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Oklahoma City won the NAIA national title. Now the program is being eliminated
TL;DR
Oklahoma City University won its 12th NAIA men's golf national championship but is set to eliminate its golf programs after this season. The decision comes due to financial challenges faced by the school.
Key points
- Oklahoma City University won its 12th men's golf national championship
- The golf programs are set to be eliminated after this season
- The decision was made due to financial challenges
- Christian Yanovitch won the individual title
- OCU topped Friends by two shots in the team competition
Mentioned in this story
Oklahoma City University
NAIA men's golf championshipChristian Yanovitch
Oklahoma City University, an NAIA program, won its 12th men's golf national championship in school history on Friday. Barring a last-minute change of heart from school administrators, it will be the school's last.
In November, the school announced it was dropping its men's and women's golf programs after the season. The school president called the decision not easy but done since "the cost structure of golf practice and competition presents unique challenges."
But the Stars are going out on top.
OCU topped Friends by two shots in the team competition at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois, thanks to a stellar finish from senior Christian Yanovitch, who won the individual title, too. He birdied the 17th hole to move OCU two in front of Friends, and then made par on the final hole while the other counting scores all made bogey. The result was the school's first national championship in eight years.
"Proud of this team," OCU coach Blake Trimble. "They fought hard all year and overcame some major adversity. This was truly a team effort. Still shocked this is the end of such a historic program, but happy to go out on top."
Carter Ray finished T-5 while Cameron Boyzk, Lorenzo Santinelli and Jack Newton also contributed to the title.
The golf teams at OCU have now won a combined 20 national championships and were among the best programs in school history. After the decision was announced in November, coaches informed players they would help them find other schools if they wished to transfer but stay and coach them if they wanted to stick around for the spring.
Not only did the men's team stay, they rallied around each other to overcome an administration that didn't believe in them, even as numerous alumni and others offered financial support to help the programs continue, to win the sport's highest honor.
And as of Saturday, the program will be defunct.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Oklahoma City wins NAIA men's golf title before program is dropped
Q&A
Why is Oklahoma City University eliminating its golf programs?
Oklahoma City University is eliminating its golf programs due to financial challenges related to the cost structure of golf practice and competition.
How many national championships has Oklahoma City University won in men's golf?
Oklahoma City University has won a total of 12 men's golf national championships in its history.
Who won the individual title at the NAIA men's golf championship?
Senior Christian Yanovitch won the individual title at the NAIA men's golf championship.