USF tied for eighth place in the program’s seventh consecutive NCAA Regional appearance with a lineup that included three freshmen and two juniors.
AAC Freshman of the Year Albin Bergstrom tied for 10th place at 3-under, three shots away from the individual who advanced to the NCAA Championship.
STANFORD, Calif., MAY 15, 2019 – USF’s solid 2018-19 season ended with the Bulls tying for eighth place at the Stanford Regional on Wednesday.
USF finished its seventh straight NCAA Regional appearance with a 9-over team score, seven shots away from fifth place, which was where the Bulls needed to at least be to advance to the NCAA Championship rounds.
Albin Bergstrom capped off his fantastic freshman season in strong fashion by tying for 10th place in the 75-player field at 3-under. The Ljunghusen, Sweden native carded a 1-under 69 in the final round to make a run at the NCAA Championship individual qualifying spot. Bergstrom’s 16th round in the 60s this season moved him within three shots of Utah’s Kyler Dunkle, who advanced to the NCAA Championship with a 6-under final score.
USF’s latest postseason experience will benefit a young squad that included the second-ranked freshman class in the country, according to Golfstat. Along with Bergstrom, the AAC Freshman of the Year, freshmen Luke Gifford and Amadeo Figus both competed in the Stanford Regional and each turned in at least one counting score during the tournament.
Gifford contributed with three different counting scores (71-72-72) and the Boca Raton, Fla., native ended up tying for 38th place with junior teammate Kyle Flexsenhar (Lake Mary, Fla.) at 5-over.
USF’s second-best finisher was first-year Bull Ryoto Furuya. The junior from Alpharetta, Ga., carded a 2-under 68 in the second round and tied for 27th at 3-over, just one shot away from a tie for 21st place.
USF Scores
| T8 | South Florida | 282 | 283 | 284 | 849 |
| T10 | Albin Bergstrom (1) | 67 | 71 | 69 | 207 |
| T27 | Ryoto Furuya (3) | 71 | 68 | 74 | 213 |
| T38 | Kyle Flexsenhar (2) | 74 | 72 | 69 | 215 |
| T38 | Luke Gifford (4) | 71 | 72 | 72 | 215 |
| T65 | Amadeo Figus (5) | 73 | 73 | 76 | 222 |
Quotable
Head coach Steve Bradley’s thoughts on USF’s regional finish and the Bulls’ impressive season overall with a young roster:
“I’m disappointed we didn’t get a chance to advance to the national championship, but it doesn’t diminish what we accomplished this year. We had two juniors and five freshmen on the team, and only one guy played in a regional championship before this. I think we’ve got the nucleus for a good team for years to come. We can certainly learn from our mistakes this year and build upon that. Overall, I’m very pleased with this year. After the pain of not advancing wears off, hopefully the guys will see that it was a successful year as well.”
Bradley on how the Stanford Regional experience can benefit a lineup that included three freshmen and one freshman along for the trip as a potential substitute player:
“I think it’s huge. It’s a different level of pressure. They see the severity of a golf course and trying to be able to execute under pressure, which is a difficult thing. I think that’s really where we struggled this week. We just didn’t execute very well and a shot here or two there leads to a bogey, or a double. You add that up over three rounds and we’re outside the number a little bit. But it was great experience for them and the next time we get in this situation, I think we’re going to handle it better. We had Massimo Mbetse with us this week as well who did not compete, but it was great experience for him to get a chance to see what it’s about. If he gets in that situation next year, then he’s got an idea of what to expect as well.”
Bradley on standout freshman Albin Bergstrom’s impressive regional finish and first season with the Bulls:
“He had an incredible year and I can’t really say enough about what he’s done. He really carried us for different parts of the season. He finished 10that regionals and I hope he’s got a chance to make All-American this year. He’s been great to have. He’s solid and he’s consistent. You know what you’re going to get out of him and he’s been reliable. In a sport that plays five and counts four, he never took a round off and he was pivotal for us all year round.”
Notables
- USF made its seventh consecutive NCAA Regional appearance with lineup that consisted of three freshmen and two juniors. Only junior Kyle Flexsenhar returned to the lineup this season from the Bulls’ senior-laden squad that teed off at the Kissimmee, Fla., Regional last spring.
- Standout freshman Albin Bergstrom finished the Stanford Regional with a 1-under 69, which marked his 16th round in the 60s this season. Bergstrom placed in the top 10 in seven of 11 events this season.
- Despite having an almost entirely new roster, the Bulls captured two straight tournament titles this season at the Fort Lauderdale Intercollegiate and USF Invitational, both in wire-to-wire fashion. USF has won multiple tournaments in each season with head coach Steve Bradley at the helm – 2014-15 (5), 2015-16 (4), 2016-17 (2), 2017-18 (5), 2018-19 (2).
About USF Men’s Golf
USF men’s golf captured four consecutive American Athletic Conference Championship titles in wire-to-wire fashion prior to 2019 and has earned seven straight trips to NCAA Regionals. The program is led by Steve Bradley, who has been named American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year four times. Follow @USFMGolf on Twitter for the latest information concerning the program.
