The Upstate Spartans extended their season by winning the Big South golf championship at the Ocean Creek Golf Club on Fripp Island.

The Spartans earned the Big South automatic bid to play in the NCAA Golf Championship with the programs first Big South team title claiming a 3-2 victory over top seeded Charleston Southern.

“So proud that these guys wear the Upstate “U” and want their best every day,” said Todd Lawton, Upstate’s golf coach.

The championship was decided in the final match between the Spartans Jaskaran Sohal and Charleston Southern’s Dewi John.

The championship final was tied as Upstate’s Ross Wright won his match, but the Buccaneers won the next two matches before Jackson Stone evened the championship by making six birdies on his way to a 3 & 2 victory

Sohal won the last two holes of his match with John to force the playoff. The Upstate golfer from Australia birdied the extra hole to win the match for the Spartans.

It was the second match in a row the Spartans won on the final hole. Upstate earned their place in the final when Stone birdied his final hole to earn the Spartans a 3-2 win over High Point.

“”To say that a group of guys persevered would not do it justice it deserves for winning this championship,” said Lawton. “They are a close group who want great things for each other.,” noted the Spartans coach.

The Spartans played the championship with the knowledge they could win on the Fripp Island course.

Upstate won the Fripp Island Intercollegiate last November on the same course in a stroke play event.

After that win Lawton said,”Seeing our score at the top of the leaderboard is just the icing on the cake. We’ve had our struggles the past couple of years, but I really feel this group is just getting started,”

With the championship the Upstate team made Lawton’s projection last November come to fruition.

“I want this experience to be transformative and not just a jubilant transaction. I’ve been doing this a long time and have had the opportunity to coach great players and teams. This truly has its own place in my heart and my record as a coach,” said Lawton.

Upstate will begin NCAA Regional play on May 12th. The Spartans will find out where they will play on April 30th at 1 pm when The Golf Channel broadcasts the selections