Hutchinson CC Sports Information
ODESSA, Texas – One year ago when the Hutchinson Community College men's golf team won its first national team championship, the Blue Dragons' final-round lead dwindled from 12 to two strokes with six holes remaining.
There was no such drama on Friday at the Odessa Country Club.
Leading by 15 strokes to start the day, the Blue Dragons continued their four-round domination of the 2022 Championship and won their second-straight national title with a 20-stroke victory.
FINAL NJCAA MEN'S GOLF TEAM RESULTS
FINAL NJCAA MEN'S GOLF PLAYER RESULTS
The Blue Dragons become the first NJCAA team to repeat as national champions since Indian Hills in 2014 and 2015.
The 2022 national champion Blue Dragons won their second national title as a program and captured the school's ninth national championship – Football (2020-21), men's basketball (1988, 1994 and 2017), Men's Track and Field (1954, 1959) and women's cross country (2001).
The Blue Dragons captured a record number of total All-Americans and first-team All-Americans.
Freshman Dominic Clemons, sophomore Ben Partridge and freshman Blake Saffell were first-team All-Americans. Sophomore Harry Crockett was a third-team All-American.
Clemons tied for the individual title after 72 holes and lost a two-hole playoff with Midland's J.T. Pittman. Partridge, last year's individual national champion, finished third and Saffell, a freshman tied for fourth.
Partridge becomes the Blue Dragons' first two-time first-team NJCAA All-American. Crockett is also a two-time NJCAA All-American.
Head coach Chris Young won his second-straight NJCAA Tournament Coach of the Year.
The Blue Dragons made their move in the second round on Wednesday. Leading by three strokes after 18 holes, the Blue Dragons ran away from the field in the second round, beating the field by 15 strokes in the second round to build an 18-stroke lead. That cushion never got smaller than 16 strokes after that and the Blue Dragons pulled away on Friday.
Hutchinson shot its tournament-low round of 6-under 282 on Friday to finish at 22-under 1,130. The Blue Dragons defeated runner-up Odessa (1,150) by 20 strokes and third-place Midland (1,151) by 21 strokes.
The Blue Dragons counted scores from Crockett, who had two eagles and shot a 4-under 68. Alonzo had six birdies in a 2-uner 70 round. Clemons shot a 71 and Addison Alonzo had a 73. Partridge shot a 74 in the final round.
Clemons completed an outstanding tournament and tied Pittman at 7-under 281. Clemons was one stroke off the pace heading into No. 17. Hitting from the left rough from 117 yards out, Clemons drilled a shot within 4 feet and sank it for birdie to tie for the lead.
Clemons and Pittman both birdied the first playoff hole on No. 16. Pittman parred the second hole as Clemons hit a fairway bunker on his tee shot and still nearly got up-and-down for par to extend the playoff.
Partridge was almost a part of the playoff, but a bogey in the 72nd hole. Partridge had an incredible up-and-down for par on No. 17 to keep him tied for the lead. Partridge had one birdie and three bogeys.
Saffell earned first-team All-America honors finishing tied for fourth at 4-under 284.
Crockett rallied with a 68 on Friday to close out his career in a 14th-place tie at 1-over 289.
Alonzo posted his best score of the tournament with six birdies and four bogeys in a 2-under round of 70. Alonzo tied for 26th with a 72-hole score of 3-over 291.