No. 22 Broncos Win Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational
Led by senior Hayden Shieh, Santa Clara men’s golf led wire-to-wire to claim its second team title in three events this season.
STOCKTON, Calif. – Worthy of its No. 22 ranking, Santa Clara men’s golf led from wire-to-wire to claim its second team title in three events this season, capturing the Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational by four shots with a 30-under 834 total.
Led by senior Hayden Shieh, who matched the tournament low round for an individual with a final-round 7-under 65, the Broncos carded the lowest team score of the event on Saturday and they needed every stroke to hold off BYU. Santa Clara ended the day at 16-under 272 to edge the Cougars by four-shots.
“BYU is a good team; they pushed us to the limit today,” head coach Rob Miller said.“We’re on a little roll to start the season. Everyone is starting to believe.”
Shieh, the No. 4 player in the country according to Golfstat, recovered after shooting even-par over the first two rounds. He carded an eagle on the par-5 11th hole and six birdies on his way to a 65. His only blemish was a bogey on the 18th.
“He got rolling early,” Miller said of Shieh.“Too bad he bogeyed the last hole or it would have been a perfect round of golf.”
Sophomore Matt McCarty also responded with a final-round 5-under 67. He and Shieh tied for ninth at 7-under 209, six shots back of individual medalist Patrick Fishburn of BYU.
All five Broncos finished among the top-20 in the 112-player field. Freshmen Zack Kaneshiro and Jack Avrit tied for 14th at 5-under 211 while junior Derek Ackerman placed in a tie for 18th at 3-under 213.
“It was an all-around good performance by the five guys,” Miller said.
Competing as an individual, sophomore Will DelBiaggio scored 1-over 73 across the final two rounds to end the tournament tied for 65th at 6-over 222.
The Broncos close out the fall season at the Saint Mary’s Invitational. First round play from Poppy Hills gets underway on Nov. 6.