2012 Men's Golf - Year In Review
Trey Jones, Head Coach
Lindsay Koth, Assistant Coach
Click here to see individual mug shots
2012 Men's Golf - Year In Review | |
| Coaching Staff Trey Jones, Head Coach Lindsay Koth, Assistant Coach Click here to see individual mug shots |
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Chase Seiffert, 6-3, 180, Panama City
2012 Roster - By Name
L
T PY
R Name Hgt Wgt Cl Ltr Hometown (Prior School)
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* Daniel Berger 6-1 185 Fr Jupiter (Dwyer)
* Kyle Cobb 5-11 Sr * Tallahassee (Leon/Central Florida)
* Wesley Graham 6-0 Sr *** Port Orange (Spruce Creek)
Bjorn Hellgren 6-1 175 So * Vasteras, Sweden (Rudbeckianska Gymnasiet)
* Brooks Koepka 6-1 Sr *** Wellington (Cardinal Newman)
* Doug Letson 5-9 Jr ** Tampa (Plant)
* Joaquin Lolas 6-1 So-R * Lima, Peru (Markham)
* Chase Seiffert 6-3 180 Jr Panama City (Mosley/Central Alabama CC)
2012 Conference Awards
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Brooks Koepka Atlantic Coast Conference - Player of the Year
Atlantic Coast Conference - All-Conference
Chase Seiffert Atlantic Coast Conference - All-Conference
All-Conference - 2
2012 All-Americans
Name Organization
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Brooks Koepka Golf Coaches Association of America - 2nd Team All-American
Golf Week - 2nd Team All-American
All-Americans - 1
2012 Schedule and Results
GAME |
SCORE |
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| Fighting Illini Invitational September 16-18, 2011, Olympia Fields, Ill. |
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| Brickyard Collegiate October 7-9, 2011, Macon, Ga. |
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| US Collegiate Championship October 23-25, 2011, Alpharetta, Ga. |
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| Patriot All-America Invite December 28-30, 2011, Litchfield Park, Ariz. |
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| Gator Invitational February 11-12, 2012, Gainesville, Fla. |
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| USF Invitational March 4-6, 2012, Dade City, Fla. |
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| Seminole Intercollegiate March 9-11, 2012 |
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| Fl Atlantic Intercollegiate March 23-25, 2012, Lake Worth, Fla. |
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| Gary Koch Intercollegiate April 7-8, 2012, Tampa, Fla. |
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| ACC Championship April 20-22, 2012, New London, N.C. |
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| NCAA Southwest Regional May 16-19, 2012, Norman, Okla. |
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| NCAA Championship May 29-31, 2012, Pacific Palisades, Calif. |
EOY StatsRef Overall Home Away Neutral ------------------------------------------------ FSU record is 0- 0 0- 0 0- 0 0- 0
2012 Atlantic Coast Conference Results 1 Georgia Tech 837 2 Virginia 844 3 Florida State 847 4t Clemson 857 4t Virginia Tech 857 6 Duke 862 7 North Carolina 867 8 Wake Forest 868 9 North Carolina State 872 10 Maryland 877 11 Boston College 897
2012 EOY Stats
Name Tournaments Rounds Par Low Strokes Wins Top10 Ave ======================================================================== Brooks Koepka 12 36 19 63 2,560 3 4 71.11 Chase Seiffert 8 24 9 66 1,740 0 2 72.50 Wesley Graham 10 30 14 67 2,180 0 2 72.67 Daniel Berger 10 30 12 66 2,180 0 2 72.67 Bjorn Hellgren 2 6 4 69 436 0 1 72.67 Doug Letson 9 27 11 68 1,966 0 4 72.81 Kyle Cobb 4 12 4 68 883 0 0 73.58 Joaquin Lolas 7 21 3 70 1,590 0 0 75.71
Koepka Leads Golf To Sixth.
Koepka finishes in tie for seventh at Fighting Illini Invitational.
OLYMPIA FIELDS, IL - Florida State senior Brooks Koepka shot an even par 70 and finished in a tie for seventh place and the Seminole men's golf team finished in sixth place in the team standings as play in the Olympia Fields / Fighting Illini Invitational at the Olympia Fields Country Club came to a close. Koepka earned the 16th top 10 finish of his career and best finish in four appearances in this event. The finish was his seventh top 10 finish in his last 13 events over the last two seasons.
Stanford, ranked No. 12 in the first GolfWorld poll of the 2011-12 season, led the event wire to wire in earning the team championship. The Cardinal won the event going away by 14 strokes over No.2 Oklahoma State and No. 9 Auburn. Florida State finished as the top finishing team among the unranked squads in the tournament and ahead of No. 7 ranked Florida (seventh place), No. 13 Illinois (tied for eighth), No. 22 Augusta State (tied for 10th), No. 20 Ohio State (tied for 10th) and No. 8 Duke (13th). Patrick Rogers of Stanford won the individual championship with a three stroke win over Dylan Frittelli of Texas.
Koepka (Wellington, Fla.) saved his best golf for the final round and his best stretch of golf for the final six holes of the tournament. He finished with an even par score of 70 in the final round for a team-leading total of 215. Koepka finished the round with three birdies over his final six holes to finish at even par as he went from three over par after 12 holes to even par when he signed his scorecard upon completion of the round.
Wesley Graham (Port Orange, Fla.) played a strong tournament and earned the sixth top 25 finish of his career. He shot a 74 in the final round for a 217 total and finished in a tie for 15th place. Graham carded 13 holes at par or better with one birdie in the final round. He played 45 of his 54 holes during the tournament at par or better with five birdies.
Freshman Daniel Berger (Jupiter, Fla.), who was playing in his first career collegiate event, finished in a tie for 30th place in the individual standings. He carded a three over par score of 73 in the final round - his second score of 73 in the tournament after opening the event with a 73 in the first round. Berger finished tied with teammate Doug Letson, who carded a 74 in the final round to finish with a 221 total for the three round event.
Florida State will play its second of three fall events at the Brickyard Collegiate at the Brickyard Golf Club in Macon, Ga., Oct. 7-9.
Fighting Illini Invitational/September 16-18, 2011/Final Round Team results Olympia Fields Country Club/Olympia Fields, Ill./Par 70 1. Stanford 849 T8. Notre Dame 893 2. Auburn 865 T10. Augusta State 890 3. Oklahoma State 865 T10. Ohio State 890 4. Alabama 867 12. Indiana 892 5. Texas 873 13. Duke 893 6. Florida State 874 14. Arizona State 897 7. Florida 880 15. Northwestern 907 T8. Illinois 883
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Brooks Koepka 7t 72 73 70 215 Wesley Graham 15t 71 72 74 217 Daniel Berger 30t 73 75 73 221 Doug Letson 30t 73 74 74 221 Joaquin Lolas 66t 75 77 80 232
Koepka Wins Championship.
Senior leads Seminoles to second place finish at Brickyard Collegiate Championship.
