STILLWATER, Okla. - When the Sam Houston Bearkats went to bed Monday night they were in 6
th place at the NCAA Men's Golf Stillwater Regional, one shot out of a spot for the National Championship. When they woke up in the morning the team was informed their senior leader,
William Holcomb, who was in second place, was not going to be allowed to play because of COVID-19 contact tracing.
From his hotel window he gave a passionate speech to the team and told them to have the rounds of their lives and don't let his Sam Houston career end sitting in a hotel room.
It won't.
The Bearkats went out on the final day at Karsten Creek and shot 7-over par for the day, and finished in fourth place. They will play for the NCAA Championship for the first time in program history.
"Just a lot of emotions right now," said head coach
Brandt Kieschnick. "We just played inspired golf today. We just talked about making our own story and we felt like this could make a really good story. This is one of the most amazing things I have ever been a part of."
As if losing the heartbeat of the team wasn't enough, there was also the weather. The Kats got off to a great start, with two birdies from
Grayson Blunt and
Luis Carrera on No. 10 to start the day. Then lightning forced play to stop for more than an hour.
Once play restarted, they played the back nine, the toughest part of the course, at 7-over and were in 6
th place when they made the turn. That's when the Kats started to put on a show.
Paul Chaplet and
Ting-Wei Hsieh each birdied No. 1 and that set the tone for the final nine holes.
With everyone's score having to count, the Kats played the back nine at even par with seven birdies and seven bogeys. Hsieh and Carrera each birdied the final hole of the day for 1-under back nine scores. Carrera's putt was from 25-feet and he gave out a roar, a fist pump and a point to Chaplet who was standing in the fairway watching.
"That was big," Carerra said. "Honestly I was just trying to lag it up there, make a two-putt and celebrate with the team. But I hit a good stroke and that ball just went in."
The putt all but clinched the Bearkats spot in the National Championship in Scottsdale Arizona. The Bearkats did have to sit and wait a little longer as the final scores rolled in. When it was all said and done, the Kats advanced by five shots over Auburn and Baylor who both missed the cut in a tie for 6
th.
Carrera, Hseih and Blunt all shot the low round of the day, firing 73 while Chaplet shot a 76.
Blunt said every player wanted to play for Holcomb and his talk to the team in the morning was a big part of why they are advancing.
"It was probably one of the most inspiring speeches I've ever heard," Blunt said. "He just told us this is what we are here for and we shouldn't be surprised by this. We are just as good as any of these other teams. He told us to play our best and he wouldn't want to have any other four guys out there playing today."
For Blunt and Hseih, the rounds were a remarkable turnaround from the first day of play where they were a combined 26-over par through 36 holes. Together they were plus-two on Tuesday.
"Ting-Wei had a tough first 36 holes, but I believed in his ability to get the ball in the hole," Kieschnick said. "Grayson was just so solid and so locked in and we all had to be. Some times when you get your back against the wall, there is no other option."
