Golf Recap: Ducks Earn Top Three Finishes for Men and Women
· Yahoo Sports
Oregon Men’s Golf Finishes Second at Bandon Dunes Championship After Record-Setting Start
Ducks open with a 16-under round at Pacific Dunes and ride it to their best finish of the season
Oregon men’s golf turned a blazing start into its best finish of the season, taking second at the Bandon Dunes Championship behind Oregon State and well ahead of the rest of the field.
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The Ducks finished 14-under for the tournament, 10 shots clear of third-place Seattle. Oregon never got close enough to seriously threaten the Beavers, but it controlled second place for most of the event and put together one of its strongest team performances of the year.
Round 1: Ducks light up Pacific Dunes
Oregon came out firing Sunday, posting a 16-under 268 to sit second after the opening round. It was the Ducks’ best opening round of the season, tied for the seventh-lowest round to par in program history, and matched the seventh-best 18-hole score in school history.
Jeffrey Kwak and Aiden Krafft led the charge with matching 5-under 66s. Kwak stayed steady all day with five birdies and no damage elsewhere, while Krafft mixed in an eagle and enough birdies to match him atop the Oregon lineup. Ramil Saelim added a 68, Casper Nerpin shot 69, and the Ducks immediately separated themselves from most of the field.
Round 2: Oregon stays in control of second
The middle round did not produce another fireworks show, but it did keep Oregon right where it needed to be. The Ducks remained in second and continued to build distance between themselves and the chasing pack.
Saelim stayed steady with another under-par round, helping position himself for a strong individual finish, while Oscar Lent continued to impress as an individual entrant. Nerpin also gave Oregon a boost with a 67, one of the team’s better rounds of the day. By the end of round two, Oregon looked firmly settled into second place.
Round 3: Ducks close out best finish of the season
Oregon finished the tournament Tuesday by locking down second at 14-under, ending 17 shots behind Oregon State but comfortably ahead of the rest of the field.
Saelim was the Ducks’ top finisher, taking fifth at 5-under for his best result of the season. Lent matched him at 5-under while playing as an individual. Kwak and Krafft both finished 2-under for the tournament, while Sebastian Desoisa capped the week with a 4-under 68 in the final round to finish even for the event.
Final takeaway
Oregon’s opening-round surge ended up being the foundation for its best tournament finish of the season. The Ducks did not have enough to catch Oregon State, but they showed they can go low, stack solid individual performances, and stay near the top of the board over 54 holes.
Duck Scorecard
Bandon Dunes Championship
Pacific Dunes Course – Par 71 (6,600 yards)
2. Oregon – 268-286-284 – 838 (-14)
T5. Ramil Saelim – 67-69-72 – 208 (-4)
T5. Oscar Lent (i) – 68-6872 – 208 (-5)
T13. Aiden Krafft – 66-71-74 – 211 (-2)
T13. Jeffrey Kwak – 66-72-73 – 211 (-2)
T20. Sebastian Desoisa – 71-75-67 – 213 (E)
T30. Casper Nerpin – 69-74-72 – 215 (+2)
T30. Kyreece Romero (i) – 73-70-72 – 215 (+2)
T55. Tim Chang (i) – 73-76-72 – 221 – (+8)
T63. Teddy Vigna (i) – 75-72-76 – 223 (+10)
Ducks overcome Kiara Romero’s first-round absence, climb into third, and extend their top-five streak to 19 straight tournaments
Oregon women’s golf had to grind a little more than usual this week, but the Ducks still left Southern California with another top-three finish.
Playing the opening round without Kiara Romero due to illness, No. 3 Oregon fought through 54 holes at the Game Above Sports Invitational and finished third at 11-over par. The Ducks entered the final round in fourth, then climbed one spot Tuesday to extend their top-five streak to 19 straight tournaments.
Round 1: Chung and Han keep Oregon afloat
With Romero unavailable for the opening round, Oregon needed the rest of the lineup to carry the load, and Darae Chung and Sophie Han answered.
Both shot 3-under 69 to lead the Ducks to an even-par 288, good enough for fourth after the opening 18 holes. Chung and Han each made four birdies and just one bogey, giving Oregon a steady start despite missing its biggest star. Tong An added a 74, and Shyla Singh came in with a 76 as all four available scores counted.
Round 2: Romero returns, Ducks hold position
Romero returned to the lineup for the second round and gave Oregon an immediate lift, shooting even-par 72 with just one bogey.
The Ducks could not quite match their opening-round pace, finishing 10-over in round two, but they stayed in fourth entering the final day. An and Singh each shot 75, while Chung rounded out the counting scores with a 76. At that point, Oregon trailed USC, Texas A&M, and Eastern Michigan, but stayed within range of moving up the board.
Round 3: Ducks rally into third
Oregon closed strong Tuesday with a 1-over 285 to jump into third place by the end of the tournament.
Romero again led the way, firing a 2-under 70 in a sharp final round that featured three birdies before a bogey on 18. Han and Singh each added even-par 72s to keep Oregon’s score in check, while An supplied the final counting round with a 75.
That was enough to push the Ducks two shots clear of a group tied behind them and secure another top-five finish against a strong field.
Final takeaway
This was not Oregon’s smoothest week, but it was another example of the Ducks’ floor being remarkably high.
They played the first round without the top-ranked amateur in the world, stayed in the mix anyway, then responded with a strong closing round to finish third. Chung and Han set the tone early, Romero gave the lineup a boost once she returned, and Oregon once again looked like a team built to hang around the top of any leaderboard it enters.
Ducks on the Leaderboard:
3. Oregon — 288-298-289 — 875 (+11)
T17. Sophie Han — 69-78-72 — 219 (+3)
20. Darae Chung — 69-76-76 — 221 (+5)
T23. Shyla Singh — 76-76-72 — 223 (+7)
T27. Tong An — 74-75-75 — 224 (+8)
NA. Kiara Romero — WD-72-70 — 142 (-2)
Up Next
Oregon will resume its spring season when the men head to their home course for the Duck Invitational for two days of golf beginning on Monday, March 23 at the Eugene Country Club. The ladies play at the Charles Schwab Women’s Collegiate Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas, on March 23-24.