MACON, GA - Florida State senior Brooks Koepka won the first individual title of his career and the Seminole men's golf team finished in second place in the team standings as play in the Brickyard Collegiate Championship at the Brickyard at Riverside came to a close. Koepka shot a three under par score of 69 for a third round for a total of 205 to take a four stroke victory over Seth Reeves of Georgia Tech. The win was the first of Koepka's 37-match Seminole career and first after four career runner-up finishes.
Georgia Tech, which took the lead in the first round, won the team championship with a 17-stroke victory over second place Florida State. The Seminoles pulled to within five strokes of the Yellow Jackets midway through the final round only to watch them pull away for the team championship. The second place finish as the Seminoles' best team finish since placing second in the USF Invitational during the spring of 2011.
In earning the first victory of his collegiate career, Koepka carded his third sub-par round of the tournament and tied his career low for a three round tournament with his score of 205. He carded scores of 66-70-69 to finish as the only player with three scores at or under par during the tournament. Along the way, he also carded his second eagle of the tournament with a three on the par five hole No. 6. Koepka teed off from hole No. 6 at even par through his first five holes and played three under par golf during the remainder of the round.
Koepka (Wellington, Fla.) was under par for 46 of his 54 holes played, carded two eagles (in the first and third rounds) and totaled 13 birdies.
"It's awesome to finally get my first win in a college tournament - hopefully there are more of those to come," said Koepka. "The whole team enjoyed a great week on a tough course so it was a good all-around week for our entire team. We have to continue to practice hard, get ready for the U.S. Collegiate Championship and all play well there."
Seminole junior Doug Letson (Tampa, Fla.) played one of the best tournaments of his career as he finished in a tie for sixth place in the individual standings with a career-best tying score of 214. He carded scores of 69 in both the first and third rounds. Letson came within one place of tying his career best finish, tied his career best with his 214 tournament score and came within one of tying his career best scores for a single round of 68 in the first and third rounds.
Florida State counted four scores at 74 or better in the final round as freshman Daniel Berger (tie for 54th place, 228 total) scored a 73 in the third round and senior Wesley Graham (tie for 40th place, 223 total) counted a final round score of 74.
Sophomore Bjorn Hellgren (Vasteras, Sweden) - who was playing as an individual - finished in fifth place in the individual standing with a career best tying 212 total for the 54 hole tournament. He shot a career best 69 in the final round.
"Brooks did what really good senior golfers do - he put our team on his back and carried us around the course," said head coach Trey Jones. "I am really happy with the way the players rebounded after a tough front nine in the second round to play much better during the remainder of the tournament. I challenged them to rebound from a tough team score and them came out and did just that - they played well today. We are still learning and that is good. Now we have to prepare well to put and play well at the U.S. Collegiate Championship."
Brickyard Collegiate Championship/Oct. 7-9, 2011/Final Team Results Brickyard At Riverside/Macon, Ga./Par 72 1. Georgia Tech 848 T8. Mercer 890 2. Florida State 865 10. Ole Miss 892 3. North Florida 868 11. Colorado State 894 4. Georgia 872 12. Augusta State 896 5. Virginia Tech 881 13. Charleston 898 6. Chattanooga 885 14. Gonzaga 912 7. Texas Arlington 887 15. Air Force 914 T8. Oklahoma 890
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Brooks Koepka 1 66 70 69 205 Bjorn Hellgren * 5 72 71 69 212 Doug Letson 6t 69 76 69 214 Joaquin Lolas * 29t 71 74 75 220 Wesley Graham 40t 72 77 74 223 Daniel Berger 54t 77 76 73 226 Kyle Cobb 54t 75 76 75 226
Noles Golf Finishes 11th.
Koepka earns third top 20 finish of fall season to lead Seminoles at U.S. Collegiate Championship.
ALPHARETTA, GA - Florida State University senior Brooks Koepka carded a one over par 73 in the final round to finish with an even par total of 216 and in a tie for 17th place in the final individual standings to lead the No. 7 ranked Seminole men's golf team to an 11th place finish in the final team standings at the U.S. Collegiate Championship on the Lakeside Course at the Golf Club of Georgia.
UCLA, which was in a tie for sixth in the team standings after the first round and in second after the second round, won the team championship with a three stroke victory over Pac 12 conference mate Washington and Auburn from the SEC. The Bruins carded the best score of the third round and overcame a three stroke deficit entering the third round to take the team championship. Dominic Bozzelli of Auburn and Johannes Veerman of Texas A&M shared the individual championship. Defending champion Georgia Tech finished fourth in the team standings.
Koepka (Wellington, Fla.) carded a one over par 73 in the final round and finished with an even par score of 216 for the 54 hole tournament. He played his best golf of the final found over the course of his last four holes with two birdies to bring his score to one over par for the round. Koepka finished the tournament with 11 birdies and only 11 holes scores over par during his 54 holes played. He was a cumulative total of one under par on the back nine (holes 10-18) of the very tough layout on the Lakeside Course.
Koepka finished as the Seminoles' leader in this event and in each of Florida State's three events this fall. He was a total of 12 strokes under par in his nine rounds played.
Freshman Daniel Berger (Jupiter, Fla.) finished in a tie for 37th place in the individual standings with a career-low tying total of 221. He tied for the team high with 11 birdies in earning one score below par and two scores at 75 or better. Berger's score of 70 in the first round was tied for the Seminoles' lowest score of the tournament along with Koepka who also carded a 70 in the first round. Both golfers carded scores of 70 in the first round.
Berger was the only freshman to play in each of the Seminoles' three fall events. His finished in a tie for 30th place at the season opening Olympia Fields Invitational and was a season-low five strokes over par in this week's event.
Junior Doug Letson (Tampa, Fla.) carded a 75 in the third round and finished in a tie for 41st place in the individual standings with a three round total of 222. He also carded 11 birdies during the tournament and including six in the second round. He, too, carded one round below par (a 71 in the first round) and two rounds at 75 or better (71 in round one and 75 in round three).
U.S. Collegiate Championship/Oct. 23-25, 2011/Final Team Results Golf Club of Georgia/Lakeside Course/Alpharetta, Ga./Par 72 1. UCLA 852 8. Duke 873 T2. Washington 855 T9. Kent State 874 T2. Auburn 855 T9. Texas A&M 874 4. Georgia Tech 864 11. Florida State 882 T5. Clemson 868 12. Wake Forest 890 T5. Iowa 868 13. Virginia 907 7. Southern California 871 14. East Tennessee State 908
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Brooks Koepka 17t 70 73 73 216 Daniel Berger 37t 70 73 78 221 Doug Letson 41t 76 71 75 222 Bjorn Hellgren 49t 71 75 78 224 Joaquin Lolas 67t 75 75 80 230
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Brooks Koepka 18t 67 72 75 214
Seminoles Finish 5th At Gator.
Seiffert leads Seminoles with third place finish in individual standings at Gator Invitational.
