Cal State settles for fourth in CCAA golf tourney

Cal State San Bernardino was unable to gain any ground Tuesday despite sub-par rounds by senior Micah Burke and junior Gene Webster and finished in a tie for fourth place at the California Collegiate Athletic Association championship tournament.

Burke shot a four-under-par 68 on the 6,741-yard, par-72 Hunter Ranch Golf Course Tuesday to finish second in the chase for medalist honors with a 54-hole total of 209, seven under par. Cal State Monterey Bay's Ricky Stockton took medalist honors with a score of 208.

Webster shot a one-under-par 71 to tie for fourth place at 213, three under par. It was his fifth top-five finish this season.

Sonoma State, ranked No. 2 in the West Region, successfully defended the team title it won in 2008 with a team score of 861 for 54 holes, three-under par for the tournament, finishing five shots ahead of Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State Stanislaus, who tied for second place at 866.

The Coyotes, ranked No. 1 in the region,  tied with region No. 3 Chico State for fourth at 868 followed by UC San Diego (889), Cal State East Bay, a guest at the tournament, at 897 and Cal State Dominguez at 903.

At least five of the teams in the event are assured of advancing to the NCAA West/Northwest Super Regional, May 2-5 at Wilderness Ridge Golf Club outside of Lincoln, Neb.,

CSUSB freshman BK Kim, subbing for the team's regular No. 2 player, Kenny Pigman, shot the third-best round for the team Tuesday, an even-par 72 to finish in 27^th spot with a 54-hole total of 225, one stroke back of No. 3 player Joe Alldis at 224. Kim recorded two eagles in the tournament, the most of any player.

Junior Thomas Chu closed with a 76 to finish in 29^th spot at 226.

Burke was successful across the board in his quest for the tournament title. He and Patrick Bauer of Sonoma State led all scorers on the par-3s, shooting two-under-par on those holes over the three rounds.

The Los Angeles resident registered 40 pars, second most among the 40 players in the tournament and he played the par-4s in one-under-par and the par-5s in 4-under-par. He had 11 birdies in the tournament.

It was the best finish of 2008-09 for Burke, whose previous best outing was a fifth place at the Cal State Northridge-Cullum Invitational last fall.

Webster had 38 pars, 10 birdies and was two-under on the par-4s and 1-under on the par-3s in the tournament.

CCAA GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

@ Hunter Ranch GC in Paso Robles

TEAM SCORES: 1. Sonoma State - 861; 2. (tie) Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State Stanislaus - 866;

4. (tie) CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO and Chico State - 868; 6. UC San Diego - 889; 7. Cal State East Bay( (897); 8. Cal State Dominguez Hills - 903.

            INDIVIDUALS : 1. Ricky Stockton (CS Monterey Bay) 71-70-67 - 208; 2. Micah Burke (Cal State San Bernardino) 71-70-68 - 209; 3. Patrick Bauer (Sonoma State) 66-71-73 - 210; 4. (tie) Gene Webster (Cal State San Bernardino) 72-70-71 - 213 and Bryan Kiss (Cal State Stanislaus) 68-71-74 - 213.

            COYOTE CARDS: 2. Micah Burke - 71-70-68 - 209; 4. Gene Webster 72-70-71 - 213; 23. Joe Alldis - 74-74-76 - 224' 28/ BK Kim - 75-78-72--225; 29. Thomas Chu - 73-77-76 - 226.