Husky Invite: Williams, UW claim titles at Gold Mountain - Kitsap Sun
Photo by Steve Zugschwerdt
Husky golfer Cheng-Tsung Pan waits his turn on the 15th green at the Husky Invitational Tournament held Tuesday at Gold Mountain. STEVE ZUGSCHWERDT/SPECIAL TO THE KITSAP SUN
Photo by Steve Zugschwerdt
Washington State's Trent Sanders was tied for the lead going into the 18th hole, but pulled his drive into the trees and took a double bogey and finished tied for second. STEVE ZUGSCHWERDT/SPECIAL TO THE KITSAP SUN
Photo by Steve Zugschwerdt
With better weather, the University of Washington Husky Invitational continued Tuesday with six teams competing. Above, the threesome of Brendan Connolly, Gonzaga, Nate Jessup, Fresno State, and Ronnald Monaco, Santa Clara, line up their putts on the ninth green.STEVE ZUGSCHWERDT/SPECIAL TO THE KITSAP SUN
Photo by Steve Zugschwerdt
Husky clubs were waiting Monday morning along with the clubs of other schools at the Husky Invitational at Gold Mountain Golf Course. Play was cancelled on Monday because of rain. STEVE ZUGSCHWERDT/SPECIAL TO THE KITSAP SUN
Photo by Steve Zugschwerdt
Chris Williams won his fourth career title with a 3-under 69 during the Kikkor Golf Husky Invitational at Gold Mountain Golf Club's Olympic Course. STEVE ZUGSCHWERDT/SPECIAL TO THE KITSAP SUN
Photo by Steve Zugschwerdt
Husky golfer Trevor Simsby watches his putt roll past the hole on the 13th green at the Kikkor Golf Husky Invitational Tuesday at Gold Mountain Golf Club's Olympic Course. Simsby shot 72 to place fifth. STEVE ZUGSCHWERDT/SPECIAL TO THE KITSAP SUN
Photo by Steve Zugschwerdt
Husky golfer Cheng-Tsung Pan lines up a putt on the 15th green at the Husky Tournament on Tuesday at the Gold Mountain Golf Course. STEVE ZUGSCHWERDT/SPECIAL TO THE KITSAP SUN
Photo by Steve Zugschwerdt
University of Washington's Cheng-Tsung Pan helped the Huskies to a win at the Husky Invitational held Tuesday at Gold Mountain. STEVE ZUGSCHWERDT/SPECIAL TO THE KITSAP SUN
BREMERTON — Washington golf coach Matt Thurmond felt more relief than joy after watching Chris Williams secure another individual title and his team win the abbreviated Kikkor Golf Husky Invitational on Tuesday at Gold Mountain Golf Club.
"Will this go on our mantle as one of our great all-time wins? No, but as I told the guys you can't finish any higher than first and we did that," Thurmond said.
Williams, a junior, overcame an early triple-bogey with a late birdie binge to shoot 3-under 69 on the Olympic Course to win his fourth career title — tying Nick Taylor and Brock Mackenzie for most in school history.
Washington finished at 5-over 293, six strokes better than Washington State and Fresno State.
The tournament was reduced to 18 holes after rain washed out Monday's 36-holes, and nine of the original 16 teams withdrew.
"You're supposed to say that (winning) feel just as good, but it doesn't," said Thurmond after topping a weakened field. "There are only six teams here and we only played one day. I felt like there was a lot to lose today, and not a lot to gain ... and that's never a good position to be in."
Washington State, led by first-year coach Garrett Clegg, the former Husky assistant, said the juices were flowing just the same.
"It's still a tournament," he said. "You get out there you're still fired up."
Clegg's Cougars stayed on the Huskies' heels throughout the day.
"It was fun," he said. "We were right there with two holes to play, but you've got to finish better to compete with a great team."
Washington didn't play great early.
Highly-regarded freshman Cheng-Tsung Pan double-bogeyed his first hole, veteran Charlie Hughes bogeyed No. 1 and 2 and Williams took a triple-bogey 7 on No. 2, which he considers a birdie hole.
"In that sense, from a competitive standpoint, to have that bad of a start on a day when you only have one round to do it and to come back and find way to win, that really feels good," Thurmond said.
