Sonoma State captures 2010 NCGC title; NC State follows with National Skills Challenge honors

Carter/Briones - SSU

The 2010 National Collegiate Golf Championship (NCGC) overall title was decided during the final few holes of play on the Wolf Course at the Paiute Golf Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday afternoon. Resembling a U.S. Open-style set-up with lush and firm fairways and fast and firm greens, the 7600-yard layout was made even more challenging to play with 20-25 mile per hour winds gusting throughout the day. Only three teams scored under par in the eighth playing of this national championship presented by the Collegiate Golf Alliance, with the winning score being the highest in tournament history to determine the national title.

Rackley/Kowalski - NC State

Aaron Briones and Ryan Carter from Sonoma State University captured the Student Division and overall tournament championship titles posting a tournament low 3-under par score of 69. North Carolina State University’s Josh Rackley and Alex Kowalski finished in second place as the only other participants posting a score below par (-1, 71). The Wolfpack PGA/GM students captured the National Skills Challenge overall championship with Rackley additionally picking up honors as the overall Skills Challenge Champion for all division competitors. Will Holmes and Keoho Ishimine from Arizona State University rounded out the NCGC Top 3 in the Student Division carding an even par score of  72.

Faculty/Staff Division and Alumni/Community Division winners

Top: Morrison/Whitt - WKU
Bottom: Nakunz/Startup - CSSB

Matt Morrison and Adam Whitt from the University of Western Kentucky came into the clubhouse with a  score of even par 72 to win the Faculty/Staff Division with their closest competition being Toeuto Faaleava and Derek Tretheway from Portland State University who finished in second place by posting a 10-over par score of 82. Seven-time NCGC participant Mike Nakunz with partner Mark Startup represented Califonia State - San Bernandino and captured the Alumni/Community Division title with the only other tournament score under par (-1, 71). For Nakunz, the win is his first and was a rewarding one as he and Startup staved off two-time NCGC participants Steve Bedford and Marty Stanovich from the University of West Florida by two strokes (+1, 73).

The Collegiate Golf Alliance and the 2011 National Collegiate Golf Championship (NCGC)

The NCGC will return once again to the the Paiute Golf Resort in 2011. Information on next year’s Local Qualifier tournaments will be posted in late May/early June on the Collegiate Golf Alliance web site (www.cgagolflinks.com/ncgc).  For more information on the Collegiate Golf Alliance and the NCGC, please contact
413-332-6038 or info@cgagolflinks.com.