University Southern California Trojans
No. 5 USC Set For NCAA Michigan Regional
May 15, 2012 | Men's Golf
May 15, 2012
The No. 5 USC men's golf team, the 2011 Pac-10 champion which has posted top 5 finishes in seven of the past eight stroke play events, will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming 2012 NCAA Michigan Regional, Thursday through Saturday (May 17-19), at the Michigan G.C. in Ann Arbor.
Five teams in each of the six regional - three with 13 teams and three with 14 teams -- and the low individual not on those teams will advance to the NCAA Championship final, hosted by USC between May 29-June 3 at The Riviera C.C. in Pacific Palisades.
Joining top seed USC in its region are No. 2 seed Oregon, No. 3 Kent State, No. 4 Virginia, No. 5 Baylor, No. 6 Oklahoma State, No. 7 Kennesaw State, No. 8 TCU, No. 9 Purdue, No. 10 North Carolina State, No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 12 Ohio State and No. 13 Navy. The 10 individuals competing at the course include: Peter Williamson (Dartmouth), Matt Thompson (Michigan), Sebastian MacLean (Xavier), Erik Van Rooyen (Minnesota), Dan Ellis (Michigan State), Tyler Merkel (Ball State), Charlie Bull (Akron), Chad Ebert (Green Bay), William Park (Army), Greg Matthias (Delaware).
Teams will begin play on the par 71, 6,723-yard course on Thursday and Friday at 8 a.m. CT and at 7:30 AM on Saturday. The Trojans are paired with Oregon and Kent State on Thursday, teeing off at 8 a.m.
Click here for Michigan's NCAA Regional page.
Click here for live results at Golfstat.com.
THE 2012 TROJANS
The Trojans have featured a balanced lineup this season, boasting two players with individual wins, five with top 9 finishes and six with at least three top 20 finishes each.
Senior Steve Lim was recently named an All-Pac-12 first teamer after two years as an All-Pac-10 second teamer. He is ranked No. 24 in the nation by Golfweek.com, leads the squad with his 71.71 stroke average and his six rounds in the 60s, tied for second. Lim, who has two top 3 finishes and five in the top 14, led USC to a four-stroke win at the Gifford Collegiate Championship to close the fall slate, notching his first-career collegiate victory with an 11-under 202 (66-67-69). He tied for third at the San Diego Intercollegiate with an even 216 (288-299-290 and tied for 11th at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters at 3-over 219 (75-70-74). He also tied for 13th at the U.S. Collegiate Championship at 1-under 215 (66-73-76) and tied for 14th at the Barona Collegiate Cup at 5-under 211 (70-73-68).
Sophomore Jeffrey Kang, named a Pac-12 10 second teamer for the second year in a row and ranked No. 38, posted his first college victory after winning a one-hole playoff to nab the Amer Ari at Waikoloa Beach. He finished regulation at 11-under 205 (67-69-69) and used a par on the first playoff hole for the win. Kang, third on the team with a 72.00 stroke average while leading the team lead with seven rounds in the 60s, was also sixth at the Gifford Collegiate and tied for eighth at the San Diego Intercollegiate at 3-over 219 (72-75-72) during a stretch of three top 8 finishes in a row. He tied for 10th at the U.S. Intercollegiate at 2-over 212 (70-70-72) and took 12th at the Pac-12 Championships at 3-under 285 (73-70-71-70).
Junior Sam Smith, ranked No. 56 and named to the conference honorable mention team for the second year in a row, is second on the team with a stroke average of 71.84. He posted a career-best tie for second at the U.S. Intercollegiate with a 1-under 209 (70-69-70) and then led USC at the Pac-12 Championships with a tie for third at 9-under 279 (77-68-67-67). He also tied for eighth (while playing as an individual) at the San Diego Intercollegiate, tied for 20th at the Gifford Collegiate and tied for 23rd at the Amer Ari at 3-under 213 (68-70-75). He is tied for second on the team with six rounds in the 60s.
Junior Martin Trainer, the 2011 Pac-10 Championships individual champion and an All-Pac-10 first teamer in 2011 and a 2012 Pac-12 honorable mention pick, has posted three top 17 finishes in three of his past four events and has five top 20 finishes overall. He tied for third at the San Diego Intercollegiate at even 216 (70-77-69) and tied for ninth at 9-under 207 (71-68-68) at the Barona Collegiate Cup. He tied for 12th at the U.S. Intercollegiate at 3-over 213 (69-76-68), tied for 17th at the Pac-12 Championships at 1-over 289 (74-74-71-70) and tied for 20th at the Gifford Collegiate. His six rounds in the 60s are tied for second best.
Freshman Anthony Paolucci, the nation's No. 1 recruit last year, earned 2012 All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors and is tied for second on the team with six rounds in the 60s. He has four top 17 finishes, including a tie for ninth at the Amer Ari, where he finished at 6-under 210 (69-70-71). He also went 3-0 at the Del Walker Match Play. Other strong efforts include a tie for 13th at the Gifford Collegiate at 3-over 216 (68-76-72), a tie for 14th at the U.S. Intercollegiate at 4-over 214 (70-76-68) and a tie for 17th at The Prestige at PGA West at 5-under 211 (74-71-66). He also tied for 21st at the Pac-12 Championships at 3-over 291 (70-72-75-74).
