May 19, 2012

ATHENS, Ga. - Long Beach State junior Philip Chian shot an even-par 71 in Saturday's final round of the NCAA Athens Regional to tie for fourth place at the University of Georgia Golf Course to advance to the NCAA Championship at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.

Chian advances to the NCAA Championship by finishing as the top individual scorer on a non-qualifying team to earn the regionals's lone individual berth to the finals. The NCAA Championship begins on May 29-June 3.

Chian's finish in the Athens Regional, was his best career finish as he clipped his previous best that took place at the Big West Conference Championship at the La Quinta Resort Mountain Course as he tied for sixth. His regional finish is also is third top-10 this season and fifth overall.

LBSU recorded a final round score of 294 to finish with a 54-hole total at 20-over 872 to place eighth in the 13-team field. The 49ers finished two strokes behind two-time defending national champion Augusta State (+18) in seventh and five shots behind New Mexico (+15) in sixth.

Top-seeded Alabama won the team title by 25 strokes over East Carolina (+1) in second and 30 shots over North Florida (+6) in third. Regional host Georgia (+12) placed fourth and Iowa (+14) finished in fifth.

Chian started the final round on the back-nine, recording one birdie on the par-3 13th and would be bogey-free until arriving at the 18th. The Covina native would go onto to record two more bogeys on his next three holes on the front-nine and collect a pair of birdies at the sixth and seventh holes.

Seniors Kevin Lim and Kevin Roy tied for 36th with a 7-over 220 as both players carded a 75. Lim recorded just one birdie for the round, while making three bogeys and one double-bogey. Roy made two birdies, four bogeys and one double-bogey, while making 11 pars.

Freshman Xander Schauffele carded his best round of the tournament with a 73, finishing at 9-over 222 to move up in the standings from 59th to tie for 51st.

Junior Raymond Ho shot a 78 to place 74th at 22-over 235.

Alabama's Justin Thomas won individual medalist by one shot with a 9-under 204 over teammate Bobby Wyatt.