May 22, 2009

Results

Gavin Smith rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to edge Kelbi Lee of Ferris State and give IUP its first-ever NCAA individual national champion Friday at the Loomis Trail Golf Club in Blaine, Wash.

In the playoff, both players just missed the green on their second shot on the par 4 first hole. Lee's 25-foot putt lipped out and Smith followed by draining his to finish off a victory after it appeared that his tremendous performance was bound to fall just short.

Smith and Lee both finished the 72-hole tournament at five-over par 289, with Smith posting a final round score of 74 and Lee carding a 72, but the duo trailed by three shots until Cal State San Bernardino's Gene Webster double bogeyed two of the final three holes to leave the door open.

Smith entered the final round two shots behind Webster and two ahead of Lee. Smith, a junior from Stirling, Scotland, was down by six shots after the first 18 holes but rounds of 69 and 70 vaulted him back into contention.

The national championship earns Smith an automatic berth on the Division II Ping All-America first team. He was also named the recipient of the Arnold Palmer Award presented by Callaway as the Division II individual medalist. The tournament win was the third of the 2008-09 season for Smith and he earned seven top 10 finishes during the course of the year.

Webster finished in a tie for third place with Patrick Bauer of Sonoma State. Sonoma State edged Cal State San Bernardino by one shot on the first playoff hole for the team title.

IUP was in 12th place with a score of 1,211, matching the 1993 squad for the best team finish in 16 years under head coach Fred Joseph. The Crimson Hawks were only 10 shots from placing as high as ninth.

Joining Smith on the five-man IUP team was Brad Boyle (304, tied 49th), Ryan Kennedy and Cory Stelick (309, tied 70th) and Leo Acklin (326, tied 99th). Kennedy matched Smith with a final round 74.