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Day 3 recap: Cal defends its crown, wins Pac-12 Championship

May 1, 2013

Final Results (PDF)

LOS ANGELES - California didn’t need extra holes to claim its second consecutive Pac-12 Men's Golf Championship. The Golden Bears, who defeated Oregon in a playoff to win their first-ever Conference title in 2012, shot even par in the final round at the Los Angeles Country Club Wednesday and posted a decisive win. Cal senior Max Homa won the Pac-12 individual title, becoming the third Bear to claim medalist honors.

California, which entered the final round of competition with a two-stroke lead over UCLA, posted a 350—the lowest score of the day—to widen the gap. The Bears shot a 6-over 1406 for the Championship and earned a nine-stroke victory. Homa carded a 1-over 69, and junior Michael Weaver shot a 2-under 68 to pace the Bears on the final day. “It’s a sweet feeling,” Cal head coach Steve Desimone said. “And to know that we’ve defended the Conference Championship in the best conference in the country, this is the best team on the planet. What more can I tell you? It’s a sweet feeling.”

[Related Video: Cal's Homa makes parents proud at Pac-12 Championships]

UCLA had positioned itself for a run at the team title after an outstanding third round, but the Bruins were unable keep pace with Cal on the final day. They posted a 7-over 357 for a four-round total of 1415 (15-over) and finished in second place. Washington finished third at 32-over (1432). The Huskies had a pair of top-five finishers in senior Chris Williams and junior Trevor Simsby, who finished tied for third and tied for fifth, respectively. Simsby shot a 2-under 68 in the final round to match the best score of the day.

Homa, who set a course record with a 9-under 61 in round one, shot a 1-under 69 in round four to grab medalist honors with a 9-under 271 (61-70-71-69). He is the third Bear to claim the individual championship and is the first do so since Eric Mina won the title in 2010. The Pac-12 Championship was Homa’s first tournament victory of the season.

“It's just perfect timing,” Homa said. “I’m sure I’ve been grumpy about seconds all year, but it’s all worth it if I can win this one. It’s great timing for the team, as well, just to go into regionals and nationals with a win here. It just feels very validating.”

Weaver finished in second at 4-under 276, while Williams fired a 2-under 278 to finish in a tie for third with UCLA junior Anton Arboleda. Arboleda carded his second straight par to remain at 2-under (69-69-70-70--278) for the Championship. Simsby and UCLA freshman Jonathan Garrick tied for fifth at 1-under 279.

Cal’s victory at the Pac-12 Championship was its tenth of the year, matching the unofficial NCAA record for tournament wins in a season set by Oklahoma State in 1985-86.

“Its overwhelming, in all honesty," Desimone said. "All the great teams, to be a part of that type of a record, and to know that we have a chance to stand alone, it really is overwhelming. If there’s a team that deserves it, it’s this group of phenomenal young men.”

Pac-12 Men's Golf Championships - Final Team Results
(Round 1 Score - Round 2 Score - Round 3 Score - Round 4 Score - Final)
1. California 338-357-361-350 1406 (+6)
2. UCLA 346-358-354-357 1415 (+15)
3. Washington 349-360-369-354 1432 (+32)
4. Stanford 366-361-365-362 1454 (+54)
5. Arizona State  368-362-354-372 1456 (+56)
6. Oregon 362-370-369-372 1473 (+73)
7. USC 368-368-374-370 1480 (+80)
8. Arizona 369-370-375-372 1486 (+86)
    Oregon State 368-362-380-376  1486 (+86)
10. Colorado 370-360-380-377 1487 (+87)
11. Washington State  376-379-361-382 1498 (+98)
12. Utah 358-371-393-391 1513 (+113)

Pac-12 Men's Golf Championships - Final Individuals Results (Top 10)
(Round 1 Score - Round 2 Score - Round 3 Score - Round 4 Score - Final)
1. Max Homa, California  61-70-71-69 271 (-9)
2. Michael Weaver, California 65-69-74-68 276 (-4)
3. Anton Arboleda, UCLA  69-69-70-70 278 (-2)
    Chris Williams, Washington 68-68-72-70 278 (-2)
5. Trevor Simsby, Washington 68-72-71-68 279 (-1)
    Jonathan Garrick, UCLA 68-68-71-72 279 (-1)
7. Max Rottluff, Arizona State 67-73-68-74 282 (+2)
    Pontus Widegren, UCLA 68-75-71-68 282 (+2)
9. Cameron Wilson, Stanford 71-70-69-73 283 (+3)
10. Jon Rahm, Arizona State 75-67-68-75 285 (+5)