SUGAR GROVE, ILL. – The Augusta University men’s golf team hit the course for the first time in the 2018-19 season at the Northern Illinois Intercollegiate and finished tied for 11th place on Sunday after three rounds at Rich Harvest Farms.
Hosted by Northern Illinois University, the two-day, 54-hole event started with 14 teams competing in a shotgun format on the par-72, 7,281-yard course on Saturday. The event was scheduled for two rounds on Saturday, but due to darkness teams resumed the second round before round three on Sunday. The tournament field included Augusta, Aurora, Coastal Carolina, Grand Canyon, Marquette, Miami (OH), Michigan, Missouri, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Toledo, UMKC, Wisconsin, and UCLA (Individuals).
The Jaguars were in third place at 3-over-par after round one, but fell down the leaderboard in the final two outings. Marquette held off Notre Dame to win the event at 10-over-par, while the Fighting Irish settled for second (+11), Missouri third (+15), Ohio State fourth (+17), and Coastal Carolina and UMKC tied for fifth (+22).
Augusta started its season with a familiar starting five featuring returning sophomores Alex Shead, Laken Hinton, Olof Gunnarsson and juniors Gustav Andersson and McCullough Pickens. New freshman Alex van Wyk competed as an individual.
Andersson tied for 12th overall at 3-over-par to lead Augusta. He shot a 1-under 70 in round three to tie for AU’s lowest round of the weekend. Shead shot 1 under in round one and ended up tying for 16th (+4).
Hinton aced the par 3, 200-yard third hole in round one for Augusta’s first hole in one of the season. Hinton finished tied for 50th(+13), while Gunnarsson (T68, +17) and Pickens (T74, +20). In his first collegiate tourney of the season, van Wyk tied for 44th after shooting 70, 78, and 72 as an individual.
Augusta returns to action at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate Sept. 21-23 in Scottsdale, Ariz., to play in Georgia’ State event for the third straight year.