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BYU’s Carson Lundell ties for medalist at Ping Cougar Classic

Lundell’s win gives him his third win of the season for the Cougars

By Dick Harmon, Columnist

BYU’s Carson Lundell and University of San Francisco’s Tim Widing fired 13-under par 203s to share individual honors in the 54-hole Ping Cougar Classic at Riverside Country Club in Provo on Saturday.

San Francisco, who will join BYU at the WCC championships next week in Henderson, Nev., shot a blistering team score of 21-under par in Saturday’s final round to win the annual classic by 13 shots over Boise State. Host BYU finished third in the team standings two shots behind Boise State at 26-under.

Utah finished in sixth place at 17-under. Utah Valley finished plus-30 in 18th place.

“We started the day just seven shots off the lead and I was very encouraged and proud of where we stood going int the final round,” said BYU head coach Bruce Brockbank Jr. “Unfortunately, we did not make enough birdies on the back holes 13, 14, 15 and 16 to make a real charge.”

Lundell and Widing made birdies on the final hole, their No. 1 par 4 to get to 13-under. A sudden-death playoff was planned until both San Francisco and BYU decided to award a co-championship trophy to the two low players in respect of San Francisco’s travel plans and courtesy to club members who were waiting to take their turn on the course.

“I’m alright with that and so was San Francisco,” said Brockbank.

University of San Francisco’s Tim Widing fired 13-under par 203 to share individual honors in the 54-hole Ping Cougar Classic at Riverside Country Club in Provo on Saturday, April 24, 2021.

It marked the third medalist honor this season for Lundell who won at Fresno and was in a three-way playoff at the Western Intercollegiate a week ago. “Golfstat counts a tie as an individual title,” said Brockbank, “So, this was a great win for Carson who has really come on late in the season and has carried this team on his back. I’m very proud of him.”

Widing missed very makeable birdie putts on No. 15, 16, 17 and was an inch from putting in an eagle on his final hole, No. 1. He drove the green and had a 30-footer that just hung on the lip for eagle. On that hole, Lundell drove pin high in the fringe cut right of the green and chipped inside three feet for his birdie make.

“This was a great win for Carson (Lundell) who has really come on late in the season and has carried this team on his back. I’m very proud of him.” — BYU head coach Bruce Brockbank Jr.

While Widing’s putting abandoned him in crucial final holes Saturday, Lundell made remarkable scrambles out of the sand on 9, 11, and the right fairway bunker on his tee shot on 15 to keep his hopes alive after falling behind Widing by a stroke on the back nine in the final round.

Lundell hit a tree on No. 14 and his drive ricocheted hard into a fairway bunker near the dogleg par 4 and buried itself in the bunker upslope. “I took out a pitching wedge and hit it as hard as I could to get it out,” he said. His recovery shot ended up font left about 30 yards from the pin where he chipped to within four feet and saved his bar.

On No. 16 his drive hit a tree and bounced to the middle of No/ 12 fairway. He hit a 60-degree wedge over a pine tree to within 30 feet and got up and down for par. His birdie putt on the par-3 17th came up three inches short. “It was right in the jaws,” said Lundell. He makes that and he wins medalist honors outright.

Read Story on Deseret.com HERE