GAINESVILLE, FL - Seminole junior Chase Seiffert finished in a tie for third place in the individual standings and the No. 17 ranked Florida State University men's golf team finished in fifth place in the team standings as play in the spring-season opening Gator Invitational at the Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida came to a close. Seiffert carded a four over par score of 74 in the third round and finished with a 213 total - only 11 strokes out of the lead in his first tournament as a Seminole.
Auburn, the No. 2 ranked team in the nation and the highest ranked team in the tournament, won the team championship. The Eagles took the lead in the second round and won the title by four strokes over Arkansas and seven strokes over Florida - the host school. Auburn's Dominic Bozzelli won the individual championship with a third round score of even par 70 and an eight under par total of 202 for the three round event. He was the only golfer in the 75 player field who carded three scores of par or below golf in each of the three rounds of the tournament.
Seiffert (Panama City, Fla.) earned scores of 68-71-74 for a three over par score of 213 in his first event as a Seminole. His score of 74 during the final round included two birdies and 13 holes scored at par or better. Seiffert led the Seminoles with nine birdies and 43 holes at par or better during the tournament which was the first of five regular season tournaments leading up to the ACC and NCAA tournaments.
"I am proud of Chase for his finish and his play in his first event as a Seminole," said head coach Trey Jones. "He needs to take this experience and build on it during the remainder of the season and his career as a Seminole."
Seiffert's tied for third place individual finish is the second best for the Seminoles' this year behind only Brooks Koepka's individual championship at the Brickyard Collegiate Championship during the fall season.
Koepka (Wellington, Fla.) finished in a tie for 23rd place in the individual standings with a three round total of 220. He carded a one over par 71 in the first round and closed the vent with scores of 74 and 75. Koepka has now earned five consecutive top 25 finishes and 26 top 25 finishes in 39 career events.
Florida State was led in the final round by sophomore Joaquin Lolas (Lima, Peru) who carded a team-best 72 in the third round. He finished in a tie for 14th place in the individual standings with a 54 hole total of 217. His three round total of 217 ranks as his third best of his career while his individual finish is also the third best of his career.
Lolas, who carded eagles in both the first and second rounds, carded two birdies and 14 holes at par or better in the third round in carding his two over par score of 72. He played his best golf of the day on his front nine with two birdies and a one under par total as he made the turn to the back nine. Lolas finished the tournament with consecutive scores of 72 in the second and third rounds.
"The conditions on the course today provided us the opportunity to move up and we did not take advantage of those conditions," said Jones. We have a lot of maturity on this team and to see us make the mistake we made today was very frustrating. We have three weeks until our next event and we have to make each day a positive strop towards improvement."
Gator Invitational/Feb. 11-12, 2012/Final Team Results Mark Bostick Golf Course/University of Florida/Gainesville, Fla./Par 70 1. Auburn 848 8. North Florida 883 2. Arkansas 864 9. Mississippi State 885 3. Florida 865 10. Georgia Southern 888 4. UCF 871 11. Memphis 892 5. Florida State 873 12. Kennesaw State 900 6. Liberty 878 13. South Alabama 902 7. UAB 882 14. Jacksonville 920
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Chase Seiffert 3t 68 71 74 213 Joaquin Lolas 14t 73 72 72 217 Brooks Koepka 23t 71 74 75 220 Wesley Graham 44t 75 76 74 225 Doug Letson 63t 73 78 79 230
Men's Golf Finishes In 10th Place at USF Invitational.
Koepka leads Seminoles with top 25 finish.
DADE CITY, FL - Florida State senior Brooks Koepka finished in a tie for 24th place in the individual standings and the Seminole men's golf team finished in a tie for 10th place in the team standings as play in the USF Invitational came to a close on Tuesday.
No. 16 UCF, who took over the lead in the first round, earned the team championship with a six stroke win over Georgia. The Golden Knights had two players finish in the top five and three players complete the tournaments in the top 12 of the individual standings. Justin Doward of Louisville and Chris Pledger of Arkansas State finished in a tie for the individual championship with identical scores of five under par 211.
Koepka (Wellington, Fla.) earned his best score of the three round tournament with a two under par score of 70 in the second round en route to a four over par 54 hole score of 219. He was never more than four strokes over par during the tournament. Koepka led the Seminoles with 12 birdies during the event.
Senior Wesley Graham (Port Orange, Fla.) finished the event as the highest ranking Seminole. He finished in a tie for 12th place - he was competing as an individual and did not count toward the team score. Graham earned two scores of one under par 71 in the first two rounds and finished with a three over par score of 75 in the final round.
USF Invitational/March 4-6, 2012/Final Team Results Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club/Dade City, Fla./Par 72 1. UCF 854 T10. Florida State 891 2. Georgia 860 T10. Villanova 891 3. Kentucky 868 12. Florida Gulf Coast 893 4. South Florida 874 13. Arkansas State 895 5. North Carolina 876 14. DePaul 908 6. Middle Tennessee St. 878 15. Florida Atlantic 921 7. Louisville 881 16. Marquette 937 8. Eastern Michigan 888 17. Cincinnati 952 9. Troy 889
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Wesley Graham * 12t 71 71 75 217 Brooks Koepka 24t 74 70 75 219 Chase Seiffert 28t 75 70 75 220 Kyle Cobb 51t 79 72 76 227 Daniel Berger 56t 81 72 75 228 Joaquin Lolas 70t 78 75 81 234
Seminole Sweep.
Koepka captures individual title and FSU edges No. 8 Georgia Tech.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Disappointed in his putting after the first two rounds of the 2012 Seminole Intercollegiate, Florida State senior captain Brooks Koepka changed his grip back to conventional and practiced on the greens for close to two hours following Saturday's completion of play.
The result was medalist honors for Koepka as he led the Seminoles to the 2012 Seminole Intercollegiate championship Sunday at Southwood Golf Club.
FSU erased a five-shot deficit to No. 8 Georgia Tech during the final round and captured the title by one stroke with a three-day total of 278-279-272=829 (-23). It's the Seminoles' first tournament title since capturing a 1-shot win at the 2010 Seminole Intercollegiate. The 829 54-hole total is FSU's lowest dating back to the 1993-94 season.
"To say I'm proud of these guys is an understatement," FSU head coach Trey Jones said. "The scoreboards were everywhere. They knew what they were doing. They were playing against a lot of good teams - and they were trailing against an exceptionally good team in Georgia Tech. They were not going to go away. We needed to go do it, and our guys found a way to go do it in the end. I'm proud of all of them. They didn't back down."
The Yellow Jackets had a chance to tie the Garnet & Gold on the final hole, but their No. 1 player, James White, missed a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 18.
Koepka trailed teammate Chase Seiffert by four shots heading into the final round, but matched his season-low round with a 5-under 66 on Sunday. His 54-hole total of 69-69-66=204 (-9) gave him medalist honors for the second time this season. He also won the Brickyard Collegiate Championship in Macon, Ga., in October.
"He's a senior; he's our captain," Jones said. "He's a former ACC Freshman of the Year and Co-ACC Player of the Year. This is when you need guys like him to step up, put the team on their shoulders and get it done. That's why he's going to be an All-American."
