Campbellsville University entered the day needing to finish only a point better to force a playoff with rival Lindsey Wilson College in the Ryder Cup-style President's Cup match.
However, the Blue Raiders pulled away from the Tigers in the final day of match play to repeat as winners of the President's Cup, 10.5 to 4.5.
Trey Shirley shot a low-round 70 for CU on the day Sunday and finished all square with Lindsey Wilson's Daron Morris to begin the final round. Shirley held a two-hole lead after 13, but Morris birdied 15 and 16 to even the match.
The Tigers' No. 2 golfer for the match,
Tanner Mobley, opened the round three under par through five holes and was 2 up on Lindsey's Joe Hood through the front nine. Mobley and Hood traded holes to start their way in on the back nine, with Hood evening the match as the pair approached hole 14. Hood birdied the par 4, 405-yard hole to go 1 up on Mobley and won the match, 2 and 1 with a birdie on 17.
Despite a four-stroke difference in scores, CU's
Logan Griffin (83) and Derek Murphy (79) were even as they approached the 18th green as the third group of golfers to come through. A CU match victory would keep the overall score close, but a Murphy birdie and Griffin bogey on 18 increased Lindsey Wilson's cup lead, 5.5 to 2.5.
The Blue Raiders' No. 4 golfer, Antonio Arriola ran away with his match against Tiger golfer
Quinn Cole, shooting a low-round 70 for LWC. Arriola led 3 up through the front nine with the help of an eagle on the seventh hole. He went on to win the holes 10-12 to take a 6 up lead. Cole won the 16th hole, but it was too late for the Tigers, as Arriola won 6 and 5 after both golfers settled for par on No. 13.
With a 6.5 to 2.5 Lindsey Wilson lead, Campbellsville needed to make up ground quickly.
The next two Tiger golfers,
Cory Prewitt and
Brandon Collier, won back-to-back matches for CU to pull within two points of Lindsey, 6.5 to 4.5. Prewitt was 2 up through nine over Chad McPherson and never let the lead change despite pulling even on No. 11. A pair of McPherson bogeys and a triple bogey led to Prewitt winning the match, 3 and 2. Collier held onto a 1 up through the front nine after leading by as many as three holes. He finished with a 1 up win.
Though Campbellsville was gaining ground, Lindsey Wilson was won the final four matches to secure the win. The clincher came from Ryan Burnett, who beat CU's Ryan Flanigan 3 and 2.
In stroke play, both teams were even Saturday at 300 each. Sunday, Campbellsville was 11 strokes behind Lindsey Wilson (297 to 286).
Campbellsville will compete next in the Bill Sergent Invitational, Sept. 2-3, hosted by the University of the Cumbearlands at Crooked Creek Golf Course.
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