Trojans finish 15th at NCAA championships


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Sixth-ranked USC tied for 15th at the NCAA men’s golf championships, failing to qualify for match play. USC hosted the tournament at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., which began Tuesday, May 29, and ran until Sunday.

After starting the day tied for eighth place, USC finished the tournament tying for 15th at 28-over-880 (298-286-296).

After failing to qualify on the last day of stroke play, however, the Trojans were eliminated Thursday from further play in the NCAA golf championships.

Over par · Junior Sam Smith finished 11-over-par 224 at the NCAA championships and was unable to lead the No. 6 Trojans into the final field of eight. The Trojans finished tied for 15th place overall. - Photo courtesy of Sports Information

On Thursday, the field of 32 swiftly declined to eight. The University of Texas clinched the NCAA championship on Sunday, defeating Alabama 3-2 and earning the third national title in program history.

Senior Steve Lim finished off his USC career by shooting a final round of 69, tying for 14th at 2-over-par 215 (74-72-69) with birdies on three holes.

“Steve looked great [Thursday],” USC coach Chris Zambri said in a statement. “I walked with him all three days this tournament. He was almost flawless [Thursday].”

Though the Trojans have improved greatly during the 2011-2012 season, Zambri believes that the program can continue to improve and earn the first championship title in program history.

“The tougher the course, the better we’ve got to be,” Zambri said. “In the fairways, on the greens, around the hole, in the end, we just need to be better. The guys had a good year and we accomplished some good things, but we need to be better.”

Junior Martin Trainer tied for 54th with a score of 8-over-par 221 (73-74-74). Sophomore Jeffrey Kang tied for 69th with 10-over-par 223 (75-71-77).

Tying for 77th, junior Sam Smith finished at 11-over-par 224 (79-69-76) while freshman phenom Anthony Paolucci tied for 140th at 20-over-par 233 (76-80-77).

USC finished the season with eight top-five finishes, including two first-place finishes in the Gifford Collegiate Championship and the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional.

USC has maintained the third-longest active streak in men’s golf, having made six straight appearances in the NCAA finals.

The future looks bright for the men’s golf team, as the program returns juniors Stewart Hagestad, Sam Smith, and Martin Trainer in addition to sophomores Jeffrey Kang, Ramsey Sahyoun, and freshman Anthony Paolucci.