Oklahoma State University Athletics
2006 National Championship ... In The Words of Zack Robinson
May 23, 2016 | Cowboy Golf
In 2006, Oklahoma State's men's golf team captured its 10th national title. Zack Robinson, who was a senior on that squad, revisits the Cowboys' title run a decade later.
By Zack Robinson
You can't talk about 2006 without discussing 2005. We were the best team in 2005, winning seven times and boasting four All-Americans. When we got to the NCAA tournament at Caves Valley we laid an egg and finished an unconscionable 15th place. It was so disappointing to have such a good team and not even sniff being in contention. What made it even harder was that it would turn out to be Coach (Mike) Holder's final NCAA tournament as coach. He would take on the role of Athletic Director a few months later. I still regret not playing better and sending Coach Holder off in style like he deserved.
When the 2005-06 season started we had another strong team and hopes of finding redemption after the performance at Caves Valley. We won twice early in the spring but struggled to really find our footing as the season progressed. I wasn't playing well and ultimately lost my spot for the conference tournament. However, after the conference tournament Coach (Mike) McGraw made the decision to re-insert me into the lineup and stick with that team for the remainder of the season. I felt renewed and re-energized as we geared up for the final stretch and what was my last run at a national championship.
It was the best time of the year – school was done and golf was the only thing we had to think about. Before the regional tournament we played in The Maxwell and this proved to be an important catalyst for our team. One of my favorite tournaments, The Maxwell lets an entire team play together as one group. This was good for our team because the chemistry that had been building throughout the year was able to coalesce in front of a great home state crowd. We won the tournament with Jonathan Moore winning the individual race and I finished second in my return to the lineup. The final nine holes of the tournament were filled with great play from all five players and we celebrated together as something began to build…
The regional tournament is always a stressful time and especially at OSU when at that time we had played in 59-straight NCAA Championships. Sand Ridge Golf Club in Ohio was the site and we instantly liked the golf course. It was tough but fair and we were excited to get the postseason underway. We blitzed the field and won by 16 shots over Northwestern. We thrived in the second-round bad weather, which would also prove to be important at the NCAA Championship. Jonathan Moore won his second consecutive tournament and I once again finished second after holding a one-shot lead over Jonathan entering the final round. We were playing well up and down the lineup and boasting back-to-back wins. As we boarded the plane for Oregon, we felt confident and ready to take on any obstacle that stood in our way.
Before 2006, I had never heard of Sunriver, Oregon, but my previous trip to the Beaver State had produced a good result. I reached the semifinals of the 2000 U.S. Junior Amateur at Pumpkin Ridge and that's ultimately how I ended up at Oklahoma State as Coach Holder watched me play there. Sunriver was a beautiful sprawling resort in Central Oregon just outside of Bend. Mount Bachelor soared in the distance as we surveyed the Crosswater Course and prepared for the test it would present.
Lodging was provided on-site and we stayed in cabins that allowed for all five players. This was beneficial for our team because we arrived with good chemistry and this helped us keep it going. College golf is such a unique experience because golf is otherwise an individual sport. I cannot overstate the importance of team chemistry. It can help elevate everyone's performance and push the team to achieve great things. At its best, good team chemistry can be a secret weapon.
The first two rounds were forgettable and we stood in seventh place at the halfway point, nine shots behind Washington. However, the third round was just what we needed. The Golf Gods ordered up a day of bad weather and this was where we made our move. Having just played well in bad weather at the regional, we knew we could make up shots quickly if we stayed patient and just kept playing. Bad weather has a way of bringing your emotions to the surface much quicker and we saw this happen to some of the teams around us. We shot even par as a team and vaulted into a three-way tie for second, now only four shots behind Washington. Importantly, our strong play put us in the final pairing with Washington and Wake Forest. With 18 holes remaining, we were in great position to take home the trophy.
The final round began on a crisp morning under a beautiful blue sky. A quick snap hook off the 1st tee was humbling and jolted me back into the present where I clearly needed to be. I jokingly blame then-assistant coach Alan Bratton for getting me flustered before the round. As we walked from the driving range to the first tee, he told me that Coach Holder wanted me to know that even though he wasn't physically there he would be with me in spirit. I was immediately filled with memories of the wonderful experiences my career at Oklahoma State had given me. I wanted nothing more than to play well and help us win a championship and hearing those words stirred many emotions inside me. But there was no time for reminiscing, at least that's what I realized once I found my tee shot on No. 1 and somehow made par.
I looked at the scoreboard for the first time that day as I made the turn. I usually never looked at scoreboards, but for some reason this time I wanted to know where we stood. I saw we had a slim lead over Wake Forest, with whom we were paired, and Florida who was making a run on the other side of the course.
The final nine holes were pressure packed and intense, just as they should be when you're close to achieving something great. After a birdie on No. 13 and pars on Nos. 14 and 15, I arrived at the 16th tee and encountered a little wait. I glanced at the scoreboard near the tee box and saw we were clinging to a one-shot lead. Just then, I watched Pablo Martin in the group behind me nearly hole it from the fairway. He had a gimme birdie. A few minutes later, I made birdie on No. 16, which I thought likely extended the lead to three. When I got to the 17th tee, we had to wait again.
