COLUMBUS, GEORGIA – The Valdosta State men’s golf team fired a final round 281 at the 2018 Cougar Invitational Presented by Aflac, Tuesday on the par 71, 6,515-yard Country Club of Columbus course, finishing third of 17 teams for a strong start to the 2018-19 season.
VSU, who was receiving votes in the preseason Bushnell Golfweek Division II Top 25, carded a 54-hole score of 849, while No. 16 Carson-Newman won the tournament with an 843 score, firing a 10-under 274 Tuesday. No. 4 Florida Southern also went low with an 11-under 273 on Tuesday to finish second with an 846 score. No. 5 Florida Tech finished fourth with an 851 score, two shots back of the Blazers.
No. 24 Lee University rounded out the top five with an 862 score, edging No. 2 Lynn by one stroke. Montevallo and No. 10 Lincoln Memorial tied for seventh with an 864 score, followed by No. 8 Limestone 866 and Georgia Southwestern was tenth with an 867 score.
Lincoln Memorial’s Sam Broadhurst and Montevallo’s Brady Carman tied for the championship as both shot a 7-under 206. Broadhurst’s 66 on Tuesday tied Vincent Norman (Georgia Southwestern) for the low round of the championship. Norman finished third with a 207 score. Broadhurst won the playoff on the first hole.
The Blazers were led by senior Matt Anderson who tied for 12thwith a final round 70 for 2-under 211 (70-71-70). Three Blazers tied for 18thas freshman Gage Smith tied for 18thwith an even par 213 on rounds of 72, 72 and 69, while freshman Davis Smith fired rounds of 71, 70 and 72 and freshman Brock Healy carded rounds of 70, 72, 71. Junior Jordan Long finished tied for 34thwith a 217 score on rounds of 73, 73 and 71.
VSU returns home to prepare for the Golfrank Invitational, Oct. 8-9 at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Live stats can be found on vstateblazers.com on the men’s golf schedule page.