FLORENCE, Ala. – Kyle Souza won’t have any help carrying his NCAA Championship Trophy home, not that he minds. His coach, T.L. Brown, is going to be a little sore.
Down two strokes with just one hole to play, the Chico State junior All-American stood over a lightening quick 20-foot downhill birdie putt with a ton of break, knowing that he had to have it to have any chance at the title.
“He just tapped it. It seemed like it broke 90 degrees while it trickled, trickled and trickled, and then fell right into the mouth of the hole,” said Brown. “I thought I dislocated my shoulder after my fist pump.”
But it hurt so good.
That was Souza’s fourth birdie on his back nine and gave him the lead among those in the clubhouse at The Fighting Joe Course at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals. Central Missouri’s Zack Van Dolah was still on the course with a one-stroke lead, but he bogeyed the final two holes to fall out of title contention.
So Souza waited and watched as the rest of the competitors made their way to the 18th green, giving him time to reflect on the put he had just made.
“It was just huge,” said the Arnold Palmer Award winner, presented annually to the National Champion. “I hadn’t made a put all day and I finally got one to fall right into the middle of the cup. I knew I had to make it to have any chance.”
Meanwhile, Lynn University’s Daniel Young was making some birdies of his own, and when Souza saw him par 18, it was time to gear up for a playoff.
They each made par the first two times at the par-3 18th. But Young missed the green on the third go-around. Souza took advantage by knocking his tee shot within 10 feet and two-putting for par to earn the NCAA title.
“I came to Chico State to win a National Championship,” said Souza. “This is just an amazing feeling. I’m incredibly happy.”
This was actually the third straight tournament that Souza ended in a playoff, and only by winning a sudden-death playoff at the NCAA West/Central Regional, did he earn a berth in the NCAA Championship finals. Two weeks earlier he missed out on CCAA medalist honors by losing in a playoff at Hunter Ranch Golf Course in Paso Robles.
“I truly believe that helped me today,” said Souza. “It helped me know how my body reacts to that situation. I was able to take some deep breaths and relax and finish the job.”
Tied for the lead heading into the final round, Souza claimed anyone within three or four shots of the lead had a legitimate chance to win. It’s a good thing he was right.
He started the day on the 10th hole and made five straight pars. But he bogeyed the 16th, and then made his first double-bogey of the tournament at 18 to fall four strokes off the lead and into a tie for fifth.
“Not once did I think I couldn’t win,” said Souza. “I just managed to compose myself and did what I had to do. I was really in the present just thinking about the next shot. I’m really proud of myself and the way I kept everything together.”
He rallied with four birdies on his back nine, beginning with birdies on the par-5 first and par-4 second. He cooled off a bit, however, and had to take a chance on the 524-yard par-5 seventh, smashing a drive over the trees that helped him reach the green in two. He two-putted for a must-have birdie. But he still trailed by two. After a par on the par-4 eighth, he knew another birdie was his only chance.
Trickle, trickle, trickle… tweet.
Souza was one of just four players to post a 4-under score on the front nine during the three-day competition. He was the only player to post three sub-par rounds with a 70, 71 and 71. And he was just one of 19 players to go below par among the 108 competitors Wednesday.
Souza, who was also dubbed PING First Team All-American by the Golf Coaches Association of America Wednesday, is the second Wildcat ever to win the NCAA Golf Championship, joining J.J. Jakovac, who did so in 2002 and 2004. All three titles have come in the last 10 years.
“This is an awesome moment,” said Brown. “I’m a little emotional right now. I’m just really proud. This is a great moment for Wildcat golf.”
Ironically, this was Souza’s first tournament title of the season, though he finished inside the top 10 in 11 of 12.
The 2010 Second Team All-American finished sixth at last year’s NCAA Championships, helping lead his team to a third-place finish. He earned his third straight First Team All-CCAA honor and second straight First Team All-West Region honor earlier this season. Souza was also named the 2010 Chico State Male Athlete of the Year and the 2009 CCAA Freshman of the Year.
Now he has one more thing to accomplish after his team failed to advance to the NCAA Championships following the disqualification of one of his teammates for signing an incorrect scorecard at the NCAA Championship West/Central Regional.
“Like I said earlier, I came to Chico State to win a National Championship and now I’ve accomplished that,” said Souza. “Now my goal is to win one with my teammates.”
Final 2011 NCAA Championship Individual Results
2011 PING All-America List
