Week of May 28, 2012
Long Beach State (LBSU) golfer Philip Chian makes the short drive up the 405 freeway to Pacific Palisades this week to compete in the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship at Riviera Country Club.
One of six players competing as individuals, Chian is the first 49er ever to advance to the NCAA Championship golf tournament as an individual since the regional format was introduced.
The junior golfer will participate in the three-day, 54-hole stroke play tournament that begins on Tuesday. He is scheduled to tee off at 9 a.m. from the 10th tee on Tuesday and at 2:20 p.m. from the first tee on Wednesday for second round play.
To get to the NCAA Championship, Chian shot an even-par 71 in the final round of the NCAA Athens Regional and tied for fourth place, recording a 54-hole score of 3-under-par 210. He finished as the top individual scorer on a non-qualifying team, earning the regional’s lone individual berth to the NCAA finals.
Chian’s performance in the Athens Regional was his best career finish as he clipped his previous best that took place at the Big West Conference Championship at the La Quinta Resort Mountain Course, where he tied for sixth. His regional finish is also his third top-10 this season and fifth overall.
A total of 30 teams will be taking part in this year’s NCAA Championship, which features the first three days of stroke play competition with the top eight teams advancing onto three days of match play to determine the national champion.
