EATONTON, Ga. – Thanks in part to the second top-10 finish in senior Harry Lambert’s (Suwanee)career, the Georgia College Golf squad took seventh Tuesday at the 2017 Bobcat Invitational, the team’s home tournament. The Bobcats shot a 302 and 297 yesterday, combined with a 299 today for plus-58 on the par-70, 6,730-yard Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee.
Lambert finished nine-over par, posting rounds of 69, 74 and a 76 today. The senior took ninth, just eight strokes off the lead.
Senior Conner Albright (Macon) had the team’s best round today, posting a 73 to jump 15 slots to 28thplace. Albright had rounds of 81 and 72 yesterday and was 16-over for the tournament.
Third on the team and 36th overall was Harrison Stewart (Roswell), as the senior posted steady rounds of 77, 75 and 76. He finished 18-over. Thomas Hodges (Monroe) and Thomas Knight (Eastman)finished within a single stroke of each other at 19-over and 20-over, respectively. Hodges had a 76-76-77, while Knight improved each round with 80-76-74.
No. 2 Lynn University took the team title at plus-32, the highest score to win a Bobcat Invitational since 2008, when the University of West Florida won at plus-34. Lynn has back-to-back Bobcat Invitational titles, and has won five since 2010.
Six teams ranked in the Golfstat Top-25 finished behind the Bobcats, including No. 4 Barry University, No. 12 Rollins College, No. 19 Valdosta State University, No. 20 USC Aiken, No. 24 Columbus State University and No. 25 Defending National Champion Saint Leo University. All of the six teams ahead of Georgia College are positioned in the nation’s top-13.
Individual medalist honors went to West Florida’s Chandler Blanchet. He defeated Lynn’s Manuel Torres in a playoff by posting a par on No. 1. Both men finished the tourney at one-over, the highest individual score to win since 2010 and Belmont Abbey College’s Peter Tarver Jones at four-over.
Georgia College sent three individuals to the course as well, led by Ben Huckaby (Bishop) in 83rd place at plus-31. Ryan Joiner (Roswell) finished 85th at plus-33, and Matias Chiappero (Santa Fe, Argentina)was 86th at plus-39.
The Bobcats are back in action Monday, March 27 at the Bearcat Classic in Greenwood, South Carolina.