conference in the country this season. We were able to secure a NCAA Regional berth and along the way had some great individual accomplishments. With two returning players that placed third at Big Ten's there are great things ahead for this team."
Freshman Derek Chang was Minnesota’s top finisher of the regional, as he carded a third consecutive round of 4-over par 75 to place in three-way tie for 24th with a 54-hole score of 225 (+12). Senior Victor Almstrom, who was playing in his third NCAA Regional tournament, was a shot behind Chang with a score of 226 (+13) and finished in a tie for 27th.
Junior Thomas Campbell played consistent golf all weekend in his regional debut and shot a final round 77 to finish in a tie for 41st with a score of 230 (+17). Fellow junior Ben Pisani, the Gophers stroke leader during the fall and spring seasons, rebounded from a rough first day to shoot his second consecutive round of 2-over par 73 and finished in a tie for 45th.
Senior Yu Katayama improved his score each round, including a 76 on Saturday, and finished in a tie for 50th place with a score of 233 (+20).
NCAA Northeast Regional (Final)
1. Alabama, 874 (+22)
2. Tennessee, 878 (+26)
3. Illinois, 887 (+35)
4. Virginia, 889 (+37)
5. Wake Forest, 890 (+38)
6. Colorado State, 896 (+44)
7. Minnesota, 905 (+53)
8. Kent State, 906 (+54)
9. Clemson, 908 (+56)
10. Penn State, 910 (+58)
11. Coastal Carolina, 915 (+63)
12. VCU, 941 (+89)
13. Sacred Heart, 946 (+94)
14. Columbia, 998 (+146)
Gopher Scores (Final)
T24 Derek Chang... 75-75-75 – 225 (+12)
T27 Victor Almstrom... 82-70-74 – 226 (+13)
T41 Thomas Campbell... 78-75-77 – 230 (+17)
T45 Ben Pisani... 85-73-73 – 231 (+18)
T50 Yu Katayama... 79-78-76 – 233 (+20)
Players Mentioned