Koepka shook off a hole No. 1 bogey and recorded six birdies over the first 12 holes, including four straight on holes Nos. 9-12. He nearly added another birdie on No. 18, just missing a 25-foot putt. He clinched the individual title with a tap-in five-footer right after, however.
"It's really nice," Koepka said. "I've been trying to do this for four years. It's always nice to win your home event. You only get to play in front of your home crowd once a year. We got it done in the final round. It's a great job by our team. We got comfortable in the middle of the round and got it done down the stretch."
Seiffert snagged runner-up honors with an 8-under 67-67-71=205 (-8).
In addition to the stellar round by Koepka, the play of senior Wesley Graham, graduate student Kyle Cobb and freshman Daniel Berger propelled the Noles to their first tournament win in nearly two years. All three had their lowest rounds of the weekend on Sunday.
Cobb recorded a 3-under 68 en route to an even-par 213 total to tie for 20th. Graham and Berger both tallied 2-under 69s. Graham finished with a 1-under 212 to tie for 15th. Berger matched Cobb with a 213 final score for 20th.
FSU's two individuals, junior Doug Letson and sophomore Joaquin Lolas, finished tied-for-ninth and tied-for-49th, respectively.
Letson had a phenomenal tournament, finishing with a 70-69-71=210 (-3) total.
Team Scores 1 Florida State 278 279 272 829 -23 2 Georgia Tech 278 274 278 830 -22 3 Kennesaw State 283 286 273 842 -10 4 Mercer 281 289 279 849 -3 5 North Carolina 286 290 281 857 +5 6 Jacksonville 288 285 287 860 +8 7 Michigan State 287 287 288 862 +10 8 Mississippi State 293 290 280 863 +11 9 Arkansas State 289 288 287 864 +12 10 Troy 292 289 285 866 +14 11 Charlotte 283 299 285 867 +15 12 Georgia State 296 293 291 880 +28 13 South Florida 293 296 294 883 +31 14 Toledo 296 306 291 893 +41 15 James Madison 297 296 303 896 +44 16 Florida Atlantic 303 302 298 903 +51 17 Cincinnati 291 302 318 911 +59 18 Boston College 305 314 298 917 +65
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Brooks Koepka 1 69 69 66 204 Chase Seiffert 2 67 67 71 205 Doug Letson * 9t 70 69 71 210 Wesley Graham 15t 72 71 69 212 Kyle Cobb 20t 70 75 68 213 Daniel Berger 20t 72 72 69 213 Joaquin Lolas * 59t 70 79 72 221
Koepka And Seminoles Win FAU Invitational.
Koepka leads 1-2-3 finish in individual standings for team victory.
LAKE WORTH, FL - Florida State senior and All-American candidate Brooks Koepka tied the school record with an 8 under par score of 63 in the final round to win his second consecutive individual title and lead the Seminoles' men's golf team to the team championship at the FAU Spring Break Invitational at the Fountains Country Club. Koepka led a parade of Seminoles in the top three with his first place finish; he was followed by senior Wesley Graham in second place and junior Doug Letson in third place.
Koepka tied the school record which was previously set by Seminole All-American Matt Savage who carded a 63 in the second round of the Florida State Spring Invitational during the spring of 2009. Including his school record tying 63 in the final round, Koepka finished with a school record 199 score for the three round event - an average of 66.3 strokes per round. Koepka carded scores of 67-69-63 as he finished with his 14 under par score of 199. Koepka was below par during 49 of the 54 holes he played during the weekend.
Koepka's teammates followed suit as senior Wesley Graham finished in second place and junior Doug Letson in third to lead the Seminoles to an incredible 19 stroke victory over Ohio State and a 24 stroke victory over third place finisher Northern Illinois. The win marked the second consecutive for Koepka (individual title) and the Seminoles (team championship) as both finished in first place in the individual and team races at last week's Seminole Intercollegiate.
"We always want our guys to play better as a tournament goes on," said head coach Trey Jones. "As a team we shot minus four, minus eight and minus 11. I am very proud of the guys as today was the toughest conditions of the weekend in terms of wind and pin placement. Players playing well late in a tournament is a positive characteristic we are beginning to learn as we approach postseason play."
Florida State has now won nine tournament championships in nine years under Jones.
Koepka (Wellington, Fla.) was on fire from the start of the round with three birdies on his first four holes and five birdies on his first seven holes. At the turn, he was six under par with six birdies on his first nine holes. Koepka continued his mastery of the course on his back nine with two more birdies as he moved to eight under par with a birdie on the 16th holes. He finished with two consecutive holes of par and signed his card with a school record tying total of 63.
"I am happy with the way I played today," said Koepka. "But I am happier with how we played as a team and feel that we are getting better as the season progresses."
"Brooks played one of the best rounds that I have been privileged to coach," said Jones. "If there was ever a 63 that looked east, it was Brooks' 63 today."
Koepka is on quite a roll in his last two tournaments with two first place finishes, six consecutive scores in the 60's, a stroke average of 67.16 since the beginning of the Seminole Intercollegiate and a cumulative score of 23 strokes under par. Koepka, who has now won three tournaments during his collegiate career, set personal records for low round score (63) and low tournament score (199) while tying his personal best for career finish (first) on the Fountains Course which is roughly 30 minutes from his home.
Senior Wesley Graham (Port Orange, Fla.) continued to play the best golf of his career as he carded an even par 71 in the final round to finish with a 208 total and in a personal best tying second place finish in the individual standings. Graham was at or under par in each of the three rounds of the tournament with scores of 70-67-71 as he tied his own personal records for low round (67) and highest finish (second) during the weekend.
Graham played well with 15 holes at par or better including four birdies in carding an even par score of 71 in the final round. He totaled two birdies on his first three holes and two more birdies on his final five holes to finish at even par. He finished his first two rounds of the event under par.
Junior Doug Letson (Tampa, Fla.) tied his career best with a 3 under par score of 68 in the final round - he finished in a career best third place with a career best score of 209. It marked the second career top five finish for Letson who finished in fifth place in the individual standings at the Seminole Intercollegiate during the spring of 2012. Letson closed the event with scores of 69 and 68 to finish his final 36 holes at five strokes under par.
Letson tied his tournament best with five birdies in the third round (he also totaled five birdies in the second round) and made 13 birdies during the event. He finished at par or better on 45 of the 54 holes he played over the weekend.
A fourth member of the Seminoles' starting line-up - Kyle Cobb (Tallahassee, Fla.) - played his best golf of the weekend with a final round score of 71. He finished in a tie for 24th place in the individual standings with a 214 total. Cobb totaled two birdies on his back nine to finish at par for the first time during the event. Cobb came within one stroke of tying his career best for a three round tournament with his 54 holes total of 214. Cobb carded a career best 213 as last week's Seminole Intercollegiate.
Junior Chase Seiffert (Panama City, Fla.) finished in a tie 18th place in the individual standings to mark his second top 20 finish of his Seminole career. He finished with even par scores of 71 in the first and second rounds and a 1 over par score of 72 in the final round. Freshman Daniel Berger (Jupiter, Fla.), who was playing as an individual, finished in a tie for 11th place in the individual standings with a career best tournament score of 212.
