April 29, 2014
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Andy Seeley
UCFKnights.com
INNISBROOK, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - After leading for the first two rounds, UCF couldn't hold off SMU in Tuesday's third and final round of the American Athletic Conference Men's Golf Championship at the Innisbrook Golf Resort's Copperhead Course.
While three Knights finished in the top 10 of the event, the difference was SMU's Bryson Dechambeau, who earned individual medalist honors. He posted a three-round total of 206, good enough for 7-under. The only UCF golfer to go under par was senior Ricardo Gouveia, who was 1-under for the tournament.
After taking a one-stroke lead into the third and final round, the Knights went 7-over on the final day, opening the door for SMU. The Mustangs galloped past UCF with a final round 285 that was just 1-over for the day. SMU finished 6-over with a three-round total of 286, while UCF was +11 at 291. Houston took third place at +14.
"We got out to a decent start this morning, but through the day a lot of things didn't go our way," UCF head coach Bryce Wallor said. "We didn't play badly. But I wouldn't say we played well and you have to play well. This is one of the best leagues in the country. We've got four or five teams in the Top 50. It's a competitive group and if you don't play your best, you're not going to win. But I'm proud of our guys. They gave a great effort."
Gouveia took third place overall and was one of only three players to finish under par. While he was proud of his finish, he hoped for a better team finish.
"I was confident going into the week," Gouveia said. "Today, I played really solid. I played better off the tee. The shots into the green are a little bit easier off the fairway. It was a good week for me. But the main goal was to get the team win and we didn't get that, so I'm a little bit sad."
Gouveia was joined in the top 10 by fellow senior Greg Eason and junior Linus Vaisanen. That UCF duo tied for ninth place at 3-over for the tournament. Senior Kyle Wilshire finished tied for 15th, while freshman Federico Zucchetti was tied for 26th at +12.
The Knights will now look forward to Monday, when they learn their destination for the NCAA Regional round. NCAA Men's Golf Regional Championship events will be held May 15-17.
American Athletic Conference Championship Top 3 Teams
1. SMU 287-286-285=858 (+6)
2. UCF 283-289-291=863 (+11)
3. Houston 292-286-288=866 (+14)
UCF Golfers
3. Ricardo Gouveia 70-73-69=212 (-1)
T9. Greg Eason 72-71-73=216 (+3)
T9. Linus Vaisanen 67-72-77=216 (+3)
T15. Kyle Wilshire 74-73-72=219 (+6)
T26. Federico Zucchetti 75-73-77=225 (+12)