May 1, 2018

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. - Junior Ryan Han sank a birdie on the 18th to pull into a tie atop the individual leaderboard, then won a two-hole playoff against UC Santa Barbara's Brandon Bauman, capturing the individual title and leading UC Davis to a second-place finish at the Big West Conference men's golf championship, held at Industry Hills Golf Club on Tuesday.

The aerospace engineering major from Hollister, California, fired a 4-under-par 68 in Tuesday's final round to erase the one-stroke deficit to start the day. Han fell behind by a stroke after a bogey on 17, then rebounded with the birdie-4 on the 579-yard 18th. Bauman, who began his day some 50 minutes ahead of Han, awaited that result, then the two players headed back to the par-5 first hole to begin the playoff for medalist.

"I am very proud of Ryan, he is a deserving winner," said UC Davis head coach Cy Williams. "The best part of his game is his mental game, and at the end of the day, that's what won it for him. He is a great role model for the rest of the team on how to compete."

In fact, after Han bogeyed 17, he "picked up his bag with a smile on his face," according to Williams. Han calmly headed to the par-5 18th, reached the green in two, then narrowly missed an eagle for the win. Of course, that resulted in a relatively easy birdie putt to force the playoff with Bauman.

Each player traded birdies on No. 1, then proceeded to the 386-yard No 2, which Han had bogeyed to begin his Tuesday. Han's wedge put himself about 13 feet from the hole, while Bauman had more work to do, landing his approach some 55 feet away. Bauman's lag left him with seven feet for a par putt. Han's birdie putt slid by the hole but came to rest some 30 inches away.

When the Gaucho senior missed his par attempt, this opened the door for Han. The San Benito High grad, who last competed at the conference tourney in 2015, sank the putt and sealed the individual title.

UC Davis finished with a 54-hole total of 853 strokes, 11 under par and just one behind team champion UC Irvine. UC Santa Barbara (860) and Long Beach State (863) while Cal State Fullerton, playing on its home course, slid to fifth at 866.

Han's title represents UC Davis' fourth Big West championship in the program's 11-year history with the conference. Austin Graham defeated teammate Ramie Sprinkling at the 2009 tourney, then Graham won the title by four strokes in 2011. Matt Hansen then snared the Big West medalist honor in 2014. Additionally, this is the best Aggie team finish since 2015 -- coincidentally, UC Davis also finished just one stroke behind UC Irvine that year.

"We had the low round of the day on the last two days but Irvine could not miss a shot in the last nine holes. They deserved to win it," said Williams. "It's frustrating to finish a shot short but I'm happy we were able to be in contention. The guys fought hard."

The Aggies assembled an 8-under-par 280 for the second straight day. Jesse Bratz, a communication major originally from Colleyville, Texas, sank birdies on three of the final four holes to finish with a 1-over 73 for the day, 2-under 214 for the week. He finished in a tie for seventh place with CSUN's Felix Mory. Junior Tanner Hughes turned in a 2-over 74 to finish in t11th. Like Bratz, the junior managerial econ major enjoyed rounds of par or better in both Sunday and Monday's sessions.

Freshman Thomas Hutchison and senior Brandon Baumgarten each posted strong finishes to their respective conference tournaments. Hutchison birdied each of the first three holes en route to a 3-under 69, vaulting him 12 places up the individual leaderboard into a tie for 21st. Baumgarten sank an eagle-3 on the home hole to wrap up a 2-under 70, allowing him to contribute to Tuesday's team score.

The NCAA will announce its team and individual qualifiers to the six regional sites. The selection show will air at 3 p.m PDT on Golf Channel's Golf Central program. A total of 81 teams plus 45 individuals will earn berths into the postseason. Han receives the conference's automatic qualifier with his individual championship.

The Big West Conference will announce its all-conference teams, Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards on Wednesday, May 9.

2018 BIG WEST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP, DAY 3
Industry Hills GC Eisenhower Course
Par 72, 6,989 yards

TEAM SCORES (Final)
1. UC Irvine, 284-285-283--852
2. UC Davis, 293-280-280--853
3. UC Santa Barbara, 284-290-286--860
4. Long Beach State, 289-287-287--863
5. Cal State Fullerton, 282-287-297--866
6. Cal Poly, 301-288-287--876
7. CSUN, 305-288-286--879
8. UC Riverside, 290-296-299--885
9. Hawai'i, 309-300-298--907

INDIVIDUAL SCORES (Final)
Leader plus UC Davis participants.
1. Ryan Han. 73-67-68--208 (won playoff)
t7. Jesse Bratz, 71-70-73--214
t11. Tanner Hughes, 72-70-74--216
t21. Thomas Hutchison, 77-73-69--219
t37. Brandon Baumgarten, 79-77-70--226
 

---

ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 6-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

DON'T MISS OUT!: Season and single-game tickets for all UC Davis spring sports, plus renewals for Aggie football, are now on sale by contacting the Athletics Ticket Office at (530) 752-AGS1 or by visiting us online at UCDavisAggies.com.