Results

AMARILLO, Texas - George Markham punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships, winning the NCAA West/South Central Regional individual title in a sudden-death playoff to lead Colorado School of Mines.

Markham fired a final-round 67 to finish tied for the lead with St. Mary's Emilio Gonzales at -5, then prevailed in a playoff for medalist honors. As a team, Mines carded a 295 to end up ninth at +28, agonizingly close to the +26 cut line for nationals in a crowded field competing for the five qualifying spots. 

Markham played a phenomenal final round with five birdies, including four in his final eight holes, to secure his nationals spot. In seventh to begin the day, Markham had a steady one-under opening nine but went back to even after his only bogey of the day on his 10th hole; that sparked a torrid run of four birdies in a seven-hole span to vault him into the clubhouse lead as he awaited the rest of the field to finish. Gonzales birdied his next-to-last hole to force the playoff, and after both men made par to start, Markham carded a four and Gonzales a five on the second playoff hole to win.

Markham will be the first Oredigger to compete at nationals since 2012, when the team qualified; Jim Knous, who also won the regional title that year, ended up finishing second individually at NCAAs.

Tim Amundson was Mines' next-lowest finisher on the day at a +3 74, ending a T30 (+8) for the championship. Amundson spread three birdies through his round to end with rounds of 72, 75, and 74. Jordan Bass shot 81 on Wednesday to settle in a tie for 64th on a tough day after rounds of 72 and 73, ending at +13. Nic Beno shot 75 after earlier rounds of 80 and 74 to finish T76 (+16), and Alan Berry had a 79 to end at +19 and 89th place on earlier rounds of 80 and 73.

NOTABLES
- Markham is Mines' second regional medalist joining Knous. He will be making his first trip to nationals.
- The win continues a torrid run of form for Markham after he finished second at RMAC Championships in late April; he has five straight top-25 finishes. It is his second career tournament victory after tying for medalist honor at the 2017 Mustang Intercollegiate.
- Mines' ninth-place finish was its best at NCAA Regionals since 2012 when it placed third. Mines was 13th a year ago, and returns four of five starters, including Markham, next season.
- Led by Gonzales, St. Mary's (Texas) won the team title at +9 with Cal Baptist, Holy Names, UCCS, and Colorado Christian also qualifying for NCAA Championships; CCU had to beat Sonoma State in a playoff of their own to qualify. Cal State Monterey Bay's Elis Svard joins Markham as the other at-large individual to make it out of regional play.

WHAT'S NEXT
The NCAA Championships will begin May 21 in Muscle Shoals, Ala. at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.