James Madison edges Campbell by a shot to take team title in Intercollegiate at Innisbrook

   James Madison, behind a tie for fifth place from Nick Schlickenrieder, a sophomore from Sweden, edged Campbell by a shot to capture the team title in the Intercollegiate at Innisbrook, which wrapped up Tuesday at the Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, Fla.

   It was the third tournament win of the fall campaign for the Dukes, who came into the Intercollegiate at Innisbrook at No. 40 in the latest Golfstat rankings.

   James Madison, which finished third in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship last spring, opened with a 2-over 286 over the 7,209-yard, par-71 Copperhead Course before adding the best team round of the tournament, an 8-under 276 in the second round of Monday’s double round. The Dukes closed with a 2-under 282, the best team round of Tuesday’s final round for an 8-under 844 total.

   Reigning Big South champion Campbell, ranked 42^nd, had shared the lead with James Madison after Monday’s double round, the Camels carding a pair of 3-under 281s. A final round of 1-under 283 left Campbell just a shot behind James Madison with a 7-under 845 total.

   The Copperhead Course is also the site of The American Championship in the spring and several American Athletic Conference teams took advantage of the chance for their players to familiarize themselves with the course.

   Reigning American champion Memphis and South Florida, whose four-year reign atop the American was snapped by the Tigers last spring, finished in a tie for third place at 2-over 854, nine shots behind Campbell. Memphis, ranked 47^th, opened with a 3-over 287 and added a solid 6-under 278 before closing with a 5-over 289. South Florida, ranked 41^st, opened with a 2-under 282 and added a 1-over 285 before closing with a 3-over 287.

   Another perennial American power, Houston, at 39^th the highest-ranked team in the field, shared fifth place with American rival East Carolina, each landing on 12-over 864, 10 shots behind Memphis and South Florida.

   Houston sandwiched a solid 4-under 280 in Monday afternoon’s second round with a pair of 8-over 292s. No. 68 East Carolina opened with a 6-over 290 and added a 4-over 288 before closing with a 2-over 286.

   Delaware, a CAA rival of James Madison’s, finished in 11^th place at 38-over 890. The Blue Hens opened with a 295 and added a 5-over 289 before struggling to a 306 in the final round.

   Temple’s fifth-place finish with a veteran team in last spring’s American Championship was its highest ever in the conference championship. Back at Innisbrook this week, the Owls finished in a tie for 13^th place with William & Mary in the 16-team field with a 50-over 902 total. Temple struggled a little in the opening round with a 305. The Owls added a 299 in Monday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 298 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Schlickenrieder sandwiched a 3-under 68 with a pair of 1-over 72s to finish with a 1-under 212 total that left him in the tie for fifth place, a career-high finish. Schlickenrieder went 2-under over the final seven holes, which helped lift the Dukes to the team title.

   Nacho Montero, a junior from Spain, backed up Schlickenrieder as he finished in the group tied for 20^th place at 3-over 216, closing with a sparkling 2-under 69. Montero had opened with rounds of 3-over 74 and 1-under 70 in Monday’s double round.

   Freshman Neal Shipley, a member of Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s PIAA Class AAA championship team a year ago, had the Dukes’ best round for the final day, a 3-under 68 that left him among the group tied for 18^th place at 2-over 215. Shipley’s 3-under 68 was also James Madison’s best in the opening round, but he struggled to a 79 in Monday afternoon’s second round.

   Walker Cress, a senior from Concord, N.C., and George Heath, a sophomore from England, both landed among the group tied for 26^th place at 4-over 217.

   Cress opened with a throw-out 75, but came up huge for the Dukes in the final two rounds, firing a 2-under 69 in Monday afternoon’s second round and closing with a 2-over 73. Birdies at the 18^th hole by Schlickenrieder and Cress proved to be the difference down the stretch for James Madison.

   Heath had solid rounds of 1-over 72 and 2-under 69 in Monday’s double round, although his final-round 76 was a throw-out for the Dukes.

