Oregon Wins Northwest Collegiate Classic

The win marked a dramatic turnaround from last week for the Ducks, competing in just their second tournament under new head coach Casey Martin.

Photo courtesy: goducks.com

EUGENE - Matt Ma fired a 3-under 69 Tuesday to win medalist honors and lead Oregon to a 9-stroke victory at the Northwest Collegiate Classic.

Seven days ago at the Husky Invitational, Oregon finished ninth of nine teams, 41 strokes out of the lead.

"I’ve been hard on the guys and really challenged them, and everything clicked this week," said Martin. "It was very important for us to get a win and get some confidence going and have something to show for that hard work."

Tuesday, Oregon was 3-over as a team at 291 on the 7,070-yard, par-72 Trysting Tree Golf Course, but was never threatened after holding an 11-shot lead following Monday’s second round.

The Ducks had a three-round total of 867, with San Francisco second at 876, Saint Mary’s third at 881 and Oregon State fourth at 884.

"It was different for us playing with the lead and we struggled down the stretch just a little bit, but the guys hung in there," said Martin. "It was a great team effort. Our short game was really sharp this week and we took a big step in the right direction as to where we want to be as a program."

Ma, a senior from Aiea, Hawaii, earned his first tournament victory as a collegian. Coming into Tuesday two shots behind leader Zach Bixler of Washington, Ma made seven birdies and finished the tournament at 6-under 210. Bixler shot a 73 Tuesday and finished second at 212.

"Matt was fantastic," said Martin. "He played brilliantly. Every time he made a mistake, he came back with a birdie. It really shows what he’s capable of."

Ma’s previous best showing was a second-place finish at the 2004 NCC. Ma became the first Duck to win medalist honors at a varsity tournament since John Ellis shared the title at the 2003 Oregon Duck Invitational. Ma is also the third Duck individual to post a victory in the NCC. Chris Carnahan won in 2001, while Chris Holzgang claimed the title in 1990.

Andrew Leneve continued an impressive run for the Ducks by firing a final round 69. The redshirt freshman from Durham, Ore., took third at 3-under 213 in just his second collegiate tournament. Leneve competed as an individual and his score did not count towards Oregon’s team total.

Fortunately, the Ducks made do without Leneve in Corvallis as Oregon placed three counting golfers in the top 10 -- Ma, Joey Benedetti and Derek Sipe.

Benedetti, a junior from Huntington Beach, Calif., continued his consistent play with an even-par 72 Tuesday that left him at even-par 216 for the tournament, and tied for sixth overall -- his best finish as a Duck. Sipe, a junior from Yorba Linda, Calif., closed with a 74 and was tied for eighth at 217.

The Ducks also counted a 76 from senior Jay Snyder, who tied for 29th at 225.

As a team, Oregon forged its first tournament victory since the 2005 Western Intercollegiate. It was also Oregon’s fourth all time win in the NCC, but its first since 2001. The Ducks were winners in the 1990 and 1991 events, as well.

Oregon also claimed a point in the annual Civil War series versus the Beavers and now lead this year’s competition 2-1, with Duck wins in men’s golf and women’s volleyball and a Beaver win in women’s golf.

Team Standings - 1, Oregon, 288-288-291-867. 2, San Francisco, 296-291-289-876. 3, Saint Mary’s, 289-300-292-881. 4, Oregon State, 291-296-297-884. 5, UC Irvine, 298-291-299-888. 6, Long Beach State, 290-299-305-894. 7, San Diego, 295-303-297-895. 8, Washington State, 293-305-298-896. 9, Portland, 309-294-297-900. 10, College of Charleston, 303-299-307-909.

Top 10 Individuals - 1, Matt Ma, Oregon, 67-74-69-210. 2, Zach Bixler, Washington, 69-70-73-212 (I). 3, Andrew Leneve, Oregon, 74-70-69-213 (I). T4, Chris Collins, Washington State, 70-75-70-215; Jonathan Green, Oregon State, 78-69-68-215 (I). T6, Joey Benedetti, Oregon, 71-73-72-216; Domingo Jojola, San Francisco, 76-69-71-216. T8, Derek Sipe, Oregon, 73-70-74-217; Michael McRay, Saint Mary’s, 69-76-72-217; Diego Velasquez, Oregon State, 74-69-74-217; Jay Choe, UC Irvine, 73-69-75-217.

(I) - competing as an individual

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