Parker Coody leads men’s golf to NCAA Championship
NOBLESVILLE, Ind. — The Texas men's golf team won the NCAA Noblesville Regional Wednesday at the Sagamore Golf Club, a victory that will send the Longhorns to the NCAA Championship for the 14th consecutive year.
The NCAA Championship will be May 28-June 2 at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Texas won by five strokes, registering a 54-hole score of 20-under-par 844; Tennessee and North Carolina tied for second at 15-under par 849. The Longhorns shot a 5-under-par 283 on the final day of the three-day regional, led by Parker Coody. He finished the event with a 6-under-par 210, tied for fifth overall in the field of 72 players who made the cut.
Coody tied his lowest round of the season Wednesday when he posted a 5-under-par 67, including six birdies and an eagle. He bounced back from a bogey on hole No. 8 to birdie on No. 9, and made the turn at 2-under. He had an even better performance on the back nine, with a 3-under that was highlighted on an eagle on hole No. 14. He improved with each round, shooting 73 and 70, respectively, in the first two rounds.
UT's Travis Vick tied for seventh at 5-under-par 211. Vick opened his day with two straight birdies, and had a strong showing on the front nine at two-under. Yet, three bogeys to conclude the round dropped the sophomore three spots on the player leaderboard as he wrapped up his day at one-under with a 71.
Parker's twin brother, Pierceson Coody, finished ninth in the regional, dropping five places on the individual leaderboard in the third round. Pierceson Coody made three bogeys before making the turn at 2 over par. He did rebound on the back nine, however, beginning with consecutive birdies on 10 and 11. Two additional birdies helped him finish even on the day with a 72. He shot a 4-under-par 212 in the Regional.
The Longhorns maintained their lead despite Cole Hammer's tough day; the junior dropped 28 places in the individual standings Wednesday, tying for 31st with a 2-over-par 218. He tried to make up ground after triple-bogeying the first hole, making the turn at 3-over par, and adding two double bogeys on the back nine.
Pairings and tee times for the first two rounds for the NCAA Championship have not yet been announced.
