Upper Arlington, Ohio ? In a season of extraordinary lows and highs, the Minnesota golf program targeted for elimination just two months earlier won its first national championship.

“We believe in destiny,” said unlikely hero Matt Anderson, a walk-on who wasn’t even allowed to try out for the team two years ago because there wasn’t a spot available. Playing his first season of intercollegiate golf as a senior, he shot a 5-under-par 66 on Saturday in the most important round of his life.

The Gophers, who received a reprieve when boosters raised enough money to reinstate the program for at least a year, shot a 6-under-par 278 on Saturday for a 1,134 total and a four-stroke victory over top-ranked Georgia Tech.

“What an awesome story,” said Clemson coach Larry Penley, whose second-ranked team tied for third, eight shots back.

“That’s a lot of motivation, playing to keep your program.”

Tech’s Troy Matteson won the individual title, shooting a 4-under 67 to finish at 8-under 276, one stroke better than Texas Christian’s Adam Rubinson. Oklahoma State’s Hunter Mahan was third, and third-round leader Graeme McDowell of UAB and Minnesota’s Justin Smith tied for fourth at 5-under 279.

Matteson became the first NCAA individual champion for the Yellow Jackets.

“This is amazing for me,” said Matteson, whose 67 followed rounds of 73, 66 and 70. “When I got here, I wanted to play solid. When you play solid, sometimes you end up on top and sometimes you don’t. It’s a tremendous honor to be held in the same esteem as those guys.”

Minnesota, ranked no higher than 18th in the national polls, became the first northern school to win the national championship since Ohio State the host of this year’s tournament at its Scarlet Course won the 1979 title behind current pro John Cook.

“We proved we can play with the southern teams,” Anderson said. “We got them on a northern course. We felt at home here.”

Had the field of 30 teams been cut in half through 36 holes, as was discussed because of weather problems, the Golden Gophers would not have even been around the last two days. They were tied for 16th through two rounds.