TEXARKANA, Ark. — It took extra holes to decide the team champion at the Air Force Reserve Conference USA Championship, as Middle Tennessee outlasted UTSA by a 3-2 count in the title match Wednesday afternoon at Texarkana Country Club (par 72/6,935 yards).
The Roadrunners and Blue Raiders split four of the five matches, while the battle between UTSA sophomore Michael Rome and Middle Tennessee's Cooper Sears was deadlocked through 18 holes, forcing the pair to go to extras. The two players remained all square through the first five holes, but Sears knocked in a nine-foot birdie putt on the 24th hole to clinch the match and the win for the defending champion Blue Raiders.
"That was unbelievable," head coach John Knauer said. "I have never been a part of anything like that in my entire coaching career. It really was a roller coaster of emotions in both matches today.
"Give credit to Middle Tennessee. We didn't lose it. They won it. For it to come down the way it did, going to six extra holes in that match, just shows how much both teams wanted it."
Much like the semifinal victory against UAB, the Roadrunners mounted a rally from having their backs against the wall during the final stretch.
While Rome and Sears — who both placed in the top five during stroke play — were in extra holes to decide their winner, three of the other four matches were decided and fell in favor of Middle Tennessee by a 2-1 margin.
Christian Fanfelle notched the first point of the afternoon for UTSA. The freshman from San Antonio won the first four holes against Palmer Sadlowski and maintained no fewer than a two-hole lead the rest of the way en route to a 4-and-3 triumph.
James Beckner posted a 3-up victory over Collin Clark and Tanner Owens downed Chad Sewell 2-and-1 to put the Blue Raiders in back in front, as all eyes turned to the final pairing between UTSA senior Sean Meehan and Middle Tennessee's Marcus Byrd.
Meehan jumped out to a two-hole advantage through three, only to see Byrd square the match two holes later. Meehan, a San Antonio Johnson High School product, responded by winning the next three holes, but Byrd again answered with three straight wins to knot things up through 12.
The two players halved the next five holes before Meehan birdied the 291-yard, par-4 17th for the second time today to take the lead. Both players then wrote down a birdie on No. 18, giving Meehan the match, 1-up.
With the gallery now following Rome and Sears, the players halved each of the first five extra holes before Sears dropped in his putt on the sixth after Rome just missed a downhill 20-footer.
"I am so proud of our guys," Knauer said. "They did an amazing job in both matches today, grinding it out and coming through in several clutch situations.
"It's not a good feeling to lose by just one shot, but I cannot be any prouder of this team for the way they fought today and all week. We have a lot to be proud of and build upon for the future."
