WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Little Rock finished what it started Wednesday in emphatic fashion at the Ohio Valley Conference Men's Golf Championship.
After dominating stroke play earlier in the week at Purdue's Ackerman Hills Golf Course, the Trojans carried that momentum into match play and defeated No. 3 seed Tennessee Tech 4-1 in the championship match at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex.
The victory secures Little Rock's second-straight and third overall OVC title (2023, 2025, 2026), continuing the program's rise on the national stage as the Trojans currently sit No. 49 in the country.
Little Rock, the No. 1 seed following a record-setting 28-under performance in stroke play, once again showcased its depth, winning four of five matches to clinch the championship.
"Great win today," head coach Austin Eoff said. "Having all five guys in each of their matches was a big deal in order for us to win. We got off to slow starts on holes 1-6, but did a great job not getting frustrated and staying patient."
Ed Featherstone set the tone at the top of the lineup, earning a 1UP victory over Tennessee Tech's Nick Etherton.
"We've believed all week that if we stayed patient and trusted our process, we'd be in this position," Featherstone said. "To back up what we did in stroke play and finish it off in match play says a lot about this group. Everyone stepped up when it mattered."
Elliott Simonsen followed with a strong 2&1 win over Cooper Gettler, giving the Trojans early control.
"Putting Ed and Elliott out first each match ended up working out perfectly both rounds," Eoff said.
The decisive moment came late in the round as redshirt junior Rhett South delivered under pressure, closing out a 1UP victory over Alex Broyles on the 18th hole to secure the clinching point.
"Rhett had a gritty win this afternoon to secure the winning point," Eoff said.
Viggo Talasmaki added a 2UP victory over Bryson White, while Tennessee Tech's lone point came from Haden Maxwell, who edged Mark Stockdale 1UP.
"Viggo played great all day, and while he struggled in stroke play, his performance today really helped us win," Eoff said. "It was an overall team effort, and I am really proud of the way they all competed."
The Trojans advanced to the championship match with a commanding semifinal performance earlier in the day, defeating No. 4 Bryant 4.5-0.5. Featherstone and Simonsen each picked up wins, Talasmaki delivered the most decisive result at 4&3, and Stockdale added a 2UP victory. South battled to a halve as Little Rock controlled the match throughout.
The championship caps a dominant week for the Trojans, who won stroke play by 45 shots before rolling through match play at Ackerman Hills.
"Back-to-back is not an easy thing to do with a target on your back," Eoff said. "These guys were determined to make it happen."
NCAA Regionals will be held May 18-20 at sites in Athens, Georgia; Bermuda Run, North Carolina; Bryan, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Corvallis, Oregon; and Marana, Arizona. The NCAA Championship is set for May 29–June 3 at Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California.
Match Play Results
Semifinal #1: No. 1 Little Rock 4.5, No. 4 Bryant 0.5
Ed Featherstone (LR) def. Dylan Gallagher (BU), 1UP
Elliott Simonsen (LR) def. Matthew Downes (BU), 2UP
Viggo Talasmaki (LR) def. Chad Correia (BU), 4&3
Rhett South (LR), Matthew Young (BU), Halved (Tied through 15)
Mark Stockdale (LR) def. Sam Fuentes (BU), 2UP
Semifinal #2: No. 3 Tennessee Tech 5, No. 2 UT Martin 0
Nick Etherton (TTU) def. Grant Phillips (UTM), 1UP
Cooper Gettler (TTU) def. Drew Williams (UTM), 2UP
Alex Broyles (TTU) def. John-Gregory Wilson (UTM), 5&4
Bryston White (TTU) def. Bryce Harmon (UTM), 3UP
Haden Maxwell (TTU) def. Luke Caldwell (UTM), 1UP
Final: No. 1 Little Rock 4, No. 3 Tennessee Tech 1
Ed Featherstone (LR) def. Nick Etherton (TTU), 1UP
Elliott Simonsen (LR) def. Cooper Gettler (TTU), 2&1
Rhett South (LR) def. Alex Broyles (TTU),1UP
Viggo Talasmaki (LR) def. Bryson White (TTU), 2UP
Haden Maxwell (TTU) def. Mark Stockdale (LR), 1UP
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