"We are looking forward to carrying this confidence into the Gary Koch next week,"
FAU Spring Break Invitational/March 23-25, 2012/Final Team Results The Fountains Country Club/Lake Worth, Fla./Par 71 1. Florida State 829 9. Marshall 873 2. Ohio State 848 10. Florida Atlantic 876 3. Northern Illinois 853 T11. Minnesota 880 4. Jacksonville St 860 T11. Connecticut 880 5. Xavier 862 13. Miami (Ohio) 881 T6. South Florida 865 14. Murray State 873 T6. Florida Gulf Coast 865 15. DePaul 902 8. Michigan State 869
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Brooks Koepka 1 67 69 63 199 Wesley Graham 2 70 67 71 208 Doug Letson 3 72 69 68 209 Daniel Berger * 11t 70 70 72 212 Chase Seiffert 18t 71 71 72 214 Kyle Cobb 24t 72 74 71 217
Letson Leads FSU To 5th Place at Gary Koch.
Junior earns third consecutive top 10 individual finish.
TAMPA, FL - Florida State junior Doug Letson finished in a tie for 10th place in the individual standings and the No. 23 Seminole men's golf team finished in fifth place in the team standings as the 2012 Gary Koch Intercollegiate came to a conclusion. Letson earned his third consecutive top 10 finish while the Seminoles earned their third straight top five team finish. The Seminoles now look forward to postseason play and the ACC Championships at the Old North State Club at Uwharrie Point in New London, N.C. April 20-22.
No. 17 North Florida ran away with the team title - outdistancing second place and No. 11 ranked Georgia Tech by an amazing 20 strokes. The Ospreys took the lead in the first round and never relinquished their grip on the top spot. Joey Petronio of North Florida won the individual title with a two stroke victory over teammate Sean Dale and Hunter Hamrick of Alabama.
Letson (Tampa, Fla.) continued to play stellar golf as the postseason approaches; he finished with an even par total of 216. He carded scores of 72-73-71 and finished as one of only 11 players in the 72 member field that finished with a tournament score at par or better. Letson finished with 16 holes at par or better with one birdie and was never more than one stroke over par during the round.
Letson was never more than one stroke over par during the entire 54 hole tournament.
Letson has earned three top 10 finishes in the last three tournaments - third at the FAU Spring Break Invitational, tied for ninth at the Seminole Intercollegiate and tied for 10 at the Gary Koch. He is a total of minus five strokes under par since beginning play in the Seminole Intercollegiate on March 9.
Senior Brooks Koepka (Wellington, Fla.) finished the tournament with an even par score of 72. He finished in a tie for 18th place in the individual standings with a 219 total for the three round event. His finish marked the first time in three events that he did not claim the individual championship.
Koepka has now finished in the top 20 of the individual standings in six of his eight starts this year and has not finished outside of the top 25 in the individual standings. He is a total of 17 strokes under par in his last three events, seven strokes under par for the spring season and 13 strokes under par in eight events during his senior season.
Seminole freshman Daniel Berger (Jupiter, Fla.) finished in a tie for 18th in the individual standings along with Koepka. He, too, closed the day with an even par 72 in the final round. Berger finished with even par scores of 72 in the second and third rounds to earn his third consecutive top 10 finish. Berger is playing as well as any of his Seminole teammates and is only two strokes over par in his last three tournaments.
Senior Wesley Graham (Port Orange, Fla.) finished the event with an even par 72 while junior Chase Seiffert (Panama City, Fla.) closed with a 1 over par score of 73.
Florida State played its second best team round of the tournament in the third round with a one over par score of 289. The Seminoles counted three scores of 72 and only one score above par in finishing one under par as a team over the course of the final two rounds.
Gary Koch Intercollegiate/Par 72/Final Team Results Old Memorial Golf Course/Tampa, Fla./April 7-8, 2012 1. North Florida 843 T8. Pacific 898 2. Georgia Tech 863 10. USF 900 3. Auburn 868 11. UNC Greensboro 902 4. Alabama 869 12. Wake Forest 907 5. Florida State 872 13. Kentucky 911 6. Florida 874 14. College of Charleston 924 7. Virginia 878 15. Toledo 930 T8. Georgia Southern 898
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Doug Letson 10t 72 71 73 216 Brooks Koepka 18t 73 74 72 219 Daniel Berger 18t 75 72 72 219 Wesley Graham 23t 78 70 72 220 Chase Seiffert 32t 77 73 73 223
Berger Leads Seminoles To 3rd Place ACC Finish.
Freshman finishes in seventh place in first ACC Championship appearance.
GREENSBORO, NC - Florida State finished in third place in the team standings and Seminole freshman Daniel Berger finished in a career best tied for seventh place in the individual standings as play in the 59th Annual ACC Men's Golf Championship at the Old North State Club at Uwharrie Point came to a close. The Seminoles' third place finish marked their highest team finish in the ACC Championship since winning the title in 2008 and marked only the third time since joining the conference for the 1992 season that they have finished in third place or better in the team standings.
The Seminoles finished the event with four players in the top 20 of the individual standings, three players with final scores under par and four players with scores at or below par.
Georgia Tech, which led the event wire-to wire, won its fourth consecutive ACC Championship with an eight stroke victory over Virginia and a 10 stroke win over Florida State. The Yellow Jackets placed four players in the top 10 of the individual standings and all five of the players in their starting line-up finished with under par individual scores for the 54 holes place. Ben Rausch of Virginia won the individual championship with a 10 under par score of 206.
Berger (Jupiter, Fla.) finished in a tie for seventh place in the individual standings with a 5 under par total of 211. He closed the event with a two over par score of 74 - the only round of the three in which he finished above par. Berger established personal bests for single round score (66 in the first round), 36 holes score (137), three round tournament score (211), score vs. par (minus 5) and individual finish (tied for seventh). His finish marked the first top 10 finish of his eight tournament career as a Seminole.
"I learned a lot from this experience; I learned a lot from our seniors and our coaching staff during this event," said Berger. "This was my best finish of the year in the biggest tournament of my freshman season so far. I feel that our performance as a team give us confidence as we move into regionals and nationals. I know I can play well and this performance proved to me how much hard work pays off."
Berger's final round consisted of 14 holes at par or better with two birdies. He concluded the tournament with 45 of 54 holes at par or better and tied for the team leads with 12 birdies. Berger was one of five Seminoles (each member of the starting line-up) who carded an eagle during the tournament.
Senior Brooks Koepka (Wellington, Fla.) finished in 11th place in the individual standings with a 4 under par total of 212. He carded three scores at par or better (71-69-72) and closed his career with three top 15 individual finishes in four ACC Championship appearances. Koepka shot a final round score of even par 72 with 15 holes at par or better including three birdies.
Koepka won the individual battle with Virginia's Ben Kohles who finished in a tie for 12th place in the individual standings (one spot below Koepka) and a score of 213 (one stroke below Koepka). Koepka and Kohles are the two leading candidates to win the ACC Player of the Year honors.
