Fresno State freshman Grant Doverspike finished a remarkable and improbable three-round performance at the Hidden Valley Country Club to capture his first collegiate victory and the Western Athletic Conference title.
Doverspike had his clubs stolen last Wednesday night before the team left for Reno and was forced to use clubs from teammates and head coach Mike Watney during the conference championships.
The freshman held a two-stroke lead over Utah State̢۪s Devin Daniels after shooting under-par in the first two rounds, 66 and 67 respectively; high winds and adverse weather conditions made the course more difficult to navigate on the final day of competition. Doverspike̢۪s three-over par score of 75 in the final round gave him an eight-under score of 208 for the tournament, one-shot better than Daniels who finished in second.
“Coach kept me filled in so I knew I was a shot ahead with three holes left to play,� Doverspike said in a press statement. “I got a little nervous on the second shot on the 16th hole, but once I made that I was confident I could par the last two.�
Fresno State finished in fourth place nine strokes behind first place Nevada. The Bulldogs had two players in the top 15. Matt Ryan shot a three-round score of 217 and tied for 12th place.