Led by four seniors, including individual champion Claudio
Correa of Chile, South Florida rolled to a decisive 20-shot victory for its
fourth straight team title in The American Championship, which concluded
Tuesday at the Innisibrook Resort’s Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, Fla.
The Bulls, No. 21st in the latest Golfstat rankings, led from start to
finish, opening with an even-par 284 over the challenging 7,125-yard, par-71
Copperhead Course layout last Sunday and adding a pair of 5-under 279s for a
10-under 842 total. SMU closed with a solid 4-under 280 to claim runnerup
honors at 10-over 862.
Central Florida finished with a 3-under 281 to end up in
third at 865, three shots behind the Mustangs. It was another six shots back to
Memphis, which also closed well with a 2-under 282 to finish fourth at 871.
Cincinnati finished fifth at 21-over 873 after a final round
of 4-over 288, Houston took sixth at 23-over 875 after a final round of 1-over
285 and East Carolina was seventh at 25-over 877 after a final round of 6-over
290.
Temple finished eighth, one spot better than a year ago, at
30-over 882, five shots behind East Carolina. The Owls opened with a 12-over
296 Sunday, added a 7-over 291, their best round of the tournament, and
finished up with an 11-over 295.
It was a fitting conclusion to their South Florida careers for
Correa and three other seniors, Cristian DiMarco of Longwood, Fla., Jimmy Jones
of Tampa, Fla., and Priyanshu Singh of India, all of whom finished in the top
eight.
Correa opened with an even-par 71, then added a 4-under 67
before finishing up with a 2-under 69 to capture the individual title by three
shots over DiMarco, Jones and Cincinnati’s Davis Baxter, a senior form Nolensville,
Tenn., at 6-under 207.
DiMarco, the son of former PGA Tour standout Chris DiMarco,
who quite famously lost to Tiger Woods in a playoff at the 2005 Masters, the
last of Woods’ four Masters wins, also opened with an even-par 71, then added a
2-under 69 before closing with a 1-under 70 to get his share of second place at
3-under 210. He finished alone in second at last year’s conference
championship.
Jones also matched par in the opening round before adding a
1-under 70 and a 2-under 69 to get it to 3-under. Jones finished tied for third
at last year’s conference championship.
Singh sandwiched a 2-over 73 with a pair of even-par 71s to
finish in the group tied for eighth at 2-over 215.
Rounding out the South Florida lineup was Kyle Flexsenhar, a
sophomore from Lake Mary, Fla. who sandwiched a 2-over 73 with a pair of 75s to
finish among the group tied for 32nd at 10-over 223.
Cincinnati’s Baxter reeled off three consecutive 1-under 70s
to earn his share of second place with South Florida’s DiMarco and Jones at
3-under 210.
A couple of SMU players, Gray Townsend, a senior from
Winston-Salem, N.C., and McClure Meissner, a freshman from San Antonio., Texas,
both landed at even-par 213 and finished tied for fifth. After opening with a
1-over 72, Townsend carded a 1-under 70 before finishing up with an even-par
71. Meissner was similarly steady, opening up with an even-par 71 and adding a
1-over 72 before finishing up with a 1-under 70.
Central Florida’s Manuel Elvira, a senior from Spain,
finished alone in seventh at 1-over 214. After a pair of 1-over 72s, Elvira
finished up with a 1-under 70.
Temple was led by Trey Wren, a junior from Suffolk, Va. who
finished among the group tied for 15th at 5-over 218. After opening
with a 5-over 76, Wren, who has struggled at times this spring, finished his season
strong with a pair of even-par 71s.
John Barone, a redshirt junior from Dunmore, finished in the
group tied for 30th at 9-over 222 after a final-round 76. Junior Gary
McCabe, who played on some strong teams at Catholic League power La Salle High,
finished among the group tied for 32nd at 10-over 223 after also finishing
up with a 76.
Senior Mark Farley, a Calvary Christian product, saved his
best for last, a 1-over 72 in his final round as an Owl that left him in the group
tied for 43rd at 227.
Freshman Dawson Anders, the Souderton product who was the
Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Boys’ champion last summer, hit the
wall after opening with a solid 2-over 73. Anders carded a 79 in Monday’s second
round before posting a final-round 81 to finish alone in 48th at
233.
It was interesting to watch Temple head coach Brian Quinn
juggle his lineup all season, trying to find the best five to take to
Innisbrook. And I think he found them.
Wren has established himself as Temple’s best player since
Brandon Matthews finished up his outstanding career in Cherry and White. Wren,
Barone and McCabe were in the lineup for The American Championship a year ago
and deserved to be there again.
Whenever Farley was challenged, he would respond in much the
same way he did in the final two rounds at
Innisbrook with rounds of 74 and 72 in his final two trips around the Copperhead
Course.
Anders took his lumps at times, like any freshman would, but also
showed flashes of brilliance. Quinn stuck him in the lineup early and stuck
with him. Adding the experience he gained this year with the talent he
displayed should make Anders a fixture in the Temple lineup for the next few
springs.
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