The KSU men’s golf team finished eighth at the Rees Jones Intercollegiate tournament in Daufuskie Island S.C. on Tuesday, Oct. 2.
The Owls were competing in their third consecutive Rees Jones Intercollegiate after winning the tournament twice the previous two seasons. The team edged tournament host South Carolina by four strokes to take the title last year. Owls senior Ben Greene, who was the individual runner up in that title run, and his team opened play at the par-72 Haig Point Golf Club on Monday morning.
“Haig Point on Daufuskie Island is one of our favorite trips every year,” head coach Jay Moseley said. “The golf course alone is one of the best courses I have ever seen and it is consistently ranked among the top private courses in the U.S. and the world.”
The team opened play with two extremely tough rounds. The Owls carded a 609, 33over par on the first 36 holes of tournament play. The defending champions sat in sixth place at the end of the first day of competition. They were 35 shots behind tournament leader Liberty University.
Jimmy Beck and Ben Greene led the Owls through the first two rounds of play. The duo finished Monday tied for ninth, both carding a two-round score of 149, with a 3 over par on the first round and 2 over par on the second round. Jonathan Klotz finished Monday tied for 23rd with a score of 152, while Carlos Segura Oliva carded a 161 and Peder Lunde Hermansson concluded with a 162.
Beck exploded in the final round. The sophomore was able to turn in a career best finish, shooting a3-over-par 219 on the 54-hole course. His birdie on the final hole Tuesday vaulted him into a tie for second place. With back-to-back top-five performances, the reigning Atlantic Sun Golfer of the Week is off to a tremendous start in the 2012-2013 season.
“I had a great finish to this tournament and I am very pleased with my game right now,” Beck said. “The course set up to my strength and I was able to capitalize on that.”
Greene, who was awarded the Owls of Excellence Award by KSU following his tournament finish, failed to break 80 on Tuesday, finishing tied for 28th. Klotz tied for 36th, while Oliva and Hermanson tied for 49th.
“Other than Jimmy, we struggled from tee to green,” Moseley said. “Jimmy’s performance was outstanding, but as a team, we have to improve in all aspects of our game. It is still early in the year so we have plenty of time to get better.”
