NINETY SIX, S.C. –
Romain Lanteri birdied the first hole in sudden death to give Campbell the deciding point Wednesday and a 3-1 victory over Radford in the Big South Conference men's golf match play championship at The Patriot Golf Course at Grand Harbor.
The top-seeded Camels defeated 3-0 Gardner-Webb in the morning semifinal before rallying in the afternoon to claim their second-straight league title and a fifth-consecutive trip to the NCAA regional championships. The NCAA regional selection show will air May 5 on Golf Channel.
"I saw some great golf, some wild golf and some conditions that were extreme. In the morning round against Gardner-Webb, I thought our team played as well as they were capable of playing. It wasn't perfection, but it was really impressive. In the afternoon, the winds picked up with gusts from 25 to 30 miles per hour gusts and the golf course really changed. It took a while to figure out how much the ball was going to roll out, if the wind was going to knock it down or knock it off the golf course. They did better as the day went on and they finished strong all week, and I'm just so proud of them."
Final – Campbell 3, Radford 1
Pontus Nyholm provided the Camels with a lead after he won his match with Bryce Corbett 4&3. The senior, who is ranked No. 15 in the latest PGA TOUR University standings, was up four through nine holes and never trailed.
Hunter Duncan, who tied for runner-up honors at 7-under par in the Big South stroke play championship, leveled the match for Radford with a 4&3 victory over
Edwin Blomander.
Campbell went in front for good with
Henrik Lilja's 2&1 win. After Nick Taliaferro took the lead with a birdie on 13, Lilja won three-straight holes, moving in front with an eagle on the par-five 16th. A par on the 17th gave Lilja the decisive point.
Lanteri was four down through seven holes before he won five of the next to take the lead after a birdie on 16. After he and Patrick Gareiss parred the 17th, Lanteri made bogey on the 18th to send the match into extra holes. However, the red-shirt freshman rolled in his birdie putt on the first hole to clinch the title.
Trailing by one when he stepped on the tee box of the par-four 17th hole,
Josh Hetherington decided on driver rather than four-iron and blasted a 380-yard shot downwind. He two-putted for birdie to draw level with Tyler Hull. The match was left unfinished after 18 holes when Lanteri holed his birdie putt.
Semifinal – Campbell 3, Gardner-Webb 0
Romain Lanteri made six birdies while winning five of the first eight holes and rolled to a 6&4 victory over GWU's Jake Scruggs. A red-shirt freshman, Lanteri finished with seven birdies over 14 holes in the morning.
Josh Hetherington won four-straight holes to take a 5-up lead through 10 and finished with a 6&5 decision over Jules Bondil.
Pontus Nyholm took a 4-up lead through eight and finished off Jake Kehoe 4&3.
Edwin Blomander led by five holes through 13 and
Henrik Lilja was all square through 15 when their matches were halted after the team point was secured.
Big South Conference Men's Golf Match Play Championship
The Patriot GC at Grand Harbor / Ninety Six, S.C.
Par 71, 6923 Yards / Apr. 18-21, 2021
Semifinals
Campbell 3, Gardner-Webb 0
Romain Lanteri (CAM) def. Jake Scruggs (GWU) 6&4
Henrik Lilja (CAM) vs. Miles Albright (GWU) AS through 15 (unfinished)
Pontus Nyholm (CAM) def. Jake Kehoe (GWU) 4&3
Josh Hetherington (CAM) def. Jules Bondil (GWU) 6&5
Edwin Blomander (CAM) led Zack Byers (GWU) 5 up through 13
Radford 3, Longwood 1
Brendan Dunphy (LWU) def. Patrick Gareiss (RAD) 5&3
Nick Taliaferro (RAD) def. Nick Rakes (LWU) 1 up
Hunter Duncan (RAD) def. Miles Parroco (LWU) 1 up
Brandon Weaver (LWU) led Tyler Hull (RAD) 1 up through 16 (unfinished)
Bryce Corbett (RAD) def. Christian Michael (LWU) 5&3
Championship
Campbell 3, Radford 1
Romain Lanteri (CAM) def. Patrick Gareiss (RAD) 19 holes
Henrik Lilja (CAM) vs. Nick Taliaferro (RAD) 2&1
Josh Hetherington (CAM) vs. Tyler Hull (RAD) AS through 18 (unfinished)
Pontus Nyholm (CAM) def. Bryce Corbett (RAD) 4&3
Hunter Duncan (RAD) def.
Edwin Blomander (CAM) 4&3
