University of North Florida
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UNF finishes 8th, Alabama wins
John Hayt Collegiate Invitational
2/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Feb. 20, 2007
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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -
The
Alabama golf team captured its first ever John Hayt
Collegiate Invitational on Tuesday, finishing with a
team score of 881, 10 strokes ahead of Vanderbilt and
Coastal Carolina. UCLA's Kevin Chappell won
individual medalist honors, beating out Vanderbilt's
John Curran by a stroke.
Host UNF finished the tournament eighth with a team
score of 900, one stroke behind a group of four teams
that finished tied for fourth.
"Normally a score of 293 on the final day would be
pretty good," UNF head coach Scott Schroeder
said. "But we were only one shot out of fourth and two
strokes out of a solo fourth-place finish. We just need
to learn how to save a few strokes."
UNF had its game going early, and looked to be
heading to a top-five finish until the back nine did the
Ospreys in. Michael O'Neal was the only Osprey
without a bogey on the final nine holes, coming in with
a 33 to shoot 70 on the day. The round was the best of
the week for UNF. Jeff Dennis and Michael Giammaresi both had top-five finishes in their sites
until coming to the back nine. Dennis closed with two
double bogeys and a triple bogey to shoot 76, while
Giammaresi bogeyed holes 11-14 and 18 to shoot a
74.
Giammaresi hung on to finish tied for eighth, while
Dennis tied for 11th.
Freshman J.C. Horne was 1-under on the back nine,
shooting a 73 to help keep UNF in it, while Gavin Cambre rounded out the scoring with a 78.
Chappell looked as though he would run away with
the individual title, getting it to 5-under par at one point.
He couldn't avoid a late-round stumble, however,
making for some nervous moments in the clubhouse
after he shot a 69 and was 2-under-par for the
tournament.
"Today was a battle," Chappell said. "It was a waiting
game near the end. I've never had to wait for 10
groups to finish to find out if I had won an event. I jut
gave myself opportunities at the end. I had eight looks
at birdie today and made three of them."
Alabama didn't have to grip as hard down the stretch,
as it built a nice cushion on the final day, posting four
scores of 74 or better. Gator Todd led the group with a
fourth-place finish after matching the low round of the
week with a 69 on Tuesday.
"I have been fortunate to be at this tournament with
both Augusta State and Alabama and this is one of my
favorite tournaments," Alabama head coach Jay
Seawell said. "It means a great deal to me to have a
John Hayt Collegiate Invitational trophy because of all
that he has done for college golf."
The Crimson Tide led wire to wire and atoned for two
years ago when they held a four-stroke lead at this
event heading into the final round of play, but could not
hold on for the victory.
"The tournament went well overall," Schroeder said. "It
was another success. We need to continue to grow
this event and make it the best it can be."
The Ospreys will take a little time off before returning
to the General Jim Hackler Invitational March 10-11 in
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
