LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. – Joe Sykes entered Thursday's final round of the Big Sky Men's Golf Championship tied for first place. He leaned into the moment, finishing two-under for the day while his opposition faltered and earned Individual Medalist honors and a spot in the 2024 NCAA Men's Golf Regional at a site to be determined.
Sykes is just the third Vandal men's golfer to win an individual conference title, joining Jared Du Toit who won the Big Sky title in 2015 and Dale Faylor who earned the Pacific Coast Conference Northern Division co-championship in 1952.
Consistency was key for Sykes who finished three-under 69 in the first round, followed by back-to-back rounds of two-under 70. He notched 14 birdies to just seven bogeys in three rounds.
"It is nice to see everything come together right now and put up was one of my better performances at the end of the season when it matters most," Sykes said.
He led the tournament in par-five scoring finishing nine-under on par-five holes. He didn't record a bogey on a par-five and birdied all four par-fives in the second round.
Sykes' individual win is his second tournament win in as many weeks after earning the individual co-medalist honors at the Battle for Idaho in Boise last week. After winning Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors last year, he struggled in the fall, but has been in a steady climb since returning from winter break.
"Last semester was a big learning curve I just wasn't quite on it mentally and came back this semester with a different attitude and trusted in the process a bit more," Sykes said. "It feels really rewarding to see the hard work pay off."
"I'm very proud of
Joe Sykes," head coach
David Nuhn said. "He played great all week long, stayed patient, hit some great shots and made a few great putts. He absolutely earned this victory and has been working extremely hard through the winter and all spring to be ready for this win. I think the last few weeks have been really productive for him. He played well at Chambers Bay, then tied for Medalist in the Boise event. You could see the building momentum and confidence. He played great and we are proud of him for bringing home a conference championship to Moscow."
As a team, the Vandals finished third in the tight team battle. Sacramento State held on to win at two-under, Weber State finished second at one-over and the Vandals were third at two-over.
Sam Johnson tied for fifth, earning all-tournament team honors, finishing one-under for the tournament after closing the tournament with a one-under 71 in the final round.
Johannes Hounsgaard was three-over for the tournament, finishing his Vandal career with a ninth-place finish.
T.J. Patterson was seven over for the tournament to finish 15th overall.
Matt McGann and
Dalton Dean both played for the Vandals. McGann posted rounds of 76 in the first and the second rounds and Dean was seven-over 79 in the final round.
"On the team side, I know these guys are feeling gutted about the end result," Nuhn said. "Tip your cap to Sac. St, they played some solid golf all week long and earned that win. I think we just didn't quite have the answers down the stretch when we turned back into the wind. The last four holes at Wigwam Gold really force a player to hit great shots and hole putts to succeed. Overall, I'm nothing but proud of this entire team. They are fantastic young men who happen to be great golfers too. I can't thank TJ, Johannes, and Jose (Suryadinata) enough for being outstanding Vandals and ambassadors of our brand as they move on into the next chapter in their lives."
Sykes will need to wait until May 1, to learn where he will play the NCAA Regional. The show will take place at 10 a.m., on the Golf Channel. The Regionals will take place on May 13-15 at six sites across the country.
"I am super excited to play against a great field and at what I am sure will be a tough venue," Sykes said. "I am in form right now and I know there will be some top players there. It is an exciting opportunity."
