LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. — The biggest drama of the final round of the Big Sky Men's Golf Championship was a playoff for the individual title. That proved to be a win-win scenario for Sacramento State as the battle was between Jai Bahl and Gabriel Smith who both finished the three-round tournament at 9-under par.
 
Smith claimed the individual title to earn his first career victory and the Hornets cruised to the team title behind a tournament record 54-hole total of 841 (23-under). The victory gives Sacramento State an automatic berth to an NCAA Regional. The field will be announced on May 6 with regionals hosted by Arizona, Oregon State, Georgia, Texas A&M, Ohio State and Wake Forest.
 
The Hornets entered the final round with an 11-shot lead and saw Idaho pull within five strokes on a couple of occasions before adding some cushion. The team's total broke the tournament record by one stroke and was eight shots better than the previous school record at the conference tournament.
 
Zach Matzke led the team in the third round with a 4-under par 68. Matzke finished the tournament at 2-under par to move into a tie for ninth place. Matzke parred the first four holes before his only bogey on the day came on the par-5 fifth. Birdies on Nos. 6 and 8 left him 1-under at the midway point of the round before playing the back nine at 3-under. He parred the first four of those holes and then birdied No. 14, 15 and 17.
 
Max Thomas moved into a tie for 14^th place after shooting 70 on Wednesday. Thomas picked up birdies on No. 1 and 5 and remained 2-under through nine. He returned to even early on the back nine but eagled the 535-yard, par-5 14^th. Thomas played the final four holes even with pars surrounding a birdie on the par-3 16^th and a bogey on the par-4 17^th.
 
Smith and Bahl traded the lead throughout the round. Smith had a strong start with four birdies and a bogey over the first five holes to leave him 3-under at the midway point. A bogey on No. 11 and a double bogey on No. 15 left him even on the day until a birdie on the par-3 18^th forced the playoff. That birdie was one of only two for the team in the tournament
 
Bahl, who was coming off a school-record 61 on Tuesday, started the round with a double bogey to snap a streak of 19 holes without a bogey. He was 3-over through 12 holes but responded with birdies on No. 14, 16 and 17 before a bogey on No. 18.
 
The playoff took the pair back to No. 1 where Smith recorded a birdie and Bahl a par. Smith became the eighth individual conference champion in the school's Div. I era and the pair were the fourth to account for the top two spots at conference championship for the Hornets.
 
Zach Mate added the final score to the team total with an even-par 72. Mate was even on both sides of the course with a birdie on No. 1 and a bogey on No. 3 on the front nine and a pair of birdies and bogeys on the back nine.
 
BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP
Litchfield Park, Ariz. | Wigwam GR
Par 72 | 7,066 Yards
 
Team Standings
1. Sacramento State 290-270-281-841
2. Idaho 291-280-279-850
3. Northern Colorado 293-286-279-858
4. Francis Marion 294-281-289-864
5. Weber State 299-273-294-866
6. Eastern Washington 303-282-283-868
 
Individual Top Five
T1. Gabriel Smith, SAC, 68-68-71-207*
T1. Jai Bahl, SAC, 73-61-73-207
3. Kaelan Dulany, UNC, 74-69-66-209
4. Matthew Wilson, WSU, 73-67-70-210
5. Samuel Johnson, UI, 72-70-69-211
* Won in playoff
 
Sacramento State Scores
T1. Gabriel Smith 68-68-71-207
T1. Jai Bahl 73-61-73-207
T9. Zach Matzke 74-72-68-214
T14. Max Thomas 77-69-70-216
T23. Zach Mate 75-76-72-223