CSUN Falls to Eighth in NCAA Golf

Cal State Northridge concluded play in the NCAA Division II men’s golf championships Friday with a final round frustratingly similar to its first three.

The Matadors once again hit too many shots out of bounds, left too many putts short and, ultimately, failed to solve the 6,465-yard, par-71 Oaks Course at the Tan-Tar-A Resort and Golf Club.

Northridge’s final-round, 24-over-par 308 gave the Matadors a 1,243 total and an eighth-place finish in the 16-team tournament.

“We just didn’t play well as a team,” Northridge junior Wayne Tyni said. “Shooting 320 and 306 just doesn’t cut it in a national championship.”

Tampa, the defending national champion, carded sub-300 scores three times, including a final-round 299, that gave the Spartans a 1,189 total and their second consecutive title.

Tampa’s Jeff Leonard defended his individual title with a 3-over-par 287 to become the first two-time Division II champion.

“This is a pretty good golf course for me,” said Leonard, a senior who will compete next week in the Division I championships at North Ranch in Westlake Village. “It’s difficult, but it emphasizes keeping the ball in play, which is the strength of my game. . . . I just managed to avoid big numbers and didn’t have many three-putts.”

Tony Chieffo of Northridge experienced similar good fortune through the first three rounds of the tournament. Chieffo, a senior from Granada Hills, had shot a third-round, 1-under-par 70 and entered the final round tied for second with John Williams of Rollins College.

But Friday, Chieffo struggled with four bogeys and two double-bogeys that resulted in a 78 and dropped him to fifth.

“I hit into some ugly places today that cost me some strokes,” said Chieffo, who finished 13th last year. “It’s disappointing for me, but also disappointing for our team. We never got the whole team playing well at one time.”

Senior Gary Finneran concluded his collegiate career with a final-round 75, giving him a total of 312 and a tie for 38th place. Freshman Rick Irwin finished in a tie for 58th (318) and senior Bill Cullum and Tyni were among five players who tied for 71st (325).

“Coming in, I thought we had as good a chance as anybody to win,” CSUN Coach Jim Bracken said. “It was a pretty disappointing finish for us . . . But we’ll be pretty strong next year, come back with the same expectations, and hope it goes a little better.”