EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Oregon sophomore Aaron Wise bounced back from a tee shot in the water with a birdie putt and a ferocious fist pump, closing with a 1-over 71 on Monday to win the NCAA men's golf title by two shots.
Wise, who is turning pro after the NCAA ends at Eugene Country Club, is the first Oregon player to win the individual title. He also became the first player from the host school to win the men's national golf title since Gary Hallberg at Wake Forest in 1979.
He finished at 5-under 275, though it was tight at the finish because of a pair of double bogeys on the back nine, including a 5-iron into the water on the par-3 16th. But he drilled his tee shot at 17 and holed a pivotal birdie putt that sealed his title.