Georgia State senior Joel Sjoholm claimed the individual championship at the Club Glove Intercollegiate in Somis, California after a three-round score of 225 (+9) and the Panthers' men's golf team claimed third place after a three-round score of 929 (+65).
Sjoholm, the seventh-ranked player in the country by GolfWeek.com, shot a final-round score of 80 (+8) to hold onto first over host Pepperdine's Andrew Putnam, who shot a final-round 73 (+1) to climb within one stroke of the champion amid heavy winds and smoke near the intense wildfires in California.
"Joel [Sjoholm] played a great tournament and he deserved the outcome. He has great ability and it showed in this event, but he can be even better with more work," said Georgia State head golf coach Matt Clark. "It was a fight out there with the tough conditions, but our team played well and fought for a great result and Joel did a tremendous job."
The victory is the first career win for Sjoholm, who was named the 2006-07 Colonial Athletic Association Golfer of the Year, and the native of Sweden's individual record improves to a remarkable 261-18-4 through five events.
His victory is the first individual title for the men's golf team since Mark Haastrup, who now plays professionally in Europe, won the 2006 CAA Championship. Women's golfer Iliska Verwey claimed first at last weekend's championship at the America's Choice Mortgage Lady Jaguar Invitational in Augusta last week.
Georgia State had four athletes finish in the top-30 places in the event and sophomore Tom Sherreard finished in the top 10. Sherreard claimed a tie for eighth with a three-round score of 231 (+15) and a strong final round of 75 (+3), while freshman Alan Fowler finished tied for 23rd (236, +20) and sophomore Maurice Jordan tied for 27th (238, +22).
Sjoholm defeated nine players rated in the top-100 nationally and five in the top 50, while the Panthers defeated four teams ranked in the nationally top 50, including 11th-ranked Lamar.
Weather conditions at Saticoy Country Club, a par-72, a 6,405-yard course, wrecked havoc throughout the event as heavy smoke, strong winds and falling ash affected play in Somis with wildfires burning 30 miles to the South and in the North as well. Battling the conditions, more than half the field of 62 golfers shot 80 or higher in the first round on Monday and 40 participants finished 20-over par or higher.
The Panthers return to action this Sunday in the Callaway Match Play Championship at heralded Reynold's Plantation in Greensboro, Ga. where Georgia State will match up with second-ranked Alabama. Live scoring of the event can be found at GolfStat.com and updates will be posted to GeorgiaStateSports.com following each day's competition.
Georgia State Individual Standings
1 ? Joel Sjoholm ? 225, +9
T-8 ? Tom Sherreard ? 231 +15
T-23 ? Alan Fowler ? 236, +20
T-27 ? Maurice Jordan ? 238, +22
54 ? Alex Castro ? 246, +30
Team Scores
1 Pepperdine 300-306-299=905 +41
2 Loyola Marymount 304-310-301=915 +51
3 Georgia State 311-304-314=929 +65
4 Colorado State 311-318-308=937 +73
5 Lamar 313-309-316=938 +74
6 LSU 315-311-315=941 +77
7 Kansas State 320-316-308=944 +80
8 Colorado 324-317-317=947 +83
T-9 New Mexico 323-320-306=949 +85
T-9 Memphis 325-314-315=949 +85
11 UC-Santa Barbara 319-321-316=956 +92
12 Nevada 324-319-320=963 +99
