An unforgettable experience and a championship! Posted on June 24th, 2005 by Scott Moe

We started the day with a 6 shot lead over England and a 8 shot lead over Columbia. We started a little shaky, making a couple of bogeys early in the round, as we watched the Columbians roll in some long putts for birdie. After 5 holes we were about 4 shots ahead of Columbia and 12 shots over England.

We rallied to make a few birdies coming down the front nine to make the turn 5 shots ahead of Columbia. It was close until the 14th when Mike Green went birdie-birdie-birdie-par-birdie finish and Erik Flores also had three in a row. Mike finished today with 67, Erik shot 68, those two scores anchored us to a 12 shot victory. Funny coincidence to me that Gustavus won the NCAA tournament last year by 12 shots!

The guys played great golf all week, very consistent and made big putts and came through on big shots when needed. They had a closing ceremony at the golf course, where all the teams had to get in their team uniforms of coat and tie for the presentation. They played the Star Spangled Banner as we stood in front of the room, holding the Cup. It was a great feeling and we were extremely proud. Following the ceremony we had a press conference. The guys handled themselves with class. They were very humble in winning. Not only did we win, but last years team shot the tournament record of 25 under, we finished at 40 under par for four days. Erik Flores won the individual honor, shooting 20 under par, beating the previous record of 15 under.

It was a treat to be a part of the this tournament, and to represent the United States. I learned a lot about how good the best of the best can play. Throughout the week, 72 holes for 4 players, our team had 4 penalty strokes, that is it. The ball striking ability of this group is like none other. Some teams putt a lot better than us, but no one can touch our iron play. We had some great players on our team. I wish them the best of luck as they will all be successful players at their next level. They came into this tournament as individuals, and return as team champions!

I learned that the Japanese culture is on a strict time schedule. They are very clean, a city that is extremely large, had no visible garbage. They take great care of their surroundings. I learned quickly that their diet is much different than mine. I am thankful that I brought peanut butter and jelly and bread, and also some EL Fudge cookies. I am thankful for my queen size bed with a pillow mattress, my feet will no longer hang over the edge of the bed.

It was an unforgettable experience. I was thrilled to be here, but I will be equally excited to return home to my family.

Thank you for following my experience in Japan.