Junior Chase Seiffert (Panama City, Fla.) performed extremely well in his first career ACC Championship appearance as he finished in a tie for 12th place in the individual standings with a 3 under par score of 213. He was the Seminoles' third highest finisher in the final individual standings. Seiffert set a personal best - and tie for the team best in this event - with a six under par score of 66 in Saturday's second round.
Seiffert finished the weekend with 12 birdies, one eagle and 46 of his 54 holes carded at par or better.
Senior Wesley Graham (Port, Orange, Fla.) finished with an even par score of 72 in the final round to finish in a tie for 18th place in the individual standings. His 216 tournament total of top 20 finish marked career bests for the four-year Seminole letter winner who played in three career ACC Championship tournaments.
Graham carded a tournament best five birdies in earning his second score of par or better in the event. He carded a two under par score of 70 in Friday's first round. Graham was never more than three strokes over par during the 54 hole event and carded 12 birdies and one eagle in finishing at even par or better for the third time this year.
Junior Doug Letson (Tampa, Fla.) played his best round of the tournament as he carded a 2 under par score of 70 in the final round and finished in a tied for 32nd place with a 4 over par total of 220. With his first under par round of the three round event, Letson moved up 15 spots in the individual standings from his position of tied for 47th place after two rounds of play.
Letson was nearly flawless during the round as he carded 17 holes at par or better with three birdies and only one bogey. He was credited with par scores on his first 12 holes of the round and closed with two birdies on his last four holes including a birdie on his final hole.
ACC Championship/April 20-22, 2012/Final Team Results Old North State Club at Uwharrie Point/North Course/Greensboro, N.C./Par 72 1. Georgia Tech 837 7. North Carolina 867 2. Virginia 844 8. Wake Forest 868 3. Florida State 847 9. NC State 872 T4. Virginia Tech 857 10. Maryland 877 T4. Clemson 857 11. Boston College 897 6. Duke 862
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Daniel Berger 7t 66 71 74 211 Brooks Koepka 11 71 69 72 212 Chase Seiffert 12t 72 66 75 213 Wesley Graham 18t 70 74 72 216 Doug Letson 32t 74 76 70 220
Men's Golf Advances To National Championships.
Seminoles finish in tie for third place at NCAA Southwest Regional.
NORMAN, OK - The Florida State men's golf team finished in a tie for third place in the NCAA Southwest Regional Championships and advanced to the NCAA Championships May 29-June 3 at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. It marks the second time in the last three seasons the Seminoles have advanced to the championship round of the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship. Florida State finished in third place in the final standings of the National Championships in 2009.
The Seminoles finished in a tie for third place in the final standings of the 2012 Southwest Regional Championships and advanced along with first placed Washington, second placed Texas, Illinois (tied for third) and fifth placed Oklahoma. Those five schools will be joined by the top five teams from the five other regional championships as the 30 teams who will compete for the coveted title of national champion during the final week of the collegiate golf season.
"To say I am proud of this team is an understatement," said head coach Trey Jones. "In our last five rounds we have had five different guys step up and have the team's low round. This week Brooks (Koepka) got us off to a good start. Daniel (Berger) played a great round yesterday and Wesley (Graham) came through in a bag way today. This is a no excuses teams and while they struggled with the course and the conditions, it never got the best of them."
The Seminoles finished comfortably inside of the cut to advance as one of the top five teams as they finished three strokes ahead of fifth placed Oklahoma and 13 strokes ahead of sixth placed Georgia Tech (the 2012 ACC Champion). Florida State's tied for third place finish in this regional championship is the second best in school history behind only the Seminoles' second place finish at the NCAA Central Regional Championship at Notre Dame in 2010. The tied for third place finish is the second highest regional finish under Jones.
Berger (Jupiter, Fla.) finished in third place in the individual standings - just four strokes off the pace set by individual medalist Chris Williams of Washington. Washington carded a 4 under par 68 in the final round to move into first place and win the individual competition. Berger, who was playing in his first career regional championship, was in a tie for fifth place after the first round and in second place after the second round. He finished with a 3 under par tournament score of 213 as he carded a 3 over par score of 75 in the third and final round.
Berger carded his first eagle of the tournament - a three on the par 5 hole No. 8 - to go along with two birdies and nine holes scored at par. He was 1 under par over the course of his final 11 holes of the championship.
"Today was a great day for our team," said Berger. "The weather conditions were probably the worst we have faced all year in the most important tournament of the year. I hit some good shots and I hit some poor shots. Playing in this event was a great experience and got us one step closer to our goal of winning a national championship that we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year. Playing well here gives me and my teammates a lot of confidence knowing that we can go head to head with the best teams in the country and knowing that we have a chance at winning."
The Seminoles advanced on the strength of its third leading golfer during the three rounds of the tournament - senior Wesley Graham. Graham carded his second sub-par round of the tournament and finished in sixth place in the individual standings with a 54 hole total of 216. He carded a 70 in the first round and did not card a score above 75 in the regional championship.
Graham played his second best round of the tournament and was under par for all but one hole after carding birdie on his first hole of the day. He birdied two of his first four holes of the round and added one birdie on his back nine. Graham was 1 stroke under par over the course of his final 15 holes of the round.
"It was a grind the whole day," said Graham. We came out (of this region) because of the overall toughness of every guy on our team and our never quit attitude throughout the entire tournament."
Koepka (Wellington, Fla.) finished in 17th place in the individual standings with a 4 over par total of 220. He carded a five under par score of 67 in the first round and will now play in his second career NCAA Championship finals event.
"Playing in the national championship round is a nice way to go out," said Koepka. "But we're obviously not going there to play -- we are looking to win. It will be fin to go out there and improve in what we did two years ago."
Junior Doug Letson (Tampa, Fla.) finished in a tie for 31st place and Chase Seiffert (Panama City, Fla.) finished in a tie for 52nd place in the individual standings. Letson carded back to back scores of 73 in the first and second round and Seiffert carded his best score of the tournament - a 76 - in the third round.
"We are in desperate need of some rest and we will begin preparing for Rivera Country Club on Monday," said Jones.
2012 NCAA Southwest Regional Championship/May 17-19, 2012/Final Team Results Jimmie Austin Golf Course at the University of Oklahoma/Norman, Okla./Par 72 1. Washington 860 8. South Carolina 895 2. Texas 864 T9. Arizona 902 T3. Florida State 871 T9. San Diego 902 T3. Illinois 871 11. Sacramento State 903 5. Oklahoma 874 12. IUPUI 915 6. Georgia Tech 883 13. Middle Tennessee State 922 7. St. Mary's (Calif.) 892 14. Loyola (Chicago) 944
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Daniel Berger 3 69 69 75 213 Wesley Graham 6 70 75 71 216 Brooks Koepka 17 67 75 78 220 Doug Letson 31t 73 73 78 224 Chase Seiffert 52t 75 79 76 230
Men's Golf Tied For 6th At NCAA Championship.
