HERSHEY, Pa. – Barry University men’s golf team defeated Nova Southeastern, 2-2-1, on a stroke tiebreaker in the NCAA Championships match play semifinals to advance to Friday’s title match against Lynn.
The No. 2-ranked Buccaneers beat the No. 1 Sharks by two strokes after each team won two of the five individual matches and split in another.
Friday’s championship match can be followed via LIVE STATS and LIVE VIDEO at 10 a.m. on the par-71, 6,984-yard Hershey Country Club course.
"We're real excited," Barry coach Jimmy Stobs said. "This is why we work hard. This is why we come to Barry. We have a great opportunity to win if we play our play our game. We can't control them."
Barry senior Marcus Segerstrom lost his match to Hunter O’Mahoney by three strokes. Segerstrom shot 76, while O’Mahoney had a 2-over 73.
Barry junior Scott Smyers dropped his match to Mitch Farrer by three strokes. Smyers shot 74, while Farrer finished at even par. Smyers had one birdie to Farrer’s four. That put the Sharks up 2-0.
Barry senior Simon Forsslund came from five strokes down on the back nine to tie Ian Facey. Forsslund used a birdie on the 187-yard par-3 13th to recover two strokes when Facey bogeyed. Forsslund parred both the 420-yard, par-4 11th and the 554-yard, par-5 14th, picking up two strokes as Facey bogeyed both. After a run of three straight pars from both on Nos. 15-17, Forsslund parred the 456-yard 18th and Facey bogeyed to even the match. Both shot 2-over 73.
"Simon got behind the eight-ball," Stobs said. "When he got to the sixth hole, I told him, 'You're down by five strokes, but just keep playing. Anything can happen.'"
Barry junior Jared Dalga shot a 1-over 72 to defeat Ricardo Celia by six strokes. Dalga had three birdies, and won nine holes outright while splitting seven others.
Barry freshman Adam Svensson beat Ben Taylor by two strokes to win his match, giving each side two individual victories. Svensson shot 1-under 70. Taylor, who eagled the par-5 first hole, led by a stroke after the front nine. But Svensson made nine straight pars on the back nine, and Taylor had three bogeys to give the Bucs a two-stroke victory that decided the tiebreaker.
"Adam came up big against (last year's) Player of the Year," Stobs said. "It says a lot about him."
