ON THIS DAY: Razorbacks Win 2019 SEC Title

APRIL 28, 2019 (St. Simons Island, Ga.) – Arkansas’s Julian Perico tapped home a two-foot par putt to win 18th hole and secure Arkansas’ 3-1-1 victory over top seed Auburn to win the 2019 SEC Championship.

The title was the program’s first since 1995.

“These guys will always be champions together,” said head coach Brad McMakin after the match. “This is a very close group, maybe the closest I’ve coached. They really came together over the last two months and showed this weekend what I thought they were capable of this season.”

Arkansas was seventh after a final-round 300 through stroke play and was 39 strokes behind a red-hot Auburn squad. However, the Hogs regrouped and charged through match play to come out victorious. The Razorbacks would need extra holes in both the quarterfinal and semifinal before earning the Championship versus Auburn.

QUARTERFINAL (Apr. 27) – Arkansas defeated Vanderbilt, 3-2

• Luis Garza got Arkansas on the board first, defeating the 3rd-ranked player in the nation, Will Gordon, 5&4.
• Moments later, Vandy knotted the match, 1-1 and would lead 2-1 with two matches on the course.
• Both of the final matches needed extra holes.
• Tyson Reeder was down two through 13 holes but evened the match by winning the 18th hole with a par. Reeder then won the first playoff hole to tie the match at 2-2.
• In the deciding match, Perico was up two with two holes to play. However, Vandy’s Reid Davenport rallied to birdie the 17th and par the 18th and win both holes and square the match through 18 holes. On the first extra hole, Perico lagged his birdie putt close and would close out the match with a short par putt to win his match and give the Razorbacks the 3-2 team win.

SEMIFINAL (Apr. 27) – Arkansas defeated Texas A&M, 3-2

• After defeating Vandy, the Razorbacks turned around that afternoon to face the Aggies.
• William Buhl won six of his first nine holes n route to a 6&5 win over Walker Lee.
• Texas A&M made the score 1-1 with a win in match #2 before the Razorbacks regained the advantage when Julian Perico closed out Brandon Smith with a par on the 16th hole for a 3&2 victory.
• The Aggies tied the match again while one match was starting extra holes. Both players striped long irons off the tee. A&M’s Brandon Smith hit first and found the middle of the green. Luis Garza followed suit but was outside Smith. Garza lagged his putt close. Smith would run his birdie putt five feet past and was still away. Smith then missed the par putt coming back and Garza rolled in his par putt for the win.

FINAL (Apr. 28) – Arkansas defeated Auburn, 3-1-1

• As he did, in the semifinal, Buhl gave Arkansas its first point with an impressive 3&2 win over Jacob Solomon. Down the stretch, Solomon threatened as he holed out from the front bunker for an eagle on 15. However, Buhl followed with an eagle of his own from the same bunker to remain 3-up with three to play.
• Following the script from the previous day, Arkansas’ opponent quickly answered to tie the match.
• Reeder put Arkansas up 2-1 after winning his match 2-up over Trace Crowe. Reeder led the whole round, but Crowe cut his deficit to one by winning the 16th hole. On the 18th hole, Reeder threw a dart into the 18th green while Crowe was off the green to the left. Crowe’s chip ran past Reeder’s ball and Reeder’s birdie putt was conceded for the win.
• Perico, the only Razorback to win all three of his match play contests, was tied with Grayson Huff through 17 holes. Perico bombed his tee shot to wedge distance while his playing partner had to layup out of the fairway bunker. Perico landed his approach shot to about nine feet and two-putted for the 1-Up win.
• The other match on the course was Garza and Jovan Rubala, who halved the final point. The pair was in a playoff on the 10th hole but was not completed after Perico’s win. Garza was 2-0-1 in his three matches.