HOCKLEY, Texas – Competing in its first Big 12 Match Play Tournament, the UCF men’s golf team dropped a pair of tightly-contested matches to Baylor (4-1) and TCU (4-1) Monday afternoon at The Clubs at Houston Oaks Golf Course.
Both matches were decided in the last few holes, as UCF was within striking distance but didn’t get a few bounces and came up short.
In the first match of the day, junior Nicholas Estrada earned a 1UP win over Baylor’s Davis Ovard. Estrada started on hole eight and regained the lead after winning hole four and held on for the victory, as Estrada and Ovard had the same score on the last three holes. After the match was tied following 12 holes, Baylor’s Zach Heffernan won holes three and four to take a two-hole advantage and sealed the 3&1 win over Chase Haygood with a strong showing on hole seven.
Egor Eroshenko and the Bears’ Trey Bosco were neck-and-neck throughout the match, as Eroshenko trimmed the deficit to one with an eagle on hole five, but Bosco won hole six and went on to win 2&1. Baylor’s Luke Dossey overtook UCF’s Hans Risvaer with two holes left to earn the 1UP victory after winning holes No. 8.
Johnny Keefer defeated Gustav Andersson 2&1 to close out the match and the win for the Bears.
Baylor def. UCF, 4-1
Nicholas Estrada (UCF) def. Davis Ovard (BU), 1UP
Zach Hefferman (BU) def. Chase Haygood (UCF), 3&1
Trey Bosco (BU) def. Egor Eroshenko (UCF), 2&1
Luke Dossey (BU) def. Hans Risvaer (UCF), 1UP
Johnny Keefer (BU) def. Gustav Andersson (UCF), 2&1
In the afternoon session, TCU jumped out to an early lead as Ethan Dial defeated Estrada 9&7. The Horned Frogs picked up their second point of the match when Andrew Petruzelli took down UCF’s Andersson.
Eroshenko and Toby Wilt played a really tight match with the UCF senior leading throughout most of it before a late comeback by Wilt. Eroshenko led by three after playing hole 18 and the Russia native held off Wilt to get the Knights on the board with a 1UP victory.
UCF freshmen Garret Ebbert and Risvaer put together a pair of really strong matches, but lost by one hole. Ebbert battled back to tie the match after a great performance on hole No. 1 and led by two after hole No. 4. With the match tied heading into the final hole, TCU’s Jack Beauchamp made a birdie on No. 7 to win the matchup, 1UP.
Risvaer remained within striking distance against Gustav Frimodt but couldn’t overtake him as Frimodt led by one for the final three holes and earned the 1UP win.
UCF returns to action at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday morning, as Big 12 Match Play continues at The Clubs at Houston Oaks. The Knights will take on Iowa State in their first match of the day.
TCU def. UCF, 4-1
Ethan Dial (TCU) def. Nicholas Estrada (UCF), 9&7
Egor Eroshenko (UCF) def. Toby Wilt (TCU), 1UP
Andrew Petruzelli (TCU) def. Gustav Andersson (UCF), 6&4
Gustav Frimodt (TCU) def. Hans Risvaer (UCF), 1UP
Jack Beauchamp (TCU) def. Garret Ebbert (UCF), 1UP