Alpharetta, Ga. - Tyler Gruca and Jared Cagle led the Georgia State men's golf team to its best round of the week as the Panthers finished 14th at the United States Collegiate Championship on Tuesday. The duo each shot rounds of 73 on the Lakeside Course at the Golf Club of Georgia.
The Panthers, competing at the local event for the fourth time in five years, shot a final round 296 to move ahead of South Carolina and fall just short of surpassing No. 40 Clemson and East Tennessee State. Hosted by cross-town rival Georgia Tech and often called "the Masters of college golf," the Panthers had opened with rounds of 309 and 304.
Gruca got off to his best start of the season and made the turn at 4-under par. Unfortunately, he hit a streak of bad luck with five straight bogeys to end his round, shooting 73 and finish in a tie for 44th.
Cagle scored three birdies and four bogeys in his round for a 73 to finish in a tie for 53rd. The rounds for Cagle and Gruca were personal bests for the tournament.
Senior Alan Fowler fired a final round 75 to finish as the top Panther in the field with a tie for 39th. Fowler opened the tournament with rounds of 77 and 72, which was State's low score of the week.
Senior Brent Paul opened and closed his rounds with birdies en route to a final round 75. Paul finished in a tie for 70th, improving every round of the tournament.
Freshman Victor Lavin opened with a front nine 36, but stumbled with a 43 on the back nine to shoot 79 and finish in 74th place.
Freshman Ross McLister, competing as an individual, shot a final round 85 and finished alone in 75th.
Host Georgia Tech, ranked 17th in the country, ran away from the field en route to a 27-stroke victory. The Yellow Jackets were one of just two teams to finish under par, rounding out the three-day tournament at 28-under par. No. 3 UCLA finished in second at 1-under par, followed by No. 16 Texas A&M at 2-over. Southern Cal finished alone in fourth at 3-over, followed by No. 19 Virginia at 6-over.
Georgia Tech's James White easily took home the individual title, finishing at 12-under par for a five stroke win over Southern Cal's T.J. Vogel. White opened with a 62 on Sunday and never trailed.
Texas A&M's Jordan Russell finished alone in third at 6-under. Tying for fourth were Tech's Kyle Scott and Richy Werenski, each at 4-under par.
The tournament typically brings future stars of the PGA Tour to The Golf Club of Georgia. Among the past participants are Rickie Fowler, who went from the 2009 USCC with Oklahoma State to the 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup team; Nationwide Tour standouts Jamie Lovemark (Southern Cal), Chris Kirk (Georgia) and Roberto Castro (Georgia Tech); and Rhys Davies (East Tennessee State) and Joel Sjoholm (Georgia State), who have earned victories playing as professionals in Europe.
The U.S. Collegiate ended the Panthers fall season. State will take the next three months off before returning to the course for the JU Invitational at the famed Stadium Course at the TPC of Sawgrass beginning on Jan. 30th.
Team Results
1. Georgia Tech - 271-285-280-836
2. UCLA - 286-287-290-863
3. Texas A&M - 284-286-296-866
4. Southern Cal - 288-279-300-867
5. Virginia - 289-293-288-870
6. Wake Forest - 300-291-280-871
7. Duke - 292-290-290-872
8. Cal - 291-290-295-876
T9. Kent State - 294-295-294-889
T9. Florida State - 298-298-293-889
11. Washington - 301-293-300-894
12. Clemson - 303-300-302-905
13. East Tennessee State - 300-302-305-907
14. Georgia State - 309-304-296-909
15. South Carolina - 306-302-312-919
Individual Results
T39. Alan Fowler - 77-72-75-224
T44. Tyler Gruca - 76-76-73-225
T53. Jared Cagle - 74-80-73-227
T70. Brent Paul - 82-78-75-235
74. Victor Lavin - 82-78-79-239
75. Ross McLister - 80-77-85-242*
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