The St. Thomas Aquinas men's golf team won the NCAA Super Regional at The Hershey Links at Hershey, PA. Senior Chris Fitzpatrick tied for 2nd place shooting 3-under for the tournament with rounds of 68, 72 and 73. Joe Harney finished in 6th place, 1-over for the event with 68, 76 and 73.
The Spartans shot their best ever team score on day one with a 280 to take an 8 stroke lead in the tournament. They went on to shoot 293 and 298 in the next two rounds taking a 10 stroke lead on day two and not losing any ground in the final round. The Spartans finished 7-over for the tournament to secure their first NCAA Super Regional Victory. STAC has finished among the top five, advancing to the NCAA tournament, in the previous two years.
Fitzpatrick shot a 4-under 68, on day one, with five birdies and one bogey. As the weather made the playing conditioning tougher on day two and three, Fitzpatrick continued his strong play with rounds of even par and 1-over.
Harney also shot a 4-under 68, on day one, with 6 birdies and two bogey's. The freshman shot 5-under on the front nine in his first NCAA Regional event. Harney shot 4-over in round two and came back strong for a 1-over performance in the final round. The rookie finished with five birdies in his final round and thirteen for the tournament.
Mike Gunderson had a strong comeback in his final two rounds after starting out 4-over par in round one. The senior posted a 72, for even par in round two and finished with a 1-under, 71, in the final round. Gunderson went 5-under in his final nine holes, finishing tied for 9th place.
John Casey had his best round on day one, shooting even par. Casey shot 76 and 81 in his final two rounds finishing tied for 35th place. Thomas Linehan had strong first and second rounds for the Spartans with scores of 72 and 73. Linehan struggled in the final round but still finished in the top half of the field, tied for 49th place.
The Spartans will advance to the NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships on May 16-20, being held at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at the Shoals in Alabama.
Final Score Cards
