Patrick Welch's win leads Sooners to red hot start at East Lake
The first day at East Lake proved to be productive for the Oklahoma men’s golf team as the Sooners logged an individual win and the top seed heading into match play.
The solo title went to junior Patrick Welch, the first of his career. The Rhode Island product has had a great career for the Sooners with four top-10 finishes in his three years.
“I thought I played really well today,” Welch told SoonerSports.com. “I started hot with those three birdies, and then hit a little rough patch later on. I knew that I would need a few more birdies if I wanted to have a chance, and fortunately I found them down the stretch.”
Welch concluded his front nine with bogeys on three of his final five holes. The next nine holes, however, he recorded four birdies, including one on the par-5 18th to finish five strokes under and secure a one stroke win.
Following close behind Welch were teammates Quade Cummins and Jonathan Brightwell, who posted scores of 69 and 70 to finish with a share of second and fourth, respectively. The three standout performances helped the Sooners claim a team total and tournament low 10-under par.
“I’m not surprised at all about how our guys played today because that’s where our expectations are,” Sooners head coach Ryan Hybl said in an OU press release. “But to have everyone coming down the stretch with Quade, Patrick and Jonathan all vying for the championship, that was pretty cool. As a team, any chance you get to win a golf tournament is fun for us.”
Not far behind the trio was one of OU’s top performers this season, junior Logan McAllister, who finished at even-par and tied for 11th place. Welch joins McAllister as the only other Sooners with an individual win this season.
“Im really proud of Logan and Patrick,” Hybl said. “They’re the next crop of guys for us, and they’re stepping into their leadership roles now. Seeing Logan win at Colonial and how he did that — without giving away any shots and making the putts that mattered — is exactly what I saw today with Patrick.”
Oklahoma is now focused on their semifinal contest with the No. 4 Texas Longhorns on Tuesday. The Sooners tee off at 10:10 a.m. CT with coverage beginning on Golf Channel at 3 p.m.