Koepka and Lolas lead Seminoles with even par scores of 71.
May 29, 2012
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - The Florida State University men's golf team is in a five-way tie for sixth place - only five strokes out of the team lead --- after the first round of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship at the Riviera Country Club. The Seminoles were a combined three strokes under par on the final two holes and had two players shoot even par as they completed the first 18 of 54 holes of stroke play in the championship on Tuesday. Senior Brooks Koepka and junior Joaquin Lolas are in a tie for 13th place in the individual standings as both players carded event par scores of 71.
The Seminoles will continue to play for one of the top eight spots in the team standings during the remaining two rounds of stroke play in order to qualify for match play which begins on Friday. The top eight teams in stroke play face each other in a bracket-style competition (1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, and 4 vs. 5) in the final three rounds of the event to decide the national champion. The individual national champion will be decided after three rounds of stroke play.
No. 2 ranked Alabama jumped out to a quick start and holds the team lead with a score of 285. The Crimson Tide leads No. 18 ranked Florida and No. 4 ranked Auburn by four strokes. Alabama is looking to follow the lead of the Crimson Tide women's golf team which won the Division I championship last week in Franklin, Tenn. Anton Arboleda is the individual leader after the first round of the event with a 4 under par sc "Overall we played pretty well today," said head coach Trey Jones. "The only thing we were missing was a round under par and that is easier said than done at Riviera. We lost some shots on the back nine on the 12-16 stretch. We start on the back tomorrow; we will need to execute at a high level to get off to a good start."
Koepka (Wellington, Fla.) played well in the first round as he carded a team-leading five birdies and eight holes at par in finishing with his score of even par 71. He played his best golf on the back nine with three birdies and a 1 under par total to finish the round. Koepka was 1 under par over his final four holes including a birdie on the par 5 No. 17 to help the Seminoles gain a stroke late in the round.
The ACC Player of the Year was never more than 2 strokes over par and was at or under par for exactly half of the round (nine of 18 holes). He closed both sides of the course well - he was 1 under par over the course of the final four holes of both his front nine and his back nine.
"I don't really feel that I did too much well today," said Koepka. "I waited for my opportunities and made the most of what the golf course gave to me. I feel like my best golf is certainly ahead of me in this tournament."
"Brooks played well and this is the stage where the experienced players need to step up," said Jones.
Lolas (Lima, Peru) was the most consistent of the five Seminoles in the first round. Inserted into the line-up only two days before the competition began because of an injury to junior Doug Letson, Lolas carded three birdies, a team-high 15 holes at par or better and a team low three bogeys. Despite not having played as a member of the Seminoles' line-up since the Seminole Intercollegiate in March, he birdied his first and fifth holes and was one under par after his first nine holes. Lolas finished his round at even par over his final seven holes to card only his three round of par or better golf in 19 rounds this year.
Lolas was at or below par for the first 15 holes of the round before a bogey on the par three hole No. 4 moved his score to 1 over par. He quickly remedied the situation with a birdie on the par five hole No. 17 before closing the round at par on the 18th hole.
"I didn't feel like my ball striking was as good as it had been in the last couple of days," said Lolas. "But I was able to be smart and give my short game a chance to finish with a good round today. My long game should give me more chances at birdies during the next two days. We are expecting a good run from each one of our guys for the remainder of the tournament."
Koepka and Lolas are only four strokes out of the individual lead as the begin play in the second round.
"Joaquin replaced Doug in the line-up and did a great job using his short game and managed the course well today," said Jones. "This time last week he was preparing for summer golf not the NCAA Championship."
Junior Chase Seiffert (Panama City, Fla.) returned to form with a 2 over par score of 73 and is in a tie for 46th place in the individual standings. After finishing in a tie for 52nd place in the individual standings at the NCAA Southwest Regional Championship, he was eager to return to the form which earned him All-ACC honors for the first time in his career this spring. He returned to form quickly with a birdie on his first hole and closed the round well as he was even par on his back nine. Seiffert carded two birdies on his final four holes of the round and.
Seiffert finished the round with three birdies and 13 holes scored at par or better.
Freshman Daniel Berger (Jupiter, Fla.) carded a 4 over par score of 75 and is in a tie for 82nd place in the individual standings. He began the round on an extremely high note as he carded his fourth eagle of the season on his first hole and moved quickly to 3 under par with a birdie in the par three hole No. 4. Berger's eagle came on the par five hole No. 1.
Berger has now carded an eagle in three consecutive and four of his last five events. He carded an eagle in the second round of the FAU Spring Break Invitational on March 24, was eagle-less in the Gary Koch Intercollegiate, had an eagle in the second round of the ACC Championship on April 21, another in the first round of the NCAA Southwest Regional Championship on May 17 and his fourth in Tuesday's first round.
Senior Wesley Graham (Port Orange, Fla.) is in a tie for 122nd place in the individual standings after carding a 77 - his highest score since carding a 78 in the first round of the Gary Koch Intercollegiate on April 7. He has carded 24 of his 28 (85.7 percent) single rounds scores at 75 or better this year including eight straight and 19 of his last 20 heading into the NCAA Championship Finals.
Koepka in a tie for 10th place in the individual standings.
May 30, 2012
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - Florida State freshman Daniel Berger carded a 2 under par 69 and the Seminoles moved into third place in the team standings after two rounds of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship at the Riviera Country Club. As important as their third place position in the team standings is to the Seminoles, they are four strokes above the cutline for the top eight positions in the team standings to advance to the match play portion of the event which begins Friday.
The individual national champion will be crowned after Thursday's third and final round of stroke play but the top eight schools in the team standings will advance to match play to determine the team national champion. The bracket will match the top eight teams (1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5) in a playoff format. The national team champion will be crowned on Sunday. Thomas Pieters of Illinois is the individual leader with a two stroke lead over Anton Arboleda of UCLA. Pieters has a two round total of 137 - he is one of only seven players under par after two rounds of play.
Florida State will begin play in round three in third place in the team standings. The Seminoles are eight strokes behind first place Alabama, four strokes behind second place UCLA, one stroke ahead of Oklahoma and North Florida who are tied for fourth, two strokes ahead of sixth place Washington, three strokes ahead of seventh place Liberty, four strokes ahead of California, Kent State, Florida, and Illinois who are all tied for eighth place and five strokes ahead of Texas and Oregon who are tied for 13th place.
"While I am pleased with the overall day, I am disappointed that we did not finish the round in our usual form," said head coach Trey Jones. "We talk about discipline and attitude every day and a course like this in this setting will challenge both your discipline and your attitude. What we will do tomorrow is continue to gain confidence as the tournament progresses."
Berger (Jupiter, Fla.) was as calm and composed as he has been since joining the Seminoles' line-up for the USF Invitational during the first week of March. Since joining the line-up full-time, he has carded at least two rounds of par or better golf in each of the last six tournaments with six scores in the 60's including his 69 in the second round of the NCAA Championship finals.
