You've read this before. This time last year, in fact. Justin Wiles "…always comes to play in the postseason," his former teammate Kevin Rei said during the 2015 California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships.
Wiles keeps proving him right. The Wildcat of the Week, Wiles shot a 5-under par 139 for the second year in a row (one off the event record) to tie for the the stroke play title. He was named to the All-Tournament team for the second year in a row as well.
Wiles also won his medal/match play semifinal for the second time in a row, carding a bogey free 67.
A two-time honorable mention All-American and two-time All-West Region and All-CCAA selection, Wiles is sometimes the forgotten man behind National Player of the Year finalists Lee Gearhart and Alistair Docherty.
But every postseason he seems to play his very best golf. Beginning with the NCAA Championships at the end of his sophomore season, Wiles has shot par or better in 10 of 18 postseason rounds, producing a stroke average of 71.89. In those five events, Wiles has placed no lower than 19th and inside of the top five three times.
Next up for Wiles and the Wildcats is the NCAA West/South Central Regional at the University of New Mexico Golf Course in Las Cruces May 2-4. A top-five team finish there would earn the Wildcats a return trip to the NCAA Championships.
Don't be surprised if Wiles leads the Wildcats back. After all, this is his time of year.
