Historic Hazeltine: 1999 NCAA Division I Men’s Championship

Englishman Luke Donald of Northwestern University won the individual title at the 1999 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship, and later became the No. 1 player in golf's world rankings.

In June 1999, Luke Donald of Northwestern University won the NCAA individual championship at Hazeltine, shooting a 4-under-par 284. Ryuji Imada, whose University of Georgia team would capture the team trophy, began the final day seven shots behind Donald. He made an early charge, birdieing the 2nd, 4th and 6th holes and eagling the par-5 7th hole with a 70-foot putt on his way to front-nine 31. When Donald double-bogeyed the 8th hole, the two were tied.

But Donald withstood lmada's hot start, birdieing 14 and 15 and finishing his final-round 71 with three straight pars, while Imada played more conservatively on the back nine, knowing his Georgia team was nearing the title. Imada parred holes 14-17 and bogeyed 18 after the trophy was secure. Imada and University of Washington freshman Troy Kelly finished in a tie for second, three shots back.

Other future pros who played in that event included Paul Casey and Jeff Quinney of Arizona State, Charles Howell Ill of Oklahoma State, Lucas Glover of Clemson and Adam Scott and Charley Hoffman of UNLV. The University of Minnesota finished 11th in the championship; the top individual Gopher was Adam Dooley, who tied for 12th.