Team Results
Individual Results
Augusta, Ga. - Senior Alan Fowler shot a final round 69 to lead the Georgia State men's golf team to a tie for 16th place at the 33rd annual Insperity Augusta State Invitational on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers shot a final round 299, their best of the tournament, as Fowler moved up to a tie for 42nd place.
Following rounds of 313 and 301 on a tough 36-hole windy day, the Panthers took advantage of calmer conditions, as Fowler shot his best round of the year. The senior made seven birdies including a stretch of four straight on the front nine, before an unlucky plugged bunker shot on his 16th hole led to a double bogey. He finished the tournament at 6-over par.
"I was happy to see our guys finish strong," commented head coach Joe Inman. "After a couple of rough rounds yesterday, Alan Fowler really played well for us today. He stepped up like a senior should and we will need him to continue his inspired play as we head toward the conference championship."
Freshman Ross Mclister shot a final round 75 to finish in a tie for 67th. Mclister made four birdies and shot 1-under over his first nine holes, but struggled with four straight bogeys to finish his round, finishing at 11-over.
Freshman Tyler Gruca finished in a tie for 73rd after a final round 77 that included a birdie on the ninth, his final hole of the round. The walk-on finished at 13-over par for the 54-hole event.
Grant Cagle finished tied for 85th at 20-over following a final round 78, while his brother Jared Cagle finished in 93rd after a final round 83, shooting 25-over par.
Senior Brent Paul, competing as an individual, scored a final round 73 to finish tied for 91st at 24-over.
With the PGA Tour's first major looming as the background, the Panthers entered the star-studded field at Forest Hills Golf Club looking to upset some of the top teams in the country with the Masters and Augusta National Golf Club as a backdrop just a few miles away.
After losing a 10-stroke lead, No. 1 Oklahoma State rebounded to earn a one-stroke victory in the 17-team field over No. 36 Tennessee. The Cowboys finished at 16-under par, shooting a final round 292. No. 31 Clemson finished third at 5-under par, followed by No. 3 Alabama at 1-under. Augusta State's B-team finished at 1-over par to round out the top five.
Oklahoma State's Kevin Tway, ranked third in the country, led wire-to-wire to win the event at 12-under par. Augusta State's Olle Bengtsson finished alone in second at 7-under par, five strokes back. Tennessee's Garrick Porteous and Alabama's Cory Whitsett finished tied for third at 6-under, followed by UCLA's Gregor Main at 5-under par in fifth.
The Panthers made their fifth straight appearance in the event which is always hosted the weekend before the Masters. State tied for third during its first appearance in 2007, propelling the Panthers to their fourth NCAA Championship appearance in seven years.
The list of past participants looks like something out of next week's Masters field. The likes of Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III, Justin Leonard, Brad Faxon, Graeme McDowell and Charles Howell III have all played in the tournament. Mickelson won for the first time in Augusta at Forest Hills, before adding three more titles in the same town, winning three green jackets.
Sunday's final round will begin off the first and tenth tees at 9 a.m. The Panthers will play with USC-Aiken beginning at 10:30 a.m. off the tenth tee.
The Panthers will have just one more warm-up before the CAA Championships. State will return to action at the Yellow Jacket Classic at the Golf Club of Georgia on April 16-17.
www.GeorgiaStateSports.com