Sophomore Ramsey Sahyoun has a pair of top 20 finishes, tying for 17th at the Gifford Collegiate and tying for 20th at the Amer Ari at 4-under 212 (69-72-71). He also went 3-0 at the Del Walker Match Play and has two other top 25 marks.
Junior Stewart Hagestad rounds out the team, but he has not seen any action this season.
USC only played in three fall events after severe weather forced the Trojans to withdraw (along with the majority of the field) from its season-opener, the 2011 Kikkor Golf Husky Invitational. The Trojans added the Barona Collegiate Cup to make up for the missed rounds.
USC, which will serve as the NCAA Championships host in 2012 at the famed Riviera Country Club in Palisades, Calif., is guided by sixth-year head coach Chris Zambri. Zambri has directed the Trojans into the NCAA Championships final each of his first five years and has guided USC to a pair of Pac-10 titles.
Troy won twice last season, claiming the ASU Thunderbird Invitational in addition to the conference crown, and also posted a pair of second-place finishes. Trainer's Pac-10 title was its only individual victory.
2011-12 Event Recaps
2011 The Prestige At PGA West, Oct. 9-11
Sophomore Ramsey Sahyoun turned in his second-highest finish as a Trojan to lead the USC men's golf team at The Prestige at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. The Trojans, playing in their first event of the year after the season-open was rained out, finished 10th at 3-under 861 (289-285-286), 29 strokes behind first-place Oregon (832) in the 16-team field. Washington took second (834) while Stanford was third (840). Playing individually, freshman Anthony Paolucci was actually USC's top finisher in his debut event in the Cardinal and Gold, tying for 17th at 5-under 211 (74-71-66). His final round, beginning on the 10th hole in the shotgun start, included a 3-under front 9 and a 3-under back 9 with seven birdies overall. Sahyoun tied for 24th at 3-under 213 (73-70-70).
2011 U.S, Collegiate Championship, Oct. 23-25
The USC men's golf team spent the better part of three rounds battling for first at the 2011 U.S. Collegiate Championship before struggling over the final stretch, ultimately finishing seventh at the Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta, Ga. The leaders after the first round and tied for third after the second, USC was unable to maintain the momentum and finished seventh at 7-over 871 (282-288-301). UCLA took first at 12-under 852 while Washington and Auburn tied for second at 9-under 855. Senior Steve Lim was USC's highest finisher, tying for 13th at 1-under 215 (66-73-76). He had four bogeys during his final round and 14 pars. Freshman Anthony Paolucci tied for 31st at 4-over 220 (71-71-81).
2011 Gifford Collegiate Championship, Oct. 31-Nov. 2
Senior Steve Lim fired a final-round 69 to not only lead the USC men's golf team to its first title this season but also claim his first collegiate title at the 2011 Gifford Collegiate at the CordeValle G.C. in San Martin, Calif. ... The Trojans built a 12-stroke lead after the second round and put the cushion to good use, holding off UCLA for the win at 8-under 1057 (345-352-360), four shots better than the second-place Bruins' 1061 (348-361-352). Lim, USC's active leader in rounds in the 60s, put together one of USC's top tournaments in recent memory to win at 11-under 202 (66-67-69). Though he bogeyed his final two holes to take some off the gloss off a 4-under start, Lim was still able to hold off UCLA All-American Patrick Cantlay, who finished at 10-under 203 (63-70-70).
2012 Amer Ari at Waikoloa Beach, Feb. 1-3
Sophomore Jeffrey Kang won a one-hole playoff to claim his first collegiate title and helped lead the No. 11 USC men's golf team to second-place at the 22nd annual Amer Ari at Waikoloa (Hi.) Beach. USC began the day in third place, four strokes back of Texas. The Trojans maintained striking distance with Texas throughout the final round but couldn't catch the Longhorns, who won at 30-under 834. USC took second at 25-under 839 (276-285-278) while Stanford was third at 20-under 844. Kang finished at 11-under 205 (67-69-69), tied with Texas's Jordan Spieth. On the first playoff hole, Kang carded a par for the title. His final round featured four birdies with only a bogey on 16. His win marked his second straight top 6 finish and the fifth top 6 result of his career.
2012 San Diego Intercollegiate, Feb. 13-14
Senior Steve Lim and junior Martin Trainer tied for third and led the No. 4 USC men's golf team to second place - its third top 2 finish in a row - at the 2012 San Diego Intercollegiate at the San Diego C.C. in Chula Vista, Calif. The Trojans battled second-round leader Washington throughout the final round and finished at 13-over 877 (288-299-290), seven back of the winning Huskies (870). It was USC's second straight second-place finish in two spring events. USC also won its final fall event. Trainer, the 2011 Pac-10 champion, registered his first top 10 finish this season at even 216 (70-77-69) and did so with some flair, using four consecutive birdies late in his round for a 3-under day. Lim, a winner in the fall, collected his third top 13 finish with a steady 216 (72-71-73).
