'Special group of guys': OU wins Norman Regional, advances to NCAA men's golf championship

NORMAN — OU wasn't in danger when it entered the third and final round of the NCAA Men's Regional on Wednesday at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Course.

With the top five teams in the regional advancing to the NCAA Championships, the Sooners were well on their way to punching their ticket. OU sat in second place and held an 11-shot lead over sixth-place South Carolina.

Still, OU head coach Ryan Hybl wanted more out of his top-ranked team.

"We felt like we were just surviving a little bit instead of thriving," Hybl said. "That's kind of the big message we always talk about is trying to thrive and not just be a survivor."

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The Sooners didn't just thrive.

They dominated.

On a day when all five of its golfers shot under par, OU secured first place in the regional. The Sooners posted a 12-under-par 276 on the final 18 holes to finish with an overall score of 838 (-26).OU advances to its 11th straight NCAA Championship, which is scheduled for May 27-June 1 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. Auburn (848), Ole Miss (849), Texas (852) and Utah (860) also advanced.

"We played better golf today," Hybl said. "There's no doubt about it. We finished well, and all five guys finished under par. As a golf team, I don't think you can ever complain when you get all five guys under par. It was a very, very special day for us."

The Sooners weathered the storm to claim first place.

OU trailed Auburn by six strokes for the top spot entering Wednesday's action, but the Tigers faltered with a 292 (+4) on the final day and the Sooners capitalized.

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"We just wanted a low final round," OU senior Patrick Welch said. "We feel like we've done a good job of that this whole season, just trying to get a low final round. We got off to a pretty good start today and we held it together on the back."

Logan McAllister set the tone for the Sooners' comeback.

The Oklahoma City native began his run with a pair of birdies on the first two holes. McAllister shot a team-best 5-under par on the day to finish with an overall score of 208 (-8) and secure fourth place individually.

"Getting off to good starts like that is tough to do sometimes just because there are a little more nerves coming off the first tee," McAllister said. "I feel like whenever I've been able to do that, I've been able to have nice rounds, so it was huge."

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Welch pulled OU into a tie with Auburn for the top spot when he sunk a birdie on the fifth hole.

The senior shot 3-under par on his final round to finish in a tie for fifth place with an overall score of 210 (-6).

OU also got a boost from Drew Goodman despite a slow start.

A bogey on the second hole kept the freshman at 1-over through four, but he sank back-to-back birdies on holes seven and eight. Goodman finished 2-under par on the day and recorded an overall score of 210 (-6) to tie for fifth place.

Chris Gotterup went 2-under par in his final round. The redshirt senior was the only golfer in the field who didn't record a bogey, and he finished in a tie for ninth place with a 211 (-5).

"It's a big deal," Hybl said of Gotterup's outing. "It doesn't matter what you shoot. If you go bogey-free, it's great. No blemishes on the card is always nice."

Stephen Campbell Jr. also finished 1-under on the day thanks to a birdie on the 18th hole. The redshirt freshman ended the regional in a tie for 22nd place with a score of 217 (+1).

OU finished as a runner-up in the NCAA Championship to Pepperdine last season, but Hybl said he believes his team has what it takes to come out on top this time around.

"I love this group," Hybl said. "It's a special group of guys. It's about believing in your fellow brother, and I think we're at that spot right now. Hopefully, we can go out and execute next week and put ourselves in a good spot."

Justin Martinez can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or @JTheSportsDude on Twitter. Make sure to subscribe to The Oklahoman to stay up to date with all local sports.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU men's golf: Sooners advance to NCAA Championship with regional win