Another strong showing for Saint Joseph's O'Brien as Hawks take second in Homewood/HiltonGarden Airport Classic

   Saint Joseph’s Michael O’Brien, a senior from West Chester, Ohio, continued his run of strong play this fall as he lost in a playoff after finishing in a tie for the top spot in the Homewood/Hilton Garden Airport Classic hosted by Florida Gulf Coast at the Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero, Fla.

   O’Brien fired a final round of 3-under-par 69 over the 7,393-yard, par-72 Old Corkscrew layout in Monday’s final round to share first place with the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley’s Alex Summers, a redshirt junior from England, and Lafayette’s Will Halamandaris, a senior from Crownsville, Md. who was competing as an individual, each landing on 4-under 212.

   Summers, who led UT-Rio Grande Valley to the team crown, claimed the individual title in the playoff.

   O’Brien was coming off a stunning final round of 10-under 61 at the Kilmarlic Golf Club in Donell’s Point, N.C. that gave him the individual title in the ODU/Outer Banks Intercollegiate. He wasn’t quite as explosive at Old Corkscrew, opening with a 1-under 71 and matching par with a 72 in Sunday’s double round before closing with a 69 that helped the Hawks claim runnerup honors to UT-Rio Grande Valley.

   Summers opened with a 3-over 75, but added a sparkling 4-under 68 in Sunday afternoon’s second round before matching O’Brien’s final-round 69 to join him and Halamandaris at 212.

   UT-Rio Grande Valley trailed Saint Joseph’s by three shots following Sunday’s double round as the Vaqueros opened with a 6-over 294 before matching par with a 288. UT-Rio Grande Valley then closed with a 4-under 284 for a 2-over 866 total that edged the Hawks by four shots.

   Saint Joseph’s opened with rounds of 2-over 290 and 1-over 289 to grab the lead following Sunday’s double round. The Hawks closed with a 3-over 291 for a 6-over 870 total.

   It was another 20 shots back to Incarnate Word in third place at 26-over 890. Incarnate Word struggled in the opening round with a 309 before shaving 20 shots off that with a 1-over 289 in Sunday afternoon’s second round and closing with a 4-over 292.

   Stetson was four more shots behind Incarnate Word in fourth place at 30-over 294. Stetson had rounds of 297 and 298 in Sunday’s double round before finishing up with a 302.

Lafayette and host Florida Gulf Coast finished in a tie for fifth place in the eight-team field, each landing on 33-over 897.

   The Leopards struggled in Sunday’s double round with rounds of 306 and 300 before closing with a solid 3-over 291 behind a 3-under 69 from sophomore Ryan Tall, a Central League champion as a junior at Conestoga and the winner of the 2018 Golf Association of Philadelphia Junior Boys’ Championship. Florida Gulf Coast opened with a 303 before adding a pair of 9-over 297s.

   Backing up Summers for UT-Rio Grande Valley was Tae Itthivatchai, a senior from Thailand who finished alone in fourth place at 3-under 213, a shot behind the trio that tied for first place.  Itthivatahai opened with a 74 and added a 1-under 71 before closing with a final round of 4-under 68 that was the best round of the day in Monday’s windup.

   Rassrikanesh Kanavathi, a freshman from Malaysia, ended up among the group tied for 12^th place at 6-over 222 after closing with a 2-over 74. Kanavathi had matched par in the opening round with a 72 before adding a 76 in Sunday afternoon’s second round.

   Luca Portelli, a senior from Italy landed in the group tied for 15^th at 7-over 223 as he opened with a 1-over 73 and added a 74 before closing with a 76. Henry Fisher, a senior from Houston, made it five players inside the top 20 for the Vaqueros as he closed with a solid 1-over 73, a crucial final counter for UT-Rio Grande Valley, that left him among the group tied for 20^th place at 10-over 226.

   Halamandaris is the reigning Patriot League champion, but he had struggled this fall and joined the Leopards at Old Corkscrew as an individual. He proceeded to find his form, opening with a 1-under 71 and matching par with a 72 before closing with a 3-under 69 that enabled him to join UT-Rio Grande Valley’s Summers and Saint Joseph’s O’Brien at the top of the individual leaderboard.

   Backing up O’Brien for Saint Joseph’s was sophomore J.T. Spina, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier in each of his final two seasons at Pope John Paul II who finished alone in fifth place at 2-under 214. After opening with a 74, Spina carded a 1-under 71 in Sunday afternoon’s second round before matching O’Brien’s final round of 3-under 69.

   Incarnate Word’s John Hill, a senior from McQueeney, Texas, was two shots behind Spina in sixth place at even-par 216. Hill got into contention for the individual title with a 3-under 69 in Sunday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 1-over 73.

   Senior Richard Riva, who starred scholastically at Lancaster Catholic, gave Saint Joseph’s a third finisher inside the top seven as he shared seventh place with Florida Gulf Coast’s Doug Smith, a senior from Windermere, Fla., at 3-over 219.

   With rounds of 2-under 70 and even-par 72, Riva held the individual lead at the end of Sunday’s double round before backing off with a final-round 77. Smith got progressively better with each round, opening with a 74 and adding a 73 before matching par in the final round with a 72.

   Lafayette’s Tall earned a top-10 finish with his final-round 69 as he ended up in a tie for ninth place with Bethune-Cookman’s Christian Hovstadius, a senior from Sweden who was competing as an individual, at 4-over 220.

   Tall had opened with rounds of 75 and 76 in Sunday’s double round before getting it going in Monday’s final round. Hovstadius was among the contenders for the individual title after matching par in the opening round with a 72 and adding a 1-under 71 in Sunday afternoon’s second round before falling back with a final-round 77.

   Saint Joseph’s had a fourth player inside the top 18 as senior Tommy Lewis, a Central Bucks East product, finished among the group tied for 18^th place at 225. Lewis opened with a 3-over 75 and added a 74 in Sunday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 76.

   Rounding out the St. Joe’s lineup was junior Wills Montgomery, who starred scholastically at Downingtown East. Montgomery, who has been solid this fall, finished among the group tied for 27^th place at 228. He opened with a 3-over 75 and added a 76 in Sunday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with a 77.

   Looks like the Hawks and the rest of the City 6 will get typically chilly weather for Saturday’s City 6 Championship. Looks like defending champion Temple is hosting at Huntingdon Valley Country Club. Even a calm day in the low 40s will probably feel warm compared to last year’s blustery day at Galloway National Golf Club at the Jersey Shore.

   Florida Gulf Coast also got a strong showing from junior J.T. Barker, a Bethlehem Catholic product who finished among the group tied for 23^rd place at 227. Barker shaved four shots off an opening-round 78 with a 2-over 74 in Sunday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 75.