Oct. 31, 2006

FORT WORTH - Lamar's magic finally ran out as Oklahoma State held on for a 3-2 win over the Cardinals in Tuesday's final of the Callaway Golf Match Play Championship at Colonial Country Club.

Lamar, who was the No. 11-seed in the Match Play Championship, advanced to the finals with wins over No. 6-seed Coastal Carolina (3-2) and No. 3-seed UCLA (3-2) on Sunday to get to Monday's semifinal. The Cardinals and No. 7-seed Texas A&M were deadlocked at 2-2-1, but Lamar advanced to the finals on the total holes won tiebreaker, 25-23.

"We wanted to win and we certainly tried to win today, but you can't complain about finishing second in an event like this, especially when you lose a close match to the defending National Champions," said first-year Lamar coach Brian White. "It was a close match, one that we could have won 3-2 just as easily. I was pleased with the way we hit the ball today, but they just made more putts. They were able to get up and down around the green a little better than us today. That was the difference in the match."

Senior Dusty Smith and junior Casey Clendenon posted wins for the Cardinals. Smith, a native of The Woodlands, earned a 1-up win over Chris Ward. Clendenon, a Katy native, posted a 3 and 2 win over Trent Leon.

OSU, who was the No. 4-seed and won its second Match Play Championship in the last three years, received a big win from Trent Whitekiller in the first match to go final. Whitekiller posted a 6 and 5 win over Justin Harding, a sophomore from Cape Town, South Africa. Oliver Bekker, a sophomore from Stellenbosch, South Africa, had won his previous three matches for the Cardinals, but lost 2 and 1 to Ryan Posey. Tyler Leon sealed the win for the Cowboys with a 4 and 2 win over Russell Helson, a junior from Georgetown.

Lamar closes out its fall schedule Monday and Tuesday at the Corde Valle Collegiate hosted by UCLA.

2006 Callaway Golf Collegiate Match Play Championship
Oct. 29-31, 2006
Colonial Country Club - Fort Worth, Texas

Men's Final Round Results
Championship Match
(4) Oklahoma State def. (11) Lamar, 3-2
Tyler Leon, Oklahoma State def. Russell Helson, Lamar, 4 and 2
Casey Clendenon, Lamar, def. Trent Leon, Oklahoma State, 3 and 2
Ryan Posey, Oklahoma State def. Oliver Bekker, Lamar, 2 and 1
Trent Whitekiller, Oklahoma State def. Justin Harding, Lamar, 6 and 5
Dusty Smith, Lamar def. Chris Ward, Oklahoma State, 1-up