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MACKEY WINS GOLF SUPER REGIONAL; ADVANCES TO NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

May 7, 2008

MIDDLETOWN, DE-Dominican College senior Brian Mackey won the 2008 Division II Men's East/Northeast Super Regional after finishing regulation tied with a golfer from the East Region and forcing a playoff hole with an improbable finish. Post University finished fourth in the team standings and Wilmington University finished eighth.

Mackey had a rough start in the final round, as he double bogeyed the first hole on the back nine and followed with two straight bogeys. He came back to par holes 13 and 14, but bogeyed hole 15, double bogeyed hole 16 and bogeyed hole 17. He finished the back nine with a par on the 18th hole. However, he stepped up in the front nine to par the first five holes, bogeyed the sixth and shot for par on the seventh and eighth which brought him to the final hole.

Mackey, a senior from Chestnut Ridge, NY, needed to shoot for par to tie or a birdie to win against Jared Schmader of Clarion University, who had finished with a final score of 222 (+9). Mackey had nice first shot that put him on the fairway. His second shot went left of the green and landed in a bunker. His third shot got him out of the bunker, but past the hole to set up a near-impossible final shot for par. With a crowd of over 50 people watching, Mackey hit an amazing 75-foot putt that sent the crowd into a frenzy of applause and forced the playoff hole.

Mackey teed off first on the playoff hole, which was a par-4 hole, and bogeyed with a five. Schmader triple bogeyed the hole to give Mackey the thrilling win.

"This is a great way to cap off my career," Mackey said. "It was such an adrenaline rush after I hit that putt that even I screamed."

Mackey advances to the NCAA DII Men's Golf Championships being held May 14-17 at the Spring National Championships Festival in Houston, Texas. The finals will be hosted by Rice University and the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority.

Mackey finished the third round with an 80 to give him a three day total of 222 (+9). He shot 73 on the first day, with four birdies, and 69 on day two, with five birdies, including four straight on the front nine.

Post finished fourth with a three-round total of 936 (307, 300, 329). Bryant University won with a 916 (300, 303, 313). Wilmington shot a 969 (329, 309, 331). Post was led by Jamie Blake, who finished in a tie for 10th place after carding an 18 over-par 231 (77, 73, 81). Freshmen David McGregor and Ryan Philipp tied for 16th place after both firing a 234 (+21). McGregor shot rounds of 77, 74, 83, while Philipp shot 75, 76, 83. Wilmington was led by senior Lorne Shannon, who finished in a tie for 10th with an 18 over-par 231 (74, 79, 78).