I walked to the edge of the tee box and stood alone. I watched the group ahead on the green for a bit before the group walking down 18 caught my eye. In my four years carrying the OSU golf bag around the country I learned one thing very quickly: other teams really liked to beat us. Parents often cheered loudly when opposing teams were playing well. It was a sound I learned to despise as much as any 3-putt or bad tee shot. As I stood alone on the 17th tee waiting to hit my shot into the challenging par 3, something became very clear to me: it was completely silent. Nobody was cheering. I knew then we were close and that our lead was indeed three shots or something like it. We were on the verge of winning, and everybody was watching in silence.
After a par on the 17th hole, I hit two good shots on 18 and left a 15-foot birdie putt hanging on the left lip. I tapped in for an even-par round of 72. A crowd had gathered around the green, which included the Florida Gators. They had played a great round and were hoping a late collapse would give them a chance at the trophy. I glanced at them briefly and recalled the feelings I had in 2003, feelings they were undoubtedly experiencing. To be so close to winning and then realize it isn't going to happen is a bitter pill to swallow. The funny thing about life is that you often look back on the near misses and could-have-beens more than the times you were successful. Human nature rarely affords an accommodating memory.Â
Pablo Martin closed out a strong tournament and phenomenal season before joining us behind the green to watch the last group come home. Jonathan Moore was on the verge of winning the individual title as a freshman as he split the middle of the fairway with his tee shot. The scoreboard said we were ahead by two shots and we knew the realization of a shared dream was just moments away. Jonathan hit a great approach into the green and sank his putt for a closing birdie. He lifted his putter as the ball disappeared, looking at us in excitement as we applauded his outstanding performance. Once he had shaken hands with his playing partners, we rushed down to the green and celebrated together. We had done it. Oklahoma State had its 10th national championship in golf.
Winning any tournament felt good, but there was nothing that compared to winning the national championship. The award ceremony that followed was dominated by orange and black as Pablo Martin was named College Player of the Year, Jonathan Moore was named Freshman of the Year (and NCAA Individual Champion), Coach McGraw was named Coach of the Year and I received the Byron Nelson Award. We hoisted the NCAA trophy as others looked on, still in relative silence. We had persevered throughout the year as adversity became a close friend. his win was even more satisfying because the weather had created an additional challenge and it was then that we pushed through and elevated ourselves above the fray. In the end, when the pressure reached a crescendo, we were able to stay calm and let our ability shine through. It is a week we will remember for the rest of our lives.
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By Zack Robinson
You can't talk about 2006 without discussing 2005. We were the best team in 2005, winning seven times and boasting four All-Americans. When we got to the NCAA tournament at Caves Valley we laid an egg and finished an unconscionable 15th place. It was so disappointing to have such a good team and not even sniff being in contention. What made it even harder was that it would turn out to be Coach (Mike) Holder's final NCAA tournament as coach. He would take on the role of Athletic Director a few months later. I still regret not playing better and sending Coach Holder off in style like he deserved.
When the 2005-06 season started we had another strong team and hopes of finding redemption after the performance at Caves Valley. We won twice early in the spring but struggled to really find our footing as the season progressed. I wasn't playing well and ultimately lost my spot for the conference tournament. However, after the conference tournament Coach (Mike) McGraw made the decision to re-insert me into the lineup and stick with that team for the remainder of the season. I felt renewed and re-energized as we geared up for the final stretch and what was my last run at a national championship.
It was the best time of the year – school was done and golf was the only thing we had to think about. Before the regional tournament we played in The Maxwell and this proved to be an important catalyst for our team. One of my favorite tournaments, The Maxwell lets an entire team play together as one group. This was good for our team because the chemistry that had been building throughout the year was able to coalesce in front of a great home state crowd. We won the tournament with Jonathan Moore winning the individual race and I finished second in my return to the lineup. The final nine holes of the tournament were filled with great play from all five players and we celebrated together as something began to build…
The regional tournament is always a stressful time and especially at OSU when at that time we had played in 59-straight NCAA Championships. Sand Ridge Golf Club in Ohio was the site and we instantly liked the golf course. It was tough but fair and we were excited to get the postseason underway. We blitzed the field and won by 16 shots over Northwestern. We thrived in the second-round bad weather, which would also prove to be important at the NCAA Championship. Jonathan Moore won his second consecutive tournament and I once again finished second after holding a one-shot lead over Jonathan entering the final round. We were playing well up and down the lineup and boasting back-to-back wins. As we boarded the plane for Oregon, we felt confident and ready to take on any obstacle that stood in our way.
Before 2006, I had never heard of Sunriver, Oregon, but my previous trip to the Beaver State had produced a good result. I reached the semifinals of the 2000 U.S. Junior Amateur at Pumpkin Ridge and that's ultimately how I ended up at Oklahoma State as Coach Holder watched me play there. Sunriver was a beautiful sprawling resort in Central Oregon just outside of Bend. Mount Bachelor soared in the distance as we surveyed the Crosswater Course and prepared for the test it would present.