   Campbell’s Pontus Nyholm, a junior from Sweden, put together three rounds in the 60s to claim the individual title with a 9-under 204 total. Nyholm opened with a 4-under 67 and added a 3-under 68 before closing with a 2-under 69.

   Memphis’ Isaiah Jackson, a senior from Golden, Miss., rode the best individual round of the tournament, a sizzling 6-under 65 in Monday afternoon’s second round, to a runnerup finish at 7-under 206. Jackson opened with a 1-under 70 and matched par in the final round with a 71.

   Maryland’s Peter Knade, a senior from Easton, Md., had the lead after Monday’s double round as added a 4-under 67 to a sparkling opening round of 5-under 66. Knade closed with a 3-over 74 to finish alone in third place with a 6-under 207 total. Knade finished in a tie for ninth in last spring’s Big Ten Championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course.

   East Carolina’s A.J. Beechler, a sophomore from Pinehurst, N.C., finished alone in fourth place at 5-under 208. After matching par in the opening round with a 71, Beechler added rounds of 3-under 68 and 2-under 69.

   Joining James Madison’s Schlickenrieder in the tie for fifth place at 1-under 212 was Memphis’ Rodi Vlasveld, a senior from the Netherlands who matched par in each of his Monday rounds with a pair of 71s before closing with a 1-under 70.

   Delaware was led by Roberto Nieves, a sophomore from Miami, Fla. who finished in the group tied for 20^th place at 3-over 216. Nieves had solid rounds of even-par 71 and 1-under 70 in Monday’s double round before closing with a 4-over 75.

   Michal Bargenda, a freshman from Poland finished in the group tied for 48^th place at 10-over 223 after closing with a 5-over 76. Bargenda’s best round was a 1-over 72 in Monday afternoon’s second round. Matt Pulgini, a sophomore from Middletown, Del., carded a pair of 2-over 73s in Monday’s double round, but struggled to a 79 in Tuesday’s final round to end up in the group tied for 61^st place at 225.

   Senior Jack Melville, who starred scholastically at Upper Dublin, finished among the group tied for 71^st place at 229. Melville opened with a 79 and added s 3-over 74 before closing with a 76. Senior R.J Wren, who finished in a tie for seventh in the PIAA Class AAA Championship as a senior at Twin Valley, ended up alone in 82^nd place at Innisbrook with a 233 total. Wren followed up a pair of 76s in Monday’s double round with a final-round 81.

   Temple was led by junior Dawson Anders, a Souderton standout who won the 2017 Golf Association of Philadelphia Junior Boys’ Championship. Anders closed with a 2-over 73 to finish in the group tied for 44^th place with a 9-over 222 total. Anders had rounds of 74 and 75 in Monday’s double round.

   Sophomore Conor McGrath, an Academy of the New Church product who has had a solid fall campaign, matched par in the final round with a 71 to finish among the group tied for 54^th place at 224. Conor McGrath had rounds of 76 and 77 in Monday’s double round. Graham Chase, a freshman from Charlotte, N.C., closed with a 5-over 76 to end up in the group tied for 67^th place at 228. Chase carded a solid 2-over 73 in Monday afternoon’s second round.

   Senior Liam McGrath, like younger brother Conor an Academy of the New Church product, closed with a 78 to finish among the group tied for 75^th place at 230. Rounding out the Temple lineup was Danny Nguyen, a freshman from Vietnam who finished alone in 85^th place at 237 after struggling to a final round of 83. Nguyen had rounds of 78 and 76 in Monday’s double round.

   Helping the cause for Maryland was freshman Austin Barbin of Elkton, Md., who captured the GAP Junior Boys’ crown at Coatesville Country Club last summer and teed it up in both the U.S. Junior Amateur at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio and the U.S. Amateur at the Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C. Barbin sandwiched a 3-over 74 in Monday afternoon’s second round with a pair of 1-over 72s to finish among the group tied for 29^th place at 5-over 218.