HUTCHINSON, Kansas - The NCAA cancelled the fourth round of its men's golf championship Sunday morning to enable the completion of the scheduled 54 holes of team stroke play.
With rain delays causing scheduling problems at Prairie Dunes Country Club, there had been considerable speculation that the 30-team field would be cut to eight teams after two rounds instead of the scheduled three in order to play an additional round on Monday for the sole purpose of determining the individual champion.
It is good news for the four teams from Georgia – Georgia, Georgia State, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State. At 1:04 p.m. Eastern time, Tech was in a two-way tie for seventh and the Bulldogs, Panthers and Owls were further down the leaderboard. Tech and Georgia finished their second rounds Saturday.
The decision was widely applauded, as players and coaches placed greater value on giving teams three rounds to determine the top eight over playing the fourth round – which would have been for the top 40 players plus ties – to crown an individual champion.
Tech golfer Ollie Schniederjans said it would be “a big problem” if the NCAA cut the field after 36 holes.
“I think they need to get over this whole individual (champion) thing and use that day (Monday) to make sure we get 54 holes in as a team,” he said Saturday at the end of the Jackets’ second round.
The scheduling of the remainder of the tournament has been changed to accommodate the tightened window of play – rain caused eight hours of delays on Friday and there was a 100-minute delay Sunday morning. After the 15 teams that have yet to finish their second rounds complete them Sunday, the teams in the bottom half of the field will attempt to complete the third round in an unspecified time window, teeing off in shotgun format.
The top half of the field, which almost certainly will include Tech, will play their third round Monday. The top eight teams will then advance to match play beginning Tuesday. If the bottom 15 teams can’t finish in the prescribed time limit, their rounds will be nullified, and only the top 15 teams’ scores will count.
The pressure is now on Georgia State (tied for 22nd at 10-over) and Kennesaw State (27th at 20-over) to make a move into the top 15 to avoid having to play their third round shortly after finishing their second. Georgia has already completed its second round and is 24th at 13-over. Tech has also completed its second round at 1-under.
As play resumed at 12:40 p.m. following the delay, three teams were tied for 14th at 6-over.
About the Author
