UTEP falls short to Liberty, 3-2, in CUSA men’s golf championship final
(Courtesy: UTEP Athletics)
TEXARKANA, Arkansas - The UTEP men’s golf team teed off in match play at the 2024 Conference USA Men’s Golf Championship for the first time in seven seasons and came up with an upset victory, 3-2, over top-seeded LA Tech in the semifinals, followed by a dramatic 3-2 loss against Liberty in which two of the five matches went to playoffs in the finals at Texarkana Country Club (par 72 | 6,969 yards) on Thursday afternoon.
The championship final came down to an epic five-hole playoff featuring UTEP’s Dylan Teeter and Liberty’s Josh Ryan.
Teeter carried a 1UP lead through 13 holes before Ryan tied the match on hole 14.
Teeter took the lead back at 15 before Ryan tied it again on hole 18. Teeter and Ryan fought in five extra holes – trading shot after shot.
Ryan’s approach was just a couple of feet from the pin and Teeter was unable to sink a long putt to extend the match.
Sebastian Sandin defeated Evan Barbin in a one-hole playoff.
The dual was tied for the first four holes before Sandin carded a 3 on the fifth hole to go 1UP.
Sandin kept his lead for five holes before Barbin tied it at hole 10 and then took a 1UP lead on 12.
Sandin regained a 1UP lead on 16 before Barbin tied it 18 to take the match into an extra hole in which Sandin carded a 4 and Barbin a 5.
Jacob Presutti trailed Brett Reid 1UP on six of the first 14 holes while being tied on eight of them.
Presutti then jumped out to a 1UP lead on 15 and 2UP on 16. Reid cut a stroke on 17 but the pair penciled in 4s as Presutti claimed the point for the Miners.
Isaac Simmons defeated Greg Holmes 1UP. Holmes led 1UP on hole 2, but Simmons regained the lead on hole 6 and carried the lead onto the 18th.
Ike Joy beat Patrick Foley 3&2. Joy took a 2UP lead on hole 4 and maintained it to hole 16 being 3UP.
Earlier in the day, the 4th-seeded Miners defeated no.1 LA Tech, 3-2, in a semifinal match that came down to the wire.
It took Foley extra holes to defeat LA Tech’s Thomas Henson.
Foley was down one early through three holes before tying at hole 4 and then taking the lead on hole 5.
Henson grabbed the lead back at hole 8 and went 2UP on hole 9. Foley tied it on hole 11 and then Henson regained the lead on hole 12.
Drama ensued as Foley tied the match on 17.
After each carded a 4 on hole 18 to keep the score knotted, it took which Foley penciled in a 4 to catapult the Miners to the finals against Liberty.
Teeter defeated Lake Juban (2&1) up two with one hole to play.
Teeter was down one through seven holes but tied the match at eight following a Juban double-bogey. Teeter took the lead for good on hole 10.
Presutti defeated Hunter Battles (2&1) up two with one to play.
Presutti took the lead on hole 2 and never looked back. Presutti maintained a 2UP lead through 17 to shorten the match.
Liberty advanced to the finals after defeating no. 2 Sam Houston, 3-1-1 earlier in the day.
With the victory, the Flames earn CUSA’s automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Championships.
UTEP advanced to the CUSA Men’s Golf Championship final for the first time since 2017 when the Miners won the title.
