Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. - The Georgia State men's golf team jumped two spots and finished in 12th place to open the spring season at the JU Invitational. Senior Brent Paul led the Panthers with a tie for 32nd at the TPC at Sawgrass PLAYERS Stadium Course.
The Panthers shot a final round 304, after opening play on Monday with rounds of 314 and 310.
Paul jumped seven spots in the stands, shooting a final round 74 that included two birdies on his second nine. After shooting an opening round 80, the senior shot back-to-back rounds of two-over par.
"I was extremely pleased to see our guys come out and play much better today," commented head coach Joe Inman. "We still have some work to do to get to the level of play we want, but with a couple of weeks of practice before our next event, I think we are moving in the right direction."
Senior Alan Fowler tied Paul for the best round of the day, shooting a final round 74 to finish tied for 35th. Fowler's final round featured 16 pars and two bogeys.
Freshman Grant Cagle shot a final round 81 to drop into 52nd place after firing rounds of 75 and 79 on the opening day.
Freshman Tyler Gruca continued to improve after an opening round 81, shooting a final round 75 to finish in a tie for 59th.
Redshirt-junior Jared Cagle struggled to a final round 84 to finish in 67th place.
No. 1 Florida cruised to a 25-stroke victory after a final round 289, finishing the tournament at six-under par, the lone team to break par.
North Florida finished in second place at 19-over par, while Jacksonville State and No. 42 Liberty tied for third place at 22-over. No. 40 Clemson rounded out the top five, shooting a final round 288, the best round of the day.
Florida's Bank Vongvanij, the top ranked collegiate golfer in the country, took home the individual title, shooting a final round 73 to finish at five-under par. No. 89 Robert Karlsson of Liberty finished strong with a final round 69 to finish in second place at three-under par. Clemson's Corbin Mills and North Florida's Kevin Phelan tied for third at two-under, while Wake Forest's Evan Beck and Florida's Phillip Choi finished tied for fifth at one-under.
Senior Tommy Caswell and freshman Victor Lavin competed as individual at Ponte Vedra Country Club, located in the same resort as the Stadium Course and the Valley Course.
Lavin finished sixth in the 12-man field, shooting a final round 71 after opening the tournament with rounds of 73 and 80. Caswell put together the best tournament of his career, finished tied for seventh. After shooting rounds of 78 and 72 on the opening day, the walk-on senior shot a final round 76.
The course also hosts THE PLAYERS Championship, which brings the top golfers in the world to north Florida each May. The tournament, known as the fifth major of golf, features the famed Island Green at 17th. The par 3, 17th hole plays only 132 yards, but is surrounded by water and considered one of the toughest shots in golf.
The Panthers will return to the course for the SunTrust Gator Invitational, hosted by the University of Florida, on Feb. 12 & 13.
Team Results:
1. Florida: 286-283-289-858
2. North Florida: 300-286-297-883
3. Jacksonville State: 294-298-294-886
Liberty: 300-290-296-886
5. Clemson: 303-297-288-888
6. Wake Forest: 301-296-297-894
7. East Carolina: 305-298-299-902
8. Mercer: 301-297-306-904
9. ETSU: 312-304-295-910
10. Florida Gulf Coast: 304-304-308-916
11. Charleston Southern: 307-310-306-923
12. Georgia State: 314-310-304-928
13. Jacksonville: 311-306-316-933
James Madison: 313-321-299--933
15. Old Dominion: 323-295-DNF-DNF
Georgia State Results
T32. Brent Paul: 80-74-74-228
T35. Alan Fowler: 76-79-74-229
52. Grant Cagle: 75-79-81-235
T59. Tyler Gruca: 83-81-75-239
67. Jared Cagle: 86-78-84-248
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