With one eagle (the fifth of his freshman season and second of this championship) and three birdies to go along with 12 holes scored at par, Berger was never above par during the second round. He birdied his first hole (the par four hole No. 10) and was even when he made the turn to the front nine. He played his best golf of the day on the front nine with an eagle three on the par five hole No. 1 (the second consecutive day he has earned an eagle on that hole), five consecutive holes scores at par and a birdie on the par four hole No. 7. He finished his round 2 under on the front nine and 2 under for the round.
"I really hit my driver well today," said Berger. "This course demands that you keep your ball in play and I felt I did a good job of that today. For the past six weeks I have been a lot more patient with myself than I was during the fall and the early part of the spring. Being patient has allowed me to relax more and play much better."
"Daniel bounced back with a really good round today," said Jones. "He is playing with a great deal of confidence right now."
Senior Brooks Koepka (Wellington, Fla.), who earlier in the day was named a regional All-American for the second time in his career, carded a one over par 72. He is the Seminoles' leading golfer with a 143 total for the first two rounds of the championship and is in a tie for 10th place in the individual standings.
In carding his fifth consecutive round of par or better in his two career National Championship finals appearances, Koepka was nearly perfect during the second round with two birdies and 16 of 18 holes scored at par or better. He was 1 under par after his first eight holes, 1 over par when he made the turn and totaled one birdie and six more holes scored at par over the course of his final nine holes.
Seminole junior Chase Seiffert (Panama City, Fla.) carded his second consecutive score of 73 and is in a tie for 37th place in the individual standings with a two day total of 146. He played his best golf of the course of his final nine holes as he closed at even par with two birdies, five holes at par and two bogeys. Seiffert has carded five birdies and is just 4 strokes over par through the first two rounds of his first career NCAA Championship Finals event.
"Brooks and Chase are playing solid and simple golf through the first two rounds," said Jones. "Both players simply need to make some putts to get a good round going."
Senior Wesley Graham (Port Orange, Fla.) finished with a 5 over par score of 76. He improved his score by one stroke as compared to his play in the first round of the championship.
"Tomorrow will be a test that we are both prepared for and looking forward to," said Jones.
Seminoles need to win to advance to match play in NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship.
May 31, 2012
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - Florida State and Kent State will play in a sudden victory playoff on Friday beginning at 11:00 a.m EST to determine the eighth and final team participant in the match play bracket of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship at the Riviera Golf Club. The Seminoles and the Golden Flashes finished tied with identical scores of 23 over par 875 after three rounds of stroke play.
The playoff will consist of two fivesomes, one with three players from one team, two from the other, and vice versa for the second fivesome. If the teams are tied after 18, they will go again at hole 10 and go back and forth until a winner is determined.
Florida State's senior All-American Brooks Koepka, the Seminoles' last golfer of the round, drained a six-foot putt for par on the 18th and final hole of the third round to keep the Seminoles tied and force a playoff between the two teams. Koepka was playing in the final group with Kent State's McKenzie Hughes who bogeyed his final hole to drop the Golden Flashes into a tie with the Seminoles with only Koepka left to finish out the hole. Koepka stepped up and made his final putt to keep the teams even.
The winner of the playoff between Florida State and Kent State will face top seeded Alabama in the first round of match play in the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship on Friday at 1:00 p.m. EST at the Riviera Country Club.
In addition to Friday's match between Florida State/Kent State and Alabama, No. 2 UCLA will face No. 7 Oregon at 1:45 p.m., No. 3 Texas will face No. 6 Washington at 2:30 p.m. and California will face San Diego State (both finished in a tie for fourth place) beginning at 3:15. The winner of the Florida State/UCLA match will face the winner of the California VS. San Diego State match on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. EST in golf's version of the Final Fore.
NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship/May 29-June 3, 2012/Par 71 Riviera Country Club/Pacific Palisades, California/Third Round Team Results 1. Alabama 859 T15. Auburn 880 2. UCLA 861 17. Georgia 881 3. Texas 869 18. Chattanooga 884 T4. California 871 T19. Stanford 885 T4. San Diego State 871 T19. UCF 885 6. Washington 872 21. Illinois 887 7. Oregon 873 T22. Iowa 888 T8. Kent State 875 T22. Virginia 888 T8. Florida State 875 24. Virginia Tech 890 10. Liberty 876 25. Lamar 892 11. Oklahoma 877 26. East Carolina 895 T12. North Florida 878 27. TCU 897 T12. Florida 878 28. Memphis 901 14. Texas A&M 879 29. UAB 902 T15. Southern Cal 880 30. Tulsa 918
Seminoles earn second top eight national finish in last three seasons.
June 1, 2012
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - Florida State lost to Kent State in a single hole playoff and did not advance to match play at the Division I Men's Golf Championship at the Riviera Club. The Golden Flashes advanced with a 2 over par score against Florida State's 3 over par score on the first sudden victory playoff hole. The two teams entered the playoff after finishing in a tie for eighth place in the team standings during three rounds of stroke play that concluded Thursday night. The Golden Flashes, as the eighth seed, will now face top seeded Alabama in the quarterfinals of match play with the national team champion being decided on Sunday.
Kent State carded four bogeys and one birdie (+2 minus the drop score) while Florida State totaled two double bogeys, one bogey and to holes at par (+3 minus the drop score).
"While we did not make some key putts this morning that does not take away from the season we had as a team," said head coach Trey Jones. "We came here to win and competed in a manner that made that possible through three rounds. This team did everything I asked and got better each week of the season."
Florida State earned an eighth place national finish - the second time in the last three seasons the Seminoles have finished in the top eight. The Seminoles finished in third place during the 2010 National Championship finals.
"All teams are unique and have their own identity," said Jones. "This is a team that has not played a bad round since our tournament in March. The reason for this is they are great competitors and bounce back from that you are destined to have in golf."
Florida State's eighth place finish in the National Championship finals marked the eighth time in school history - and second time under had coach Trey Jones - that the Seminoles had finished in the top eight in the national championship tournament. The Seminoles finished only 16 strokes behind first place Alabama and only 10 strokes behind second place UCLA in the final standings. The Seminoles entered the championship ranked No. 19 in the nation by GolfStat and finished as one of only two teams ranked outside of the top 10 to finish in the top right of the final standings.
"Our returning players now know what it is like to compete on this level," said Jones. "We have some very big shoes to fill and it will be their responsibility to do that."
Florida State in the One Hole Playoff
Brooks Koepka Par
Wesley Graham Par
Joaquin Lolas Bogey
Daniel Berger Double Bogey
Chase Seiffert Double Bogey
Kent State in One Hole Playoff
Kyle Kmiecik Birdie
Corey Conners Bogey
McKenzie Hughes Bogey
Taylor Pendrith Bogey
Kevin Miller Bogey
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Daniel Berger 21t 75 69 72 216 Brooks Koepka 29t 71 72 74 217 Chase Seiffert 61t 73 73 76 222 Wesley Graham 99t 77 76 73 226 Joaquin Lolas 150t 71 84 81 236