PARTRIDGE DEFEATS CROCKETT IN PLAYOFF FOR NJCAA TITLE

Lifelong friends, Blue Dragon teammates Ben Partridge (right) and Harry Crockett shake hands after Partridge won a four-hole playoff for the 2021 NJCAA Individual championship on Thursday in Lubbock, Texas. (Steve Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

May 13, 2021

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

LUBBOCK, Texas – Ben Partridge and Harry Crockett have been great friends since both were very young growing up in England.

Back then, little did Partridge and Crockett know that one day in the future they would be college golf teammates, lead their team to a national championship and then have to duel against each other for the individual national title.

May 13, 2021 in Lubbock, Texas – roughly 4,895 miles from where the golfers grew up - just happened to be the day and place all of that happened to the life-long friends.

Partridge defeated Crockett in a four-hole playoff on Thursday at The Rawls Course to become the first Hutchinson Community College golfer to win an individual national championship. About 45 minutes before the individual title was decided, Partridge, Crocket and their Blue Dragon teammates defeated Odessa College by seven strokes to win the program's first-ever team national championship.

Partridge and Crockett also became the Blue Dragons' first and second NJCAA first-team All-Americans in program history.

As it turns out, the fantastic freshmen almost weren't teammates in College. Partridge was eying Midland College as a destination. Harry Crockett and his older brother, Charlie, a two-time PING first-team All-American with the Blue Dragons, convinced Partridge that Hutchinson was the place for him.

Crockett had rounds of 67, 68 and 68 in the first three rounds of the championship to lead the field at 11-under par. Partridge had rounds of 67, 71 and 69 and stayed within striking distance at 9-under par.

With three-straight birdies on Nos. 14, 15 and 16 in the final round on Thursday, Partridge surged past Crockett for the individual lead.

While it was all happening, both Partridge and Crockett were not focused on the individual championship, but the team championship instead. Hutchinson saw a 12-stroke team lead over Odessa dwindle to three after 12 holes. When Crockett birdied the 72nd hole to finish off Hutchinson's late final-round surge, it also tied Partridge for the individual lead.

Partridge did his part for the playoff on the 72nd hole with a miraculous par save from behind the green on an approach shot that settled onto the cart path.

Partridge shot 1-under 71 in the final round to Crockett's 1-over 73. The Blue Dragon teammates were tied at 10-under 278 after 72 holes.

The playoff started on The Rawls Course's 10th hole. Both players easily posted par on that first playoff hole.

Things got a little dicey for Partridge on the second playoff hole, No. 11. Partridge's approach shot barely missed going into a green-side bunker, but Partridge had a bad stance to hit his shot. Standing with one leg in and one let out of the bunker, Partridge gripped way down on his putter and got it within three feet and made par. Crockett came up just inches short on a 25-foot birdie attempt that would have won the playoff and also made par.

With pars again on No. 12, the playoff moved to the 13th hole. Crockett hit a strong approach into the green about 15 feet below the cup. Partridge hit his approach pin hit to 2 feet. Crockett just missed his birdie attempt and Partridge nailed his short put to become Hutchinson's first-ever individual NJCAA champion.