Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Big 12 Conference Championships
Ward Wins Big 12 Men's Golf Title
April 25, 2010 | Men's Golf
April 25, 2010
LUBBOCK, Texas - Chris Ward finished Friday's second round with a one-stroke advantage and protected that lead throughout the weekend as the Texas Tech senior picked up the school's first Big 12 Conference individual golf title Sunday afternoon at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas. For his efforts, he also was named Golfweek.com's College Player of the Week.
Ward won the event by two strokes and became Texas Tech's first conference golf champion since 1996, when Bryan Novoa won the Southwest Conference Championship. Ward's best finish at the Big 12 Championships was fourth in 2008 on the same course as this year's event.
Ward entered the final round with under-par rounds in each of the first three, including a 65 in the second. He fought off charges from Oklahoma State's Peter Uihlein and Texas' Bobby Hudson in the final round, despite carding a 3-over 74. Uihlein was a stroke behind Ward, before suffering a bogey and double bogey on back-to-back holes at Nos. 15 and 16. Hudson erased a bogey at No. 10 with a pair of birdies a few holes later, but added another bogey at No. 18.
Despite Ward's efforts, the 12th-ranked Red Raiders couldn't overcome a strong final-round performance by team champion Oklahoma State and struggles of its own down the stretch. Nils Floren fired a 1-under 71 Sunday, playing solid golf on the back nine with three birdies and a lone bogey. Matt Smith suffered double bogeys at Nos. 16 and 18, while Tyler Weworski posted six bogeys and a birdie in his final round.
Floren joined Ward on the All-Big 12 Conference Team after finishing in sixth place. Smith also claimed a top 20 finished with a 19th-place tie, while Weworski tied in 36th place. Brian Scherer tied for 47th.
No. 3 Oklahoma State turned in one of the two under-par rounds of the afternoon with a 6-under showing en route to claiming its fourth-consecutive team title. Oklahoma fired a 1-under round and finished tied in seventh place. No. 5 Texas A&M finished second at 6-under, followed by No. 7 Texas, which shot 4-under for the tournament. The Red Raiders were even for the event after a 9-over par performance Sunday, the highest total of the top eight teams.
Kansas State (+11) claimed the fifth-place spot and No. 50 Baylor (+19) sixth. Nebraska (+32) tied the Sooners in seventh place, while Colorado (+36), Iowa State (+51), Missouri (+53) and Kansas (+58) followed, respectively.
Players Mentioned