2012 Del Walker Match Play Championship, Feb. 27-28
Sophomore Ramsey Sahyoun and freshman Anthony Paolucci each went 3-0 individually, but USC finished 1-2 in the 2012 Del Walker Match Play Championship in Long Beach, Calif., losing its two matches due to tiebreakers. USC tied Oregon State in the first match, 2-2-1, but fell to the consolation bracket due to a tiebreaker. The Trojans downed the host 49ers, 3-2, and then dropped its match to Oregon on another tiebreaker after the 2-2-1 tie.
2012 Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters, March 9-11
Senior Steve Lim tied for 11th while sophomore Jeffrey Kang posted a team-best 73 to lead USC during the final round of the 2012 Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters at the Southern Highlands G.C. in Las Vegas. The Trojans finished eighth at 31-over 895 (298-291-306). Lim posted his fourth top 13 finish this season at 3-over 219 (75-70-74). Starting on the 10th hole, he opened with 12 straight pars before a bogey on 4 and a birdie on 7. Only a double bogey on the final hole kept him out of the top 10.
2012 Barona Collegiate Cup, March 22-23
Senior Steve Lim and junior Martin Trainer each fired 4-under 68s to lead No. 6 USC as it almost came back from a double-digit deficit before finishing second at the 2012 Barona Collegiate Cup at the Barona Creek G.C. in Lakeside, Calif. The Trojans were some 10 strokes down when second-round play was halted due to darkness Tuesday night. They closed to within eight by the time the second round was completed and flirted with the lead before bowing to the host Aztecs, who won their fourth straight event. USC finished a combined 27-under 1053 (352-354-347), two back of San Diego State's 29-under 1051 (348-350-353) in the six-play, five-count format. USC's final round of 13-under 347 was best of the day, helping the Trojans secure their fourth top 2 finish in the past five events.
2012 U.S. Intercollegiate, March 30-April 1
Junior Sam Smith finished a career-best tied for second, sophomore Jeffrey Kang tied for 10th while junior Martin Trainer and freshman Anthony Paolucci each carded 68s as the Trojans shaved all but one stroke off a final-round eight-stroke deficit to finish second at the U.S. Intercollegiate at the Stanford (Calif.) G.C. USC finished at 2-over 842 (279-285-278), producing the best final round of the day to secure its fifth top 2 finish in their past six stroke play events. Oregon finished at 1-over 841 with a final round 285. Host Stanford took third at 9-over 849. Smith secured his second top 10 finish at 1-under 209 (70-69-79). He was 1-under on the front 9 with three birdies and two bogeys. He got to 2-under with an eagle on 16 before bogeying 17 and 18 to finish at par for the day. Kang's tie for 10th at 2-over 212 (70-70-72) was his fourth top 10 finish this year. He was 4-over on the front 9 and was still at 4-over through 14 before finishing with birdies on 15 and 17.
2012 Western Intercollegiate, April 14-15
Senior Steve Lim tied for 20th and sophomore Jeffrey Kang tied for 23rd to lead No. 3 USC on the final day of the 66th Annual Western Intercollegiate at the Pasatiempo G.C. in Santa Cruz, Calif. The Trojans, in their final regular season event, began and finished the day in fourth in the 14-team field. Troy combined for a final round 17-over 367 and wrapped up play at 39-over 1089 (358-364-367). Texas maintained its day one lead and won at 10-over 1060 with Stanford second (1064) and UCLA third (1067). Lim tied for 20th at 7-over 217 (75-70-72).
2012 Pac-12 Championships, April 27-29
Junior Sam Smith tied for third and led No. 5 USC to the low round of the day as the Trojans finished strong, taking third at the 2012 Pac-12 Championships at the Trysting Tree G.C. in Corvallis, Ore. Down 14 strokes to start the day, defending conference champion USC finished just four back at 8-under 1432 (368-356-356-353) of Cal and Oregon, which tied at the end of regulation at 12-under 1426. Cal won the team title on the second playoff. Smith set a season-best Saturday with a 67 and matched the effort Sunday to finish 9-under 279 (77-68-67-67) for his second top 3 finish in the last three outings and his third top 10 finish this season. He was four shots out of first. Smith birdied seven times Sunday, including during a 4-under front 9 that included a stretch of four birdies over five holes. Sophomore Jeffrey Kang finished 12th at 3-under 285 (73-70-71-71), completing a steady tournament. He birdied 5 and 14 with a bogey on 15 Sunday. His finish was his fifth top 12 this year. Junior Martin Trainer, the defending conference individual champion, tied for 17th at 1-over 289 (74-74-71-70). He opened his final round at 2-over through 10 holes but finished 4-under the rest of the way to secure his fifth top 20 finish this year. Senior Steve Lim tied for 21st at 3-over 291 (74-72-72-73) along with Anthony Paolucci (70-72-75-74). Sophomore Ramsey Sahyoun tied for 43rd at 12-over 300 (78-76-75-71) after improving his score for the third day in a row.
Players Mentioned
