MENDON, N.Y. – Rochester sophomore Dominick Schumacher sank a birdie putt on the first extra hole and watched his opponent miss a birdie chance, giving the University of Rochester men's golf team a 3-1 victory over defending champion Skidmore College in the Liberty League match play championship Sunday afternoon at Mendon Golf Club.
The victory earns the Yellowjackets a berth into the NCAA Division III National Championship and second overall Liberty League title. Skidmore finishes as the runner up after winning the last six Liberty League championships.
"I was putting first so I was thinking I needed to make my putt to send it to another hole," said Schumacher, "It was relief and pure excitement when I saw that we had won. It took a minute, but then it set in that we were headed to Nationals!"
Schumacher showed grit in winning his match on the first extra hole after his opponent, Skidmore's Tim Manwaring battled to force extras by winning the last three holes of the regulation match.
Rochester appeared to be in a strong position late in the round. Senior Nick Palladino gave the Yellowjackets the early advantage by winning 6-and-5. Fellow senior Will Mallia was the 2-up with two to play, while Schumacher was 3-up with three to play. G.W. VanderZwaag was 3-up with five to play.
Skidmore stormed back as Mitchell Campbell forced a playoff against Mallia while Manwaring did the same, needing a chip in on his 17th hole to keep his chances alive. Meanwhile, Skidmore had pulled even on the scoreboard with Makenzie Denver's 2-and-1 win over Rochester freshman Matt van Niekerk.
"Skidmore played like champions today," said Rochester head coach Dan Wesley, "they never gave in and fought to the end." "Everyone [on both teams] gave it everything they had today."
Shortly after the Thoroughbreds pulled even, VanderZwaag put Rochester back in the lead after hanging on for a 2-and-1 win in the fifth position, leaving just the two matches in extra holes on the course.
Mallia and Campbell both bogeyed the 19th and 20th holes of their match and were about to start a third sudden death hole, but Schumacher was behind them earning the 1-up win in 19 holes for the Yellowjackets.
"Momentum in match play is huge, and Skidmore had all of it late in the match," said Wesley. "But in the end, we fought through it and got the win."
Rochester will now take to the course at the NCAA Division III Championship on May 13-16 at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C.
Scores:
1. Mallia (ROC) vs. Campbell (SKD), unfinished (21st hole)
2. Palladino (ROC) def. Caro (SKD), 6-and-5
3. Denver (SKD) def. van Niekerk (ROC), 2-and-1
4. Schumacher (ROC) def. Manwaring (SKD), 1-up (19 holes)
5. VanderZwaag (ROC) def. Nelson (SKC), 2-and-1