OLATHE, KS (5/20) - Senior Joe Prince claimed Point Loma Nazarene's second NAIA individual golf championship on Friday after completing four rounds at the Prairie Highlands Golf Course and tallying a 284.
Prince got off to a strong start on Tuesday, opening the tournament with a 69. He played steady over the next two rounds, posting back-to-back 70s. Ahead by three, Prince did stagger a bit on the front nine of the final 18, but pulled it together when he needed, staying just ahead of the pack to end with a 75 for a 284 total. He finished four under par, one of only three golfers in the 144-man field to do so.
"I played really solid for the first three rounds," Prince said. "I felt good about my chances going into the last day."
However, Prince's three-round, three-stroke lead quickly vanished on Friday after a shaky start. He then bogied on 10 and 11 to fall two shots back of Todd Halpen of British Columbia. PLNU head coach Ben Foster told Prince he had to step it up if he wanted the win.
"I was down, no doubt about it," said Prince. "It took everything I had not to give up."
He didn't give up. In fact, he rallied with birdies on 13, 14 and 15 to go back up by two strokes. But another bogie on 17 put Prince's quest for the title in jeopardy once again.
Once again he dug his way out. This time literally. On the final hole of the day, Prince teed off right into the bunker. Pulling his sand wedge out, he hit the shot of the tournament, placing the ball on the green. Two putts later, Prince was the champion.
"I pulled it together for one last shot," he said.
Prince did feel the pressure on the short put that ended the tournament. "It felt like the longest one foot putt of my life," he said.
Halpen registered a 285 for the tournament, once stroke back of the lead. Halpen shot a course record 66 on Tuesday. But Prince's steady game eventually put him three strokes better than Halpen after three rounds had been completed.
In third was Colin Nel of Oklahoma City with a 287. In a fourth-place tie with 288s were Rhein Gibson and Drew Chuipek of Oklahoma Christian and St Ambrose, respectively.
Prince became just the second PLNU golfer to medal at the national tournament. In 1978, Greg Brown won the individual crown with a four-round score of 290 at Elkino Lake in Huntsville, AL.
Friday was the Prince's first time as a medalist.
"I never won a tournament in college," Prince said. "To win the last tournament in my college career and for it to the the national tournament is awesome. This is what I play golf for. I am proud I hung in there and got the win."
As a team Point Loma Nazarene finished in fifth place. The Sea Lions shot 1187 (291-309-292-295) over the four-rounds, just three behind fourth place St. Ambrose. Oklahoma City won the team title by posting a 1154. In second was Johnson & Wales (1170), Oklahoma Christian (1171), St. Ambrose (1187) and PLNU. The next highest Region II finisher was The Master's College. The Mustangs placed seventh with a 1193 score.
This is the fifth title for Oklahoma City, who also won the 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 events. Huntingdon College (Ala.) and Texas Wesleyan each hold the record for most team titles with six.
"It was a great tournament," said PLNU Coach Ben Foster. "We had one poor round but battled back to finish solid. Joe was a lot of fun to watch down the stretch."
Prince joins an elite group of Pasadena/ Point Loma athletes who can claim a national title. Before Brown's golf championship in 1978, Lloyd Higgins won both the indoor and outdoor high jump titles in track and field in 1963. Other male track and field athletes to win national championships are Bill Waters (decathlon), Roger Axelsson (discus & hammer), Thomas Andersson (10,000m), Ron Milford (pole vault), Dan Raatjes (high jump), Tommy Anderberg (javelin), Rick Penman (marathon), Per Karlson (hammer), Nery Kennedy (javelin), Hugo Scevola (hammer), Shane Peterson (javelin) and Stephan Louw (long jump).
Three PLNU women have won national championships: Susanne Johansson (400 hurdles), Lesa Kubishita (pole vault) and Heike Siener who won the high jump championship in 2005.
Eight shots back of Prince was teammate Sam Cyr in 11th place. The Sea Lion freshman shot 292 in his first national appearance. Prince was named a GSCC-Ping 1st team All-American with Cyr earning a 2nd team nod. Both earned NAIA All-American honors as well.
PLNU's Chris Hudson shot 304 good for 59th, Brett Whiteman shot 308 (63rd place) and John Denny's 324 put him in 93rd place.
Top 10 Teams
1. Oklahoma City, 289, 293, 285, 287 - 1154 (+2)
2. Johnson & Wales (Fla.), 305, 288, 290, 287 - 1170, (+18)
3. Oklahoma Christian, 291, 300, 288, 292 - 1171 (+19)
4. Saint Ambrose (Iowa), 298, 295, 294, 295 - 1184 (+32)
5. Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.), 291, 309, 292, 295 - 1187 (+35)
6. Wayland Baptist (Texas), 299, 307, 294, 288 - 1188, (+36)
7. The Master's (Calif.), 302, 296, 295, 300 - 1193, (+41)
8. Texas Wesleyan, 302, 305, 288, 300 - 1195 (+43)
9. Malone (Ohio), 293, 313, 288, 307 - 1201 (+49)
10. British Columbia, 292, 311, 294, 305 - 1202, (+50)