A North Florida squad full of new faces wins McDowell Invite
North Florida's winning team (UNF Athletics photo)
Plenty of new faces make up the North Florida roster this season, considering that five seniors departed from a team that advanced to the NCAA Championship last spring. The new-look Ospreys proved themselves on Tuesday, however, by edging home team Alabama-Birmingham at the Graeme McDowell Invitational.
North Florida and UAB tied in Tuesday’s final round at Gresytone G&CC in Birmingham, Ala., with 2-under 286 totals. North Florida had a slim one-shot lead to start the day, however, and it turned out to be the difference.
Interestingly, North Florida didn’t land a single golfer inside the top 10 in Birmingham. All four counters, however, were inside the top 17 and all five starters were in the top 22.
"Today was a great team win,” North Florida head coach Scott Schroeder said. “We had no player in the top 10, so winning the tournament is a great example of guys playing well at different times. We now get to take a break before finishing off the fall at the end of October."
Sophomore Cody Carroll was even in the final round to finish with a 2-under 214 total and lead the team with a T-11 finish.
That also left him seven shots behind Western Kentucky’s Linus Lo, who won the individual title with a 9-under total made up of three consecutive rounds of 69.
Behind UAB in second, Arkansas State was a close third at 10 under, and South Carolina was 1 over in solo fourth.
ABOUT THE
Graeme McDowell Invitational
Men's college tournament played hosted by the
University of
Alabama-Birmingham. Team (best four scores out of
five
players
each round) and individual competitions.
View Complete Tournament Information