OKLAHOMA STATE AND SMU TO BATTLE IN MATCH PLAY FOR MEN’S TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP WEDNESDAY AT OKLAHOMA CITY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, WHILE OREGON AND ARKANSAS WILL PLAY FOR THE WOMEN’S TEAM TITLE; LIVE COVERAGE TO AIR ON GOLF CHANNEL FROM 3-6 P.M. CENTRAL
NICHOLS HILLS, OKLAHOMA (October 22, 2024) – William Sides of SMU won the men’s individual title in a playoff, and Carolina Chacarra of Wake Forest secured the women’s individual crown Tuesday in the Jackson T. Stephens Cup at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club.
Named in honor of the late Jackson (Jack) T. Stephens, the former Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, The Jackson T. Stephens Cup has hosted one the strongest fields in NCAA Division I golf annually since 2021.
Individual champions were crowned following 54 holes of stroke play, with four men’s and four women’s teams advancing based on their team scores to an 18-hole match play tournament Wednesday to determine the team champions. Oklahoma State and SMU will battle for the men’s championship, with San Diego State and Oklahoma playing for third place. Oregon and Arkansas will compete for the women’s championship, with Wake Forest and South Carolina playing for bronze.
Live television coverage of the team championships will air on GOLF Channel from 3-6 p.m. CT Wednesday.
Sides finished the third round tied with Oklahoma State’s Filip Fahlberg-Johnsson at 1-under par 209, then needed just one hole to emerge victorious in a sudden-death playoff. The junior from Tulsa, Oklahoma hit his driver on the first playoff hole – the par-4, 482-yard 18th – down the middle of the fairway, stuck his 150-yard uphill approach shot within five feet and converted the birdie putt to seal the victory.
“I was hitting it really well today and giving myself some chances,” Sides said. “I got a couple putts to go in on the back nine, had a lot of two-putt pars and was fortunate enough to make that eight-footer on the last to get myself in a playoff.”
Sides shot 69-71-70 in difficult conditions Monday and Tuesday on a par-70 course that played 6,964 yards for the men, and he was remarkably steady in the final round, carding just one bogey. He made a 25-footer on the fourth hole to get to 1-under par, giving him some momentum for the rest of the round. The Jackson T. Stephens Cup marked his first collegiate tournament victory.
“It feels great. I have been working really hard and feel great about my game, so it’s nice to see the results come through,” said Sides, who has a number of family members from Tulsa in the gallery. “I’m thankful for the opportunity. This event amazing – I felt like I was playing in a PGA TOUR event with the people following us. This is one of the best tournaments I’ve ever played in, if not the best, and it’s pretty special to get to play in it every year.”
Chacarra was the only women’s player under par during a windy and dry two days in Oklahoma City that resulted in firm and fast golf course conditions. The Deamon Deacons senior and native of Spain played steady golf throughout the three rounds, shooting 66-70-70. During Monday’s first round, she surged to the top of the leaderboard with a string of four straight birdies (and five in six holes) on the back nine.
“It means a lot to win the Jackson T. Stephens Cup,” Chacarra said. “I had a tough summer playing golf and just wasn’t finding my swing. But I came back to school and got to be with my teammates and work with my coaches, and I’ve been really happy with my play so far this fall.”
Last season, she finished third while helping Wake Forest to the women’s team title. She played in the Stephens Cup for the third time this fall.
“The Stephens Cup has been great, and every single venue we have played has been amazing and have provided a real test of golf,” Chacarra said. “It has been awesome to see that I can play well and shoot good rounds on tough courses.”
Chacarra led wire to wire, and missed just four fairways over 54 holes on the par-70 layout that played 6,218 yards for the women. She said she drove the ball well and was consistently good with her approach shots.
“I gave myself a lot of easy pars and some easy birdies too,” she explained. “On this course, making birdies is hard because the pins are tucked, the greens are firm and fast, and it was windy yesterday.”
The men’s field for the fourth-annual Jackson T. Stephens Cup, included Oklahoma State, SMU, San Diego State, Oklahoma, Florida State and Arkansas. The women’s field included Oregon, Arkansas, Wake Forest, South Carolina, Florida State and Oklahoma State.
Invitations were also extended to 12 individual golfers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and United States Service Academies. Competing in the men’s stroke play division were Cameron Kahle (United States Air Force Academy), Josh Kim (United States Military Academy), Kci Lindskog (Texas Southern University), Sascha Robinson (Florida A&M University), Marcus Smith Jr. (Howard University) and Jack Tarzy (United States Naval Academy). The individuals featured in the women’s stroke play competition were Briann Briggs (Prairie View A&M University), Nevaeh Figueroa (Prairie View A&M University), Bridget Hoang (United States Naval Academy), Kendall Jackson (Howard University), Sue Lee (United States Naval Academy) and Emily Mayne (Howard University).
