NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Christian’s Tyler Falk erased a five-shot deficit over the final nine holes to claim medalist honor at the 2014 Cascade Conference Championships, presented by U.S. Bank, at Ridgecrest Golf Club.
Complete Results
The senior, from Springfield, Ore., recorded four birdies over the final five holes – including a birdie on 18 to top Jesse Heinly of Concordia by one stroke – earning a berth to the NAIA National Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla. Falk (77-74-68 – 219) finished the tournament at three-over par, with his four-under 68 in the final round equaling the low score for the tournament.
In the team race, Concordia (309-305-294 – 908) shot a blistering six-over 294 in today’s final round to earn the team title and automatic berth to Nationals, 10 shots clear of Northwest Christian (310-305-303 – 918).
Day 1 leader, Jared Lambert (72-72-77 – 221) of Corban held a four-shot lead on Heinly and a five-shot lead on Falk at the turn, but a disastrous quadruple bogey on the 226-yard, par-3 12th, turned the final group into a three-way match-play event for the final six holes. Heinly (74-75-71 – 220) birdied the short par-four 13th to take a two-stroke lead on the others – a lead he would take into the long uphill par-4 17th. Falk birdied the hole, while both Heinly and Lambert made bogey – pulling the NCU player into a tie for the lead.
On the par-5 18th, Falk capped his comeback with a birdie, while his playing partners each made par, giving him the title.
College of Idaho senior Kyle DeLorey (76-72-77 – 225) placed fourth overall, with Concordia’s Kolton Kyne (79-74-73 – 226) taking fifth.
The third-place finish by Lambert helped Corban (311-308-301 – 920) finish third as a team, with Top-10 finishes by Tyler Dearing (76-74-79 – 229) and Dalton Durrell (76-78-76 – 230) leading first-year program Oregon Tech (317-311-319 – 947) into fourth.
Royce Rosenthal (78-84-68 – 230) shared low round of the tournament honors with a 68 today to vault him into ninth, allowing his Warner Pacific (327-324-306 – 957) to leapfrog C of I (315-326-320 – 961) into fifth-place.
All-CCC Team – Tyler Falk (NW Christian), Jesse Heinly (Concordia), Kyle DeLorey (C of I), Jared Lambert (Corban), Josh Vizcaino (Concordia), Ryan Melnychuk (Concordia), Kolton Kyne (Concordia)
Player of the Year – Tyler Falk (NW Christian)
Coach of the Year – Jeff Gaskill (NW Christian)