FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 30th, 2018

NOTABLE QUOTES: NCAA MEN’S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS – OKLAHOMA STATE DEFEATS ALABAMA TO WIN ITS 11TH GOLF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

NCAA Men’s Golf Championships

Championship Match

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Karsten Creek Golf Club

Stillwater, Okla.

 

**Oklahoma State defeated Alabama 5-0 to win its 11th NCAA Division I Men’s Golf National Championship.

 

Championship Match Results

Viktor Hovland (OSU)           4&3                 Lee Hodges (Alabama)

Matthew Wolff (OSU)           4&3                 Davis Riley (Alabama)

Kristoffer Ventura (OSU)      3&2                 Wilson Furr (Alabama)

Austin Eckroat (OSU)            1up                  Davis Shore (Alabama)

Zach Bauchou (OSU)            8&7                 Jonathan Hardee (Alabama)

 

On Oklahoma State, 2018 NCAA Men’s Golf National Champions

Curt Byrum – “They played so well all year long. The expectations were so high for a national title. Just a phenomenal performance.”

Byrum – “The expectations at this school for winning national championships is above everyone else. They closed the deal. This is an impressive team.”

Byrum – “If there was pressure today, it never showed it. They absolutely handled it every step of the way and steamrolled Alabama.”

Steve Burkowski – “Awfully impressive. Hard to come up with different adjectives to describe just what the Cowboys have done today.”

Byrum – “They just aren’t making any mistakes. They are making putts and good golf shots.”

Burkowski – “Awfully impressive. Those that have come out in droves on this Wednesday afternoon to support Oklahoma State athletics and this golf team. They have not been disappointed.”

Byrum – “These Oklahoma State players have been putting like how Willie Wood putts. Making everything.”

Papa – “Wolff has been dialed in with his speed all day.”

Burkowski – “Wolff hasn’t been wayward much, but when he’s had, he’s been like Houdini to get it back into play.”

Papa – “It was a dominant year from literally start to finish.”

 

Matthew Wolff with Golf Channel’s John Cook following their victory

Matthew Wolff – “I have been putting good all day. I’ve been hitting my lines. I know I have been having confidence and everything was feeling really good. Me and my coach picked a spot and he just said right before I hit the putt, ‘It’s just like the first hole of the day’ when I made that eagle putt and it gave me a lot of confidence and I shouldered it right in.”

Wolff – “This is everything I could dream of. This school, the fans, the coaches. My teammates. They all made me feel like I was at home. I couldn’t be happier to be here and couldn’t be happier to be a national champion.”

 

Oklahoma Head Coach Alan Bratton speaking with Golf Channel’s Notah Begay following their victory

Alan Bratton – “It is just special. What a great environment for college golf and for Oklahoma State. I can’t thank our people enough to allow our kids to get a thrill of a lifetime like this.

Bratton �� “I have never seen an atmosphere like this. I am so proud again for Oklahoma State family and Cowboy Golf. This is bigger than just Cowboy Golf. Our fans, they turn out. They did that in a big way. I’m glad the world got to see it, and I’m glad these guys got to live it. It is certainly not about me, it is about all of those players and all of the former players we had. I can’t tell you how many former players we had in the crowd this week. All of us were standing on their shoulders this week.”

 

Kristoffer Ventura speaking with Golf Channel’s Billy Ray Brown following their victory

Kristoffer Ventura – “That was our goal all year. We knew we had a really good team and to do this this way it just unbelievable. Just hard to explain.”

Ventura – “It is just trust. I know my buddies are going to play good out there and I can just free up. That is the main thing and that is what we did this year.”

Ventura – “It is unbelievable. Hard to explain. This is something I’ve dreamed of for a long time.”

 

On Oklahoma State’s Zach Bauchou, defeating Alabama’s Jonathan Hardee 8&7

Billy Ray Brown – “This is one of the most impressive performances in golf, given the situation and pressure. Zach Bauchou has played incredible.”

Steve Burkowski – “From the 1st tee to the 11th green, that was 2.5 hours of simply incredible golf.”

 

Oklahoma State’s Zach Bauchou speaking with Golf Channel’s Billy Ray Brown

Zach Bauchou – “I played really well today. All aspects of my game. I struggled with my driving throughout the week. Today I came out and was hitting nice fades off the tee so I was putting the ball in play, and my iron play was really good. The strength of my game is my putting. I got a little heat with my putter. I made a bunch of one-putts in a row and that sets the pace for the day, which is really nice.”

 

Oklahoma State Athletic Director Mike Holder speaking with Golf Channel’s Chantel McCabe

Mike Holder – “The most gratifying thing about today is all of the people. To see a college tournament drawing this kind of crowd. It is energizing everybody. That is the most gratifying thing about today.”

 

Oklahoma State’s Viktor Hovland speaking with Golf Channel’s Notah Begay following his match

Viktor Hovland – “I was in good positions off the tee. I hit a lot of good iron shots pretty close and managed to hole some putts to keep the momentum going.”

Hovland – “Coach told us to be ourselves. I really got my good stuff out today. I just stuck to my game plan and executed the shots.”

 

On Alabama, 2018 NCAA Men’s Golf Championships Runners-Up

Byrum – “Just 180 degree difference between these two teams. Oklahoma State is making everything, not making a lot of mistakes. Alabama, meanwhile had a rough time getting the ball in the hole all day.”

 

-NBC Sports Group-