Singapore’s Hiroshi Tai becomes the first Asian to win the NCAA Championship

Hiroshi Tai shot 1-under 71 on Monday, May 27, to become the first Asian winner of the NCAA Championship in the individual category. He aggregated at 3-under to earn a single-shot win at the NCAA Division I men’s individual golf championship.

Tai carded 67, 77, and 70 in the first three rounds and was entering the final round at 2-under. He was going 4-under for the round until the par-3, his 17th, when he made a triple bogey. However, he ensured that he finished the final hole with par to claim a win.

Hiroshi Tai is the fourth Georgia Tech player to win the men's individual championship after Troy Matteson, Charles Yates, and Watts Gunn. With the NCAA Championshp title, the 22-year-old Singaporean golfer has qualified for the US Open next month and for the Masters next year.

Tyler Goecke, Gordon Sargent, Ben James, Luke Clanton, Max Herendeen, and Jackson Koivun were tied for second at 2-under par. Karl Vilips, Palmer Jackson and Adam Wallin tied for eighth at 1-under. Wallin had a 54-hole lead but slipped after shooting 4-over 76 in the final round.

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"It means a lot to me" - Hiroshi Tai reflects on his NCAA Championship win

Following his win at the NCAA Division I men’s individual golf championship, Hiroshi Tai also credited his coach Bruce Heppler for his success.

"It means a lot to me," he told the Golf Channel. "Obviously coach Heppler has done a great job of recruiting guys and having good aim with all the recruits and the players that they have. Adding my name to that list is just awesome.

"I'm just surrounded by a bunch of great guys and a team back in Atlanta as well. It’s been a great experience for me," he added.

Speaking about the triple bogey on the penultimate hole, Tai said he didn't know his position on the leaderboard at the time. He realized it once he had made the error. He added that assistant coach Devin Stanton was consistently telling him to focus and do his best for the team.

Hiroshi Tai’s performance helped Georgia Tech secure the eighth and final spot for the team match play, which will start on Tuesday, May 28, at La Costa. They finished eighth at 25-over, trumping over Oklahoma by one stroke.

Illinois topped the leaderboard after finishing six-under, 16 strokes ahead of second-placed Vanderbilt. The other teams that qualified for the matchplay are Virginia, North Carolina, Florida State, Auburn, and Ohio State.