Pan wasn't happy after shooting a 78 in his college debut. He four-putted the par-3, 16th hole for a double bogey.
"Am I disappointed? I just shot a 78. Yeah, I'm really disappointed," he said. "There's some things I need to figure out."
Hughes never got it going either, finishing with a 79.
UW sophomores Trevor Simsby (fifth overall with a 72) and Cory McElyea (tied for 8th with a 74) got their seasons off to great starts.
The fact Williams could spot the field three strokes, and come back and win by two — WSU's Trent Sanders and Jarrett Foote and Josh Anderson of Pepperdine tied for second with 71s — wasn't lost on Thurmond.
"He's just got a swagger about him and a new level of maturity," Thurmond said. "A year ago he probably would have been so angry all day he could have shot 74 or 75. To shoot a 69 when you triple the second hole, that's impressive to come back and beat everybody."
Williams' drive on No. 3 hit a tree to the left, but bounced into a fairway bunker. He tried to blast out, and his ball disappeared.
"I sculled it out of the bunker and I never saw it," he said. "I have no idea where it went. I think it must have plugged into the lip. I dropped another ball and made 5 there (plus the 2-stroke penalty). It was a tough way to start the day."
He got back to 1-over after making birdies on holes 4 and 9 on the front side, and he blasted to the top of the leaderboard with four straight birdies, starting on No. 14.
"I play well here and I knew I could make some birdies," said Williams, who is coming off a summer in which he won the two major amateur titles and was medalist at the Western Amateur, qualified for the U.S. Open, and represented the United States on the Palmer Cup and Walker Cup.
"I had a nice stretch on the back nine," he said, understating the obvious. "My game feels OK; it doesn't feel great but it's OK."
Also
Washington State's Kyle Hurt, a sophomore from Bainbridge, played as an individual and shot 76 to tie for 16th. WSU's Foote (T2, 71), Sang Lee (T8, 74) and Alex Wagner (T13, 75) also played as individuals. "It would have been nice to count them on our team," said Clegg, who said he is still learning about his team. It's sign WSU might have some decent depth. Sanders, who was 3-under and tied for first before taking a double bogey on No. 18, finished fifth in the qualifying tournament and almost didn't make the lineup this week, Clegg said. ... Washington's Gerrit Chambers (T6, 73) also played as an individual. ... Texas A&M, one of the 10 teams that withdrew, was at the course and played a practice round. The Aggies were not able to change their flight times. ... The average score for all 45 players, counting individuals, was 77.16. ... Pins were placed in high spots on the greens because of the rain the previous day and the putting conditions were difficult, especially on No. 18. "The way that pin was on 18 today anybody on anytime could make a 9," Thurmond said. "They could putt there all day. Ray Charles was out there setting pins ... Fortunately there weren't any major disasters."
HUSKY INVITATIONAL
At Gold Mountain Olympic Course, par 72
Team—Washington 293, Washington State 299, Fresno State 299, Pepperdine 304, Gonzaga 307, Santa Clara 311.
Individual (top 10)—1, Chris Williams, UW, 69; T2, Jarrett Foote*, WSU; Josh Anderson, Pepperdine; Trent Sanders, WSU, 71; 5, Trevor Simsby, UW, 72; T6, Gerrit Chambers*, UW; Rufie Fessler, Frenso State, 73; T8, Bhavik Patel, Fresno State; Sang Lee*, WSU; Hank Frame, WSU: Branden Dalton, WSU; Corye McElyea, UW, 74.
* individuals (does not count in team scoring)
UW—1, Williams 69, 5, Simsby 72, T8, McElyea 74, T25, Cheng-Tsung Pan 78; T31, Charlie Hughes 79. Non-scorers: G. Chambers 73; Ty Chambers 77; Larry Iverson III 78; Yifan Liu 84.
WSU—T2, Sanders 72; T8, Frame, Dalton 74; T36, Michael Anderson 80; 40, Kent Hagen 82. Non-scorers: Foote 71; Lee 74; Alex Wagner 75; Kyle Hurt 76; Cody Robinson 83; Paul Mitzel 83.
28 Sep, 2011--
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFfsORhTBBsid53bcuVsIYQrMlqLg&url=http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/sep/27/husky-invite-williams-uw-claim-titles-at-gold/
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