To know disappointment is to be the Oregon men’s golf team.
After dropping to 16th place Thursday after the first round of the NCAA West Regional in Albuquerque, N.M., the 11th-seeded Ducks bounced back Friday to shoot a 292 — the second-best round of the day — to sit in 12th, with the top-10 teams and two individuals from the region advancing to the NCAA Championships.
But on Saturday, the final round at the Championship Golf Course, Oregon finished tied for 13th, just three strokes shy of earning its first trip to the NCAA Championships in three years.
In another disappointing result for the team, senior Aaron Byers lost a playoff that would have sent him to the NCAA Tournament as an individual.
The Ducks were near par during much of their round Saturday but finished with a 5-over 293 for a three-round total of 885, tying them with UCLA at plus-21. Tournament host New Mexico and Washington tied for the team title at 872.
Byers ended his collegiate career with his best performance at an NCAA Regional. He shot an even-par 216 to tie UCLA’s John Merrick and San Diego State’s Mark Warman for eighth place, but Merrick and Warman advanced after the playoff.
After shooting a 2-under 70 in the first round Thursday, Byers finished the tournament with consecutive 73s Friday and Saturday. The Albany native had three birdies in the final round but was hampered by a double bogey on the 12th hole.
Junior John Ellis was the only other Duck to finish in the top 30. His three-round total was 220, tying him for 29th. Chris Carnahan tied for 90th with a 227, Mike Sica tied for 99th with a 228 and senior Brandon Harnden finished his career with a 229.