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Chad
Scott |
MONMOUTH, Ill. — Chad Scott’s golf career at
Monmouth College had a storybook ending.
One day before receiving his college
diploma, the senior from Pontiac, Ill., drained a six-foot par putt
on the final hole to secure a one-stroke victory for the Fighting
Scots Saturday at the Midwest Conference Men’s Golf Championships at
Aldeen Country Club in Rockford, Ill.
Scott’s dramatic shot on the par-5 18th came
on the heels of a 15-foot birdie putt by Knox College’s Ryan Meier,
which moved the defending champion Prairie Fire within one stroke of
the Scots. But Scott, who had chipped within six feet after flying
his third shot over the green, calmly sank the clutch putt before
being swarmed by his teammates.
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Dave Ragone |
“I missed it all,” said coach Dave Ragone,
who has now led Monmouth to two MWC titles in the past three years.
“Because we were the official hosts of the event, I had to run the
leaderboard, which is about 75 yards away from the 18th green. The
guys were running over to me and giving me pretty regular updates.”
Ragone said Scott’s putt was the difference
between an outright title and having to share the crown with Knox.
“What a great, great way for him to end his
career,” said Ragone. “With two team titles and two individual
all-conference honors, I think he’s one of the top two golfers in
the history of the program.”
After carding a team-best 80 in cold and
windy conditions on Friday, Scott responded with a one-under-par 71
in the improved Saturday climate. His 151 was good for second place
at the event as Meier finished with a 75-71–146.
For Saturday’s rounds, each Monmouth golfer
was paired with a player from Knox and Lawrence. The Fire and the
Scots had ended Friday’s play tied at 330, with Lawrence a stroke
back at 331.
“Last week, I set up some match play for the
guys in practice,” said Ragone. “You had to beat your guy. I put
them in pressure situations throughout the week, and I think that
helped us out on Saturday.”
When Scott’s putt fell, it gave Monmouth a
307 for Saturday and a 637 team score for 36 holes. Knox finished at
330-308–638, while Lawrence faded to a 331-316–647.
Also contributing to the Scots’ score on
Saturday were Jeff Denny (77), Matt Hawkins (79) and Matt
Fitzpatrick (80). Hawkins’ two-day total of 83-79–162 was good for
10th place and his first All-MWC honor. Fitzpatrick finished with an
84-80–164, and Jeff Malek scored on Friday with an 83 and had a 165
for the event. Lee Radford rounded out the scoring with back-to-back
85s.
“That was huge,” said Ragone of Denny’s 77,
which came on the heels of his 88 on Friday. “Matt Fitzpatrick beat
his guy from Knox by a stroke, so that was also big.”
While the Scots were able to close their
season with a bang, Ragone is looking forward to a day in the near
future when the MWC meet will not be the final date on the men’s
golf calendar.
“Hopefully, in two years, our conference
champion will automatically advance to some level of the national
tournament, perhaps a regional,” he said, adding, “I’m happy for the
seniors (Scott, Fitzpatrick and Alan Sullivan) that they got to end
their careers this way. Their work ethic really led this team. We’ll
have our ‘Magnificent 7’ (freshmen) returning next year, and I think
we can do well again next spring.”
Academics
