Blog:
NCAA Championships
Hutchinson,
Kansas
The sun was setting as we left Prairie Dunes Golf Club for
the last time. For the first time that week, there wasn’t any country music or
lively conversation for the ride back to our hotel. As the team reminisced on
what could have been, I relived the amazing experiences we had of playing the
NCAA Championships.
I remembered the excitement and eagerness I had to play a
Perry Maxwell for the first time as we prepared for the practice round. We
started on the 2nd, an amazing 160 yards par 3 with all the features
that could lend it a comparison with the 12th at Augusta National. Two
deep bunkers guarded the front of the diagonal green that had more undulations
than I’d ever experienced. And it only got better. The stretches of holes five,
six and seven as well as eleven, twelve and thirteen were personal favorites
with their extreme variation in design, length and difficulty. The rolling
topography and green complexity made the course a great test of golf.
I recalled the memories of watching Cameron hit some
outstanding golf shots coming down the stretch to claim the Individual
Championship after a nail biting finish and then two grueling sudden death
playoff holes. Amidst all the distractions late in the day, his performance was
exemplary and he made the whole team proud. His individual win, complemented by
David’s closing round of 65, led us to a 9 shot victory in the stroke-play. This
was great momentum for the team heading into the match play as the first seed.
After a close win against Illinois in the first round of
match play, we were paired with Oklahoma State in the afternoon in the semi
finals. It was a close match for the whole round, with continuous shifts in
momentum from one team to the other. I was one down with two holes left to play
as the teams stood at two games each. Despite being unsuccessful in our
attempt, those two holes were an incredible experience for me as I felt the
team’s support.
As we approached the hotel, I came to realize that this was
the last day of college golf for both Cameron and Patrick. As they embark on
their professional golfing careers, I think they shall look on NCAA
Championships, our 2013-2014 season and their years at Stanford run with a lot
of pride and honor.
>> Viraat Badhwar (in Prairie Dunes action photos above) will be playing a strong summer golf schedule, starting out here:
June 23-30 - The Dogwood (Druid Hills Golf Club - Atlanta, Georgia)
July 1-4 - Sahalee Players (Sammamish, Washington)
July 8-13 - The Players Am (Okatie, SC)
Follow at www.stanfordmensgolf.com
