Sept. 13, 2009

Navy Fall Classic Final Results (PDF Format)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Northwestern broke every Navy Fall Classic team record with an incredible final round of 14-under 270 Sunday to charge into first place and capture the tournament title by a whopping 14 strokes over the host school. Sophomore Sam Chien (San Diego, Calif./Mt. Carmel) carded a 7-under 64 Sunday to finish with a 7-under 135 (71-64), winning the individual championship by two strokes over teammate David Lipsky's (La Canada, Calif./La Canada) total of 5-under 137 (69-68).

Chien's career-best round of 64 is tied for the third-best score in Northwestern golf history, matching Luke Donald and Chris Thayer, who both shot 64 at the 2001 Fossum Intercollegiate, and Jess Daley, who carded a 64 at The Nelson in 1998. Chien's tournament title is the first of his career.

Four different Wildcats shot under par Sunday to give NU four golfers in the top six in the individual rankings. Lipsky was second with his 5-under 137 while sophomore Eric Chun (Ansung City, South Korea/International Christian School) took fifth after a 3-under 68 in the final round gave him a 3-under 139 (71-68) for the tournament. Senior Jonathan Bowers (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) shot a 1-under 70 Sunday for a 1-under 141 (71-70) in the event, good for a sixth-place tie.

Freshman Nick Losole (Scottsdale, Ariz./ Scottsdale Notre Dame) earned a top-20 finish in the first tournament of his collegiate career, coming in at 3-over 145 (73-72) to tie for 15th.

Northwestern broke literally every Fall Classic team tournament record with its performance, shattering the previous best team total and score-to-par record of 3-under 565 set by Georgetown in 2003. The Wildcats' Sunday total of 14-under 270 also broke the single-round team total and score-to-par mark of 5-under 279 set by N.C. State in 2007.

Chien's Sunday round of 7-under 64 and his tournament total of 7-under 135 rank as the second-best 18- and 36-hole individual scores in the Navy Fall Classic's 16-year history. He trails only Billy Hurley, who fired a 10-under 61 in the final round of the 2003 event to finish at 12-under 130.

Out of ten total rounds shot in the tournament by the Wildcats, four were in the 60's and eight were par-or-better efforts on the 6,528-yard, par-71 U.S. Naval Academy Golf Course.

Northwestern bested the 17-team field, giving it a 14-0 record to start the 2009-10 season (Navy fielded three different squads in the event so only 15 actual schools competed). The Wildcats and Midshipmen were the only two teams under par, while Seton Hall came in third with a 6-over 574.

Northwestern returns to action Friday-through-Sunday, Sept. 18-20, at the Fighting Illini Invitational at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill.