greatest of eight: Texas A&M enjoyed the spoils of victory after winning three team matches under a new format that drew praise for the way it worked.
Critics argued match play was too likely to produce a "fluke" champion, forgetting there were a few "unexpected" winners crowned via stroke play as well (Pepperdine, 1997; California, 2004). Meanwhile, how much grousing do you hear about, say, underdog Villanova's NCAA hoops win over heavy favorite Georgetown in 1985? Most describe it as memorable, not lucky.
Supporters of the new format couldn't have asked for a better christening than Friday morning's quarterfinal clash between the nation's two top-ranked teams, Georgia and Oklahoma State, a tilt that came down to the final hole of the fifth match. Sure, most hoped the Bulldogs (who struggled during the final 18 holes of qualifying, hanging on to the eighth spot) and Cowboys (who cruised to the top seed with a three-under 849) would be battling in the championship match. Still, the heavyweight face-off had all the drama everyone had anticipated.
As if foreshadowing Burgoon's heroics, Georgia senior Brian Harman rolled in a five-foot birdie putt on the home hole (after birdies on 16 and 17) to clinch a 1-up win over Oklahoma State All-American Rickie Fowler and push the Bulldogs past the Cowboys, 3-2.
"Probably the most fun I've had in college golf, that head-to-head aspect, coming down the stretch, having your whole team out there." And that was from the losing player, Fowler, his voice cracking with emotion on each word.
"A couple of coaches who have been detractors of this format, if they had been here today, they would understand why this format is better," said OSU coach Mike McGraw, who might have claimed the school's 11th NCAA title had the tournament remained all stroke play, since his Cowboys held an impressive 13-stroke lead after 54 holes.
"You can't hide [in match play]," said Washington coach Matt Thurmond, whose Huskies fell to Arkansas in the quarterfinals, 3-2. "You are what you are. You have to hit those big shots over and over again. … There's golf, and then there's competing. There are a lot of golfers out here. But real competitors come out in a match-play format."
Arkansas coach Brad McMakin acknowledged Georgia's quick turnaround from its emotional victory versus OSU likely helped the Razorbacks defeat the Bulldogs, 3-1-1, in their semifinal match (next year match-play rounds will be held over three days rather than two). The Aggies, 3-1-1 quarterfinal winners over Arizona State, ended Michigan's underdog bid in the afternoon semifinal by the same margin, Burgoon winning his matches against both opponents.
"It's been a long road," noted Higgins, who took over the program in fall 2001. "When we started eight years ago, we were a long way from being national champs. It's a long process, getting great players like Bronson and John and Andrea and Conrad and Matt, just putting together a team that has a chance to compete."
Burgoon's time in College Station wasn't always rosy, either. He sat out a semester due to academics and tried PGA Tour Q school one fall. During his senior season, however, he had a 72.0 average and claimed six top-10s.
"I love this team," he said moments after being mobbed by his fellow Aggies. "They battled their butts off all day. I just tried to bring it home for them. That was the hardest thing when it was slipping away. I was more discouraged for the other guys on the team than myself."
As his dream became a reality, Burgoon ultimately had nothing to worry about, which is more than the D-I golf committee can say. After a thrilling match-play debut, what can it do for an encore?
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