By: Generated by uReport

LOMPOC, Calif. -- OUAZ completed another conference title run Wednesday, closing out the GSAC Men’s Golf Championship with a three-round total of 909 at La Purisima Golf Course to claim its third straight GSAC crown. The Spirit finished 17 shots clear of Arizona Christian, which surged into second at 926 behind the low final round of the day, while Embry-Riddle took third at 927.

Played April 20-22 on the 6,799-yard, par-72 layout, the championship was tightly packed behind the leader for much of the week. OUAZ set the tone immediately with a tournament-best 297 in the opening round, then followed with a 302 in the second round for a 599 total that kept it in front entering Wednesday. The Spirit closed with a 310, enough to maintain control and secure the team title once again.

Arizona Christian made the strongest move of the final round. After rounds of 308 and 316, the Firestorm posted a 302 on Wednesday, the best team score of the day, to jump into second place. Embry-Riddle, which entered the final round in second, held steady in third at 927 after a closing 313. Simpson was right behind in fourth at 928, and The Master’s followed at 932, leaving the middle of the standings tightly contested through the end of the event.

The rest of the team leaderboard underscored how crowded the field was beyond the champion. Benedictine Mesa finished sixth at 937, Park Gilbert was seventh at 943, La Sierra placed eighth at 955, Hope International came in ninth at 983, and Soka rounded out the 10-team field at 1070. Several programs placed multiple golfers inside the top 20, helping keep the race for the top five unsettled through the last round.

OUAZ’s depth proved decisive across all three rounds. Tytan Birchell led the Spirit with a share of second place at 225 after rounds of 73, 72 and 80. Nick Erickson finished tied for fifth at 227, and Grant Greazel and Hayden Hah also placed inside the top 12, giving OUAZ four golfers among the tournament’s top dozen. That balance allowed the Spirit to absorb swings on the individual board and still separate from the field over 54 holes.

The individual title went to Arizona Christian’s Hudson Hobbs, who earned medalist honors at 220, 4 over par. Hobbs opened with an even-par 72, followed with a 75 in the second round and then closed with a 73 to finish five shots ahead of the nearest challengers. His consistency over three days held off a three-way tie for second at 225 that included Birchell, Embry-Riddle’s Jonathan Tso and Benedictine Mesa’s Eric Klutke. Tso shot 73-77-75, while Klutke posted rounds of 76-73-76.

Simpson’s Trey Alwert and La Sierra’s Kyle Harford shared fifth at 227, and Park Gilbert’s Riley Wortman finished eighth at 228, adding to the congestion near the top of the individual standings. In the end, the championship belonged to OUAZ for a third consecutive year, while Hobbs’ 73 on Wednesday gave Arizona Christian both the tournament medalist and the late push that carried the Firestorm into second place.