Western Courier

Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Adam Sacasa Junior Kyle Peterman pumps his fist after winning the playoff hole to claim the Summit League Individual Championship.

The Western Illinois men's golf team won its third straight Summit League title led by junior Kyle Peterman, who captured the individual championship after winning a playoff match to break a tie for first.

After 54 holes of competition, Peterman and Southern Utah's Nate Page sat tied at an even par (216). Peterman fired a final round of 68 (-4) to move up nine spots, while Page carded a 69 (-3) and jumped up seven positions to create the tie atop the leader board.

In the playoff, the junior transfer birdied hole 9 for the second time in less than an hour to capture the Summit League Championship individual title.

"I was a little nervous, but just had trust in myself because I had been playing good all day," Peterman said of the playoff. "I stuck with my routine, stayed in the moment and believed in myself. It was a storybook ending and great having (my teammates) out on the hole with me for the ending."

After entering the day three shots back of leader UMKC, the Leathernecks shot eight-under par as a team on the final round to storm back and capture their third-straight conference title.

"I was a little concerned that we weren't in the lead going into today," said coach Mel Blasi. "With the weather, there was the chance that today was going to be canceled, and we wanted to try to get in the lead yesterday. We got within three strokes but weren't there. I felt good, though, just being down three shots on our home course, and we've played well here this year.

"I thought we probably had a good round coming somewhere in there."

On the final day of competition, Western got an unexpected boost out of its No. 5 spot. Junior Austin Lambert shot a career-best 68 (-4) to match Peterman, and move himself up nine spots in the individual standings to a tie for 18th, with a 10-stroke improvement in Round 3. Lambert finished the championships at 223 (77-78-68).

"Today Austin really picked us up," Blasi said. "To shoot a 68 from the five spot was just a terrific boost."

Junior Jared Steger used a pair of birdies on the final nine to finish the day at one-over, overcoming a single and double bogey on his first nine. His tournament total wrapped up at 218 (70-75-73) and earned him a share of fourth place.

Continued...

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