MARICOPA, Ariz. (May 21, 2023) – The Washington State men's golf team carded under par in a round for the second time at this weekend's National Golf Invitational, as the Cougars shot 2-under 286 in Sunday's third round to end the tournament in a tie for sixth on the team leaderboard.
Washington State's performance in the third round helped move the Cougars up three spots on the team leaderboard, as WSU ended the inaugural National Golf Invitational in a tie for sixth place with Arkansas State. The Cougs concluded the NGI with a three-day score of 867 (+3), as WSU posted round scores of 283-298-286.
Junior Preston Bebich ended the NGI in a tie for 10th on the player leaderboard after carding 2-under 214 over three days of play at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes. Bebich ended the tournament by shooting even par 72 in Sunday's third round. The Gig Harbor, Washington native finished the National Golf Invitational with round scores of 69-73-72 to collect his second top-10 finish of the season.
"Overall, we played pretty good golf. The second round got away from us, but it was nice to see them bounce back today," said Washington State Men's Golf Head Coach Dustin White. This was their first taste of postseason golf and a good learning experience. It may not be the finish we envisioned, but being here will serve as a good motivator for next season."
Freshman Sam Renner ended his first season with Washington State on a high note, as the Bend, Oregon native shot 6-under 66 in the third round of the NGI. Renner's third-round score of 66 (-6) tied him with five other golfers for the was the lowest single-round score posted at the tournament this weekend. Renner, who started the day on the 10th hole, was on fire as he approached the 18-1 turn and collected five-straight birdies between holes 16-2. In total, the freshman posted a birdie on eight holes during Sunday's third round to give him a total of 14 birdies over three days of play at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes. Renner's performance in the third round helped the freshman move up 29 spots on the player leaderboard on Sunday, as he concludes the NGI in a tie for 27th with a three-day score of 218 (+2).
Junior Drayton Joseph also shot under par in Sunday's third round, as he carded a career-best 2-under 70. His performance in the third round helped Joseph end the NGI in a tie for 13th, as he concludes the tournament at 1-under 215. It is the first time that Joseph has posted a top-15 finish as a Coug, as he shot under par at a tournament for the first time in his WSU career.
Texas State won the inaugural National Golf Invitational, as the Bobcats ended the tournament with a three-day score of 7-under 857. Ball State's Kash Bellar captured the individual title at the NGI, winning the tournament after carding 7-under 209 over three days of play at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes.
With the conclusion of the National Golf Invitational, the 2022-23 season comes to an end for the Washington State men's golf team. The Cougars had one of their most successful seasons in program history, as WSU made its second-ever postseason appearance, collected the best team finish at the Pac-12 Championship in program history, and opened the year by winning the Husky Invitational to give the Cougars their first win in western Washington in program history.
"We accomplished some neat things this year and feel like our best golf is still ahead," added White. "A big shoutout to all the families, alum, support staff, and fellow Cougs . We're grateful for everyone who supported this team along the way."
For more information on the Washington State men's golf team, follow @WSUCougarMGolf on Instagram and Twitter.