Lodging was provided on-site and we stayed in cabins that allowed for all five players. This was beneficial for our team because we arrived with good chemistry and this helped us keep it going. College golf is such a unique experience because golf is otherwise an individual sport. I cannot overstate the importance of team chemistry. It can help elevate everyone's performance and push the team to achieve great things. At its best, good team chemistry can be a secret weapon.
The first two rounds were forgettable and we stood in seventh place at the halfway point, nine shots behind Washington. However, the third round was just what we needed. The Golf Gods ordered up a day of bad weather and this was where we made our move. Having just played well in bad weather at the regional, we knew we could make up shots quickly if we stayed patient and just kept playing. Bad weather has a way of bringing your emotions to the surface much quicker and we saw this happen to some of the teams around us. We shot even par as a team and vaulted into a three-way tie for second, now only four shots behind Washington. Importantly, our strong play put us in the final pairing with Washington and Wake Forest. With 18 holes remaining, we were in great position to take home the trophy.
The final round began on a crisp morning under a beautiful blue sky. A quick snap hook off the 1st tee was humbling and jolted me back into the present where I clearly needed to be. I jokingly blame then-assistant coach Alan Bratton for getting me flustered before the round. As we walked from the driving range to the first tee, he told me that Coach Holder wanted me to know that even though he wasn't physically there he would be with me in spirit. I was immediately filled with memories of the wonderful experiences my career at Oklahoma State had given me. I wanted nothing more than to play well and help us win a championship and hearing those words stirred many emotions inside me. But there was no time for reminiscing, at least that's what I realized once I found my tee shot on No. 1 and somehow made par.
I looked at the scoreboard for the first time that day as I made the turn. I usually never looked at scoreboards, but for some reason this time I wanted to know where we stood. I saw we had a slim lead over Wake Forest, with whom we were paired, and Florida who was making a run on the other side of the course.
The final nine holes were pressure packed and intense, just as they should be when you're close to achieving something great. After a birdie on No. 13 and pars on Nos. 14 and 15, I arrived at the 16th tee and encountered a little wait. I glanced at the scoreboard near the tee box and saw we were clinging to a one-shot lead. Just then, I watched Pablo Martin in the group behind me nearly hole it from the fairway. He had a gimme birdie. A few minutes later, I made birdie on No. 16, which I thought likely extended the lead to three. When I got to the 17th tee, we had to wait again.
I walked to the edge of the tee box and stood alone. I watched the group ahead on the green for a bit before the group walking down 18 caught my eye. In my four years carrying the OSU golf bag around the country I learned one thing very quickly: other teams really liked to beat us. Parents often cheered loudly when opposing teams were playing well. It was a sound I learned to despise as much as any 3-putt or bad tee shot. As I stood alone on the 17th tee waiting to hit my shot into the challenging par 3, something became very clear to me: it was completely silent. Nobody was cheering. I knew then we were close and that our lead was indeed three shots or something like it. We were on the verge of winning, and everybody was watching in silence.
After a par on the 17th hole, I hit two good shots on 18 and left a 15-foot birdie putt hanging on the left lip. I tapped in for an even-par round of 72. A crowd had gathered around the green, which included the Florida Gators. They had played a great round and were hoping a late collapse would give them a chance at the trophy. I glanced at them briefly and recalled the feelings I had in 2003, feelings they were undoubtedly experiencing. To be so close to winning and then realize it isn't going to happen is a bitter pill to swallow. The funny thing about life is that you often look back on the near misses and could-have-beens more than the times you were successful. Human nature rarely affords an accommodating memory.Â
Pablo Martin closed out a strong tournament and phenomenal season before joining us behind the green to watch the last group come home. Jonathan Moore was on the verge of winning the individual title as a freshman as he split the middle of the fairway with his tee shot. The scoreboard said we were ahead by two shots and we knew the realization of a shared dream was just moments away. Jonathan hit a great approach into the green and sank his putt for a closing birdie. He lifted his putter as the ball disappeared, looking at us in excitement as we applauded his outstanding performance. Once he had shaken hands with his playing partners, we rushed down to the green and celebrated together. We had done it. Oklahoma State had its 10th national championship in golf.
Winning any tournament felt good, but there was nothing that compared to winning the national championship. The award ceremony that followed was dominated by orange and black as Pablo Martin was named College Player of the Year, Jonathan Moore was named Freshman of the Year (and NCAA Individual Champion), Coach McGraw was named Coach of the Year and I received the Byron Nelson Award. We hoisted the NCAA trophy as others looked on, still in relative silence. We had persevered throughout the year as adversity became a close friend. his win was even more satisfying because the weather had created an additional challenge and it was then that we pushed through and elevated ourselves above the fray. In the end, when the pressure reached a crescendo, we were able to stay calm and let our ability shine through. It is a week we will remember for the rest of our lives.
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