Brody Hval, the senior captain of men’s golf, started his career off at Chapman University with a birdie. 

He might end it that way, too, after notching one stroke less than par in his final hole of Chapman’s win of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championship tournament April 27. However, the first-place win means Chapman could enter into the NCAA Division III men’s golf championship tournament May 11, potentially giving Hval one last rodeo. 

“It would be incredible,” Hval said of competing in the NCAA playoffs. “I’d be so pleased in my senior year as the team captain to end off my college career in the tournament.”

Normally, the winner of the SCIAC would gain an automatic bid into the national championship. But due to the conference only sporting three competing golf teams in a pandemic-affected season — Chapman, the University of Redlands and California Lutheran University — the Panthers would first need the NCAA to approve their request for a tournament spot, head coach Ming Lao said.

“They’re scrutinizing our conference as a worthy bid, even though we won the championships,” Lao said. “The SCIAC conference director (Jennifer Dubow) is fighting hard for our chances, and hopefully soon enough we’ll know if we get an invite.”

If approved, the Panthers will hop on a flight to Wheeling, West Virginia, to participate in the national championship this May. However, even if the team doesn’t have the opportunity, Hval is still happy about how his career played out. 

“We did what we did,” Hval said. “We won our conference, but now it’s a matter of waiting and seeing if we’ll get in. I’m still proud of the guys. We ended on the highest note we possibly could have.”

The April 27 win served as the first tournament victory of the season for the Panthers. They had a tough first two tournaments, coming in third and second place out of three teams, respectively. But the underdog Panthers came out in the championship and beat the favored Redlands — winner of each SCIAC men’s golf tournament this season — by two strokes, +46 to +48. 

Lao was happy with his team’s success in what could stand as a final match in 2021, but yearns for a chance to compete on the West Virginia green. 

“It’s really a red carpet experience,” Lao said. “It’s such a special venue and experience — just something I want my players to get a chance to take part in.”