VIDEO: Avrit, McCarty, Kaneshiro of Men's Golf Talk Pacific Invitational Win | Oct. 30, 2017
STOCKTON, Calif. – Worthy of its No. 22 ranking, Santa Clara men's golf led from wire-to-wire to claim its second team title in three events this season, capturing the Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational by four shots with a 30-under 834 total.
Led by senior Hayden Shieh, who matched the tournament low round for an individual with a final-round 7-under 65, the Broncos carded the lowest team score of the event on Saturday and they needed every stroke to hold off BYU. Santa Clara ended the day at 16-under 272 to edge the Cougars by four-shots.
"BYU is a good team; they pushed us to the limit today," head coach Rob Miller said. "We're on a little roll to start the season. Everyone is starting to believe."
Shieh, the No. 4 player in the country according to Golfstat, recovered after shooting even-par over the first two rounds. He carded an eagle on the par-5 11th hole and six birdies on his way to a 65. His only blemish was a bogey on the 18th.
"He got rolling early," Miller said of Shieh. "Too bad he bogeyed the last hole or it would have been a perfect round of golf."
Sophomore Matt McCarty also responded with a final-round 5-under 67. He and Shieh tied for ninth at 7-under 209, six shots back of individual medalist Patrick Fishburn of BYU.
All five Broncos finished among the top-20 in the 112-player field. Freshmen Zack Kaneshiro and Jack Avrit tied for 14th at 5-under 211 while junior Derek Ackerman placed in a tie for 18th at 3-under 213.
"It was an all-around good performance by the five guys," Miller said.
Competing as an individual, sophomore Will DelBiaggio scored 1-over 73 across the final two rounds to end the tournament tied for 65th at 6-over 222.
The Broncos close out the fall season at the Saint Mary's Invitational. First round play from Poppy Hills gets underway on Nov. 6.
Santa Clara Final Individual Results
T9. Hayden Shieh 71-73-65 = 209 (-7)
T9. Matt McCarty 72-70-67 = 209 (-7)
T14. Zack Kaneshiro 70-70-71 = 211 (-5)
T14. Jack Avrit 70-72-69 = 211 (-5)
T18. Derek Ackerman 68-71-74 = 213 (-3)
T65. Will DelBiaggio* 76-73-73 = 222 (+6)
*competed as an individual
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