Flames Golf claims CUSA Championship in match play playoff

Playing 36 holes of match play was not enough for the Flames on Thursday, as Liberty’s men’s golf team won its first-ever CUSA Men’s Golf Championship in dramatic playoff fashion.

With the Flames trailing in the overall championship match against No. 4 seed UTEP, Liberty got birdies from Josh Ryan and Austin Barbin on the No. 18 hole (par 4, 462 yards) to extend the match into a playoff.

Liberty’s Isaac Simmons (1 up) and Ike Joy (3&2) gave the Flames the first two team points in the conference championship matchup, setting the stage for the extra hole drama.

After Barbin lost in his first playoff hole, the overall match and title came down to Ryan’s match against UTEP’s Dylan Teeter.

Teeter, who was 3 up on Ryan after seven holes, matched Ryan shot for shot during the first four playoff holes.

Ryan’s short iron approach to the green on No. 5 (par 4, 397 yards) landed inches away from the cup and settled four feet from the hole.

Teeter left his cross-green birdie try shot and missed his par attempt before conceding the match to Ryan and the title to the Flames.

With the come-from-behind victory, Liberty secures a title during its first season as a member of Conference USA and the program’s eighth conference title since 2011.

With the win, the Flame secured CUSA’s automatic bid to the NCAA Regional. Liberty has advanced to NCAA Regional play for the last eight-consecutive seasons and 14 times overal in program history.

The Flames will learn their NCAA Regional selection on May 1 when the NCAA reveals the regional field on a special broadcast on the Golf Channel at 2 p.m. EST.

NCAA Regional play will take place May 13-15 at six regional sites. Three regional sites will have 13 teams and 10 individuals and three will have 14 teams and five individuals.

The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual not on an advancing team (six individuals total) from each regional site will advance to play in the championships at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.

Liberty earned its way into the CUSA Men’s Golf Championship title match with a 3-1-1 victory over No. 2 seed Sam Houston during the morning match.

The Flames led for most of the match and got individual victories from Joy (3&2), Simmons (2&1) and Ryan (2&1).

Semifinal Match vs. No. 2 seed Sam Houston (W/ 3-1-1):

Austin Barbin (LU) tied Ting-Wei Hsieh (SHSU)

Ike Joy (LU) won over Bret Gray (SHSU) (3&2)

Isaac Simmons (LU) won over Gene Chaikangwal (SHSU) (2&1)

Josh Ryan (LU) won over Josh German (SHSU)(2&1)

Hugo Trommetter (SHSU) won over Brett Reid (LU) (4&3)

Championship Match vs. No. 4 seed UTEP (W/ 3-2-0):

Josh Ryan (LU) won over Dylan Teeter (UTEP) (23 holes)

Sebastian Sandin (UTEP) won over Austin Barbin (LU) (19 holes)

Isaac Simmons (LU) won over Greg Holmes (UTEP) (1 up)

Jacob Presutti (UTEP) won over Brett Reid (LU) (1 up)

Ike Joy (LU) won over Patrick Foley (UTEP) (3&2)