Welch Finishes 16th, Oklahoma Loses Aggie Invitational in Playoff
Patrick Welch finished in a tie for 16th, while his #1 Oklahoma Sooners lost the Aggie Invitational in a playoff on Sunday afternoon in Texas.
Welch shot 73 in the third round to finish at three-over par, good enough for a tie with teammate Jonathan Brightwell.
The former Classical star’s 16th place finishes wraps up a a breakout season that saw him shine on the national stage by winning the East Lake Cup and climb as high as No. 5 in the national rankings.
Oklahoma Falls in Playoff
Oklahoma trailed No. 5 Texas by three strokes entering play but quickly erased that deficit and took a three-shot lead of its own thru six holes. As the three teams made the final turn in Bryan, the Sooners clung onto a one-shot advantage.
Texas A&M caught fire coming down the stretch and grabbed a three-shot lead over Oklahoma thru 13, but the top-ranked Sooners battled back and entered the 18th hole down just two shots off the Aggies with the final two groups remaining. Both Quade Cummins and Garett Reband sunk par putts, and both Aggies, including medalist Sam Bennett, bogeyed the 18th, forcing a playoff between the old Big 12 foes.
Head coach Ryan Hybl‘s team would be downed by A&M on the first playoff hole but grabbed a runner-up finish to close the regular season.
Next Up
Oklahoma now shifts its focus to the Big 12 Championship, where the top-ranked Sooners seek their 18th all-time conference championship and second under Hybl.
The tournament is slated for April 26-28 at Prairie Dunes CC in Hutchinson, Kan., and will feature four ranked teams, including three of the nation’s top five.