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OU Golf: Oklahoma in Second Halfway Through NCAA Championships

The Sooners placed four golfers in the top 25, led by true freshman Clark Van Gaalen, and will continue competing Sunday.
John Hoover|
Oklahoma golfer Drew Goodman
Oklahoma golfer Drew Goodman | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

By OU Media Relations

CARLSBAD, CA – At the halfway mark of the NCAA Championships, Oklahoma sits alone in second place, 22 shots above Sunday's 54-hole cut and 14 clear of the match play cut to eight teams.

The sixth-ranked Sooners (10-under) trail leader Arizona State by three after the Sun Devils fired an 11-under 269 on Saturday at the North Course at Omni La Costa. True freshman Clark Van Gaalen is tied for fifth and one of four Sooners inside the top 25.

"Overall it was another pretty good day for us," head coach Ryan Hybl said. "For us to have all five guys give us solid rounds and be in it all day was big. It's important to get morning tee times, and we've played well enough over the first two days to do that. We'll get going tomorrow morning and keep the pedal down."

The NCAA Championships feature 72 holes of stroke play, with the 30-team field cut to 15 after 54 holes. Monday's final round determines the top eight teams that move on to match play, and the individual champion is crowned. Match play on Tuesday and Wednesday will decide the team national champion.

Oklahoma battled strong winds Saturday but used a solid start on its first nine to offset an even finish after starting on No. 10. Drew Goodman and Ryder Cowan delivered red numbers, while Van Gaalen and P.J. Maybank III added counting even-par rounds.

Goodman (T8, -3) posted a 71 (-1), bouncing back from a double bogey on 18 with an eagle on the par-5 fifth. The senior, one of four Sooners named to the PING All-Region team Saturday, sits tied for eighth.

Cowan carded a 71 (-1) and is tied for 25th, getting back to even par for the week. He tallied four birdies, including one on his final hole to finish under par for the round.

Van Gaalen (T4, -4) remains inside the top five and trails the lead by five after an even-par 72. The freshman, also an All-Region pick, led OU with 15 pars on the day.

Maybank (T55, +3) climbed into the top 60 with a 72 (E), providing a key counting score.

Jase Summy (T18, -1) is tied for 18th overall despite a 2-over 73 to close out the OU lineup.

Oklahoma tees off first Sunday morning alongside Arizona State (-13) and top-ranked Auburn (-6) at 8:30 a.m. CT.

Arizona State's Connor Williams and Ole Miss' Michael La Sasso share the individual lead at 9-under.

 Live scoring is available on Clippd for the duration of the championship.

NCAA Championships Team Top-20 Leaderboard

1. Arizona State (-13)
2. Oklahoma (-10)
3. Auburn (-6)
4. Florida (-5)
5. Florida State (-1)
6. Florida (E)
7. Oklahoma State (+2)
8. Ole Miss (+4)
9. Illinois (+7)
10. Cal (+8)
11. Virginia (+10)
t-12. Pepperdine (+11)
t-12. Colorado (+11)
t-12. Georgia Tech (+11)
t-15. Vanderbilt (+12)
t-15. Wake Forest (+12)
t-15. Texas A&M (+12)
18. BYU (+13)
19. Texas Tech (+14)
20. South Carolina (+19)

Published
John E. Hoover
JOHN HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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