MOBILE, Ala. ? Hosting the Palmer’s Toyota Fall Intercollegiate proved to be a win-win situation for the University of South Alabama men’s golf team Tuesday.
For the third straight round the Jaguars posted the lowest score among the 13-team field at the Azalea City Golf Club, wrapping up a 21-stroke victory over Austin Peay led by first-time medalist Marc-Etienne Bussieres. The junior shot a 4-under-par 68 over the final 18 holes ? his third straight sub-70 total ? to hold off a pair of challengers and win USA’s season-opening event with a two-day score of 11-under-par 205.
“The conditions were much harder today, so I’m excited that we were able to still shoot 6-under-par as a team,” USA head coach Ben Hannan stated. “And, we had some great performances to go one-two individually.”
The Jags carded a team score of 282 on the par-72, 6,850-yard course, finishing 30-under-par for the tournament with a three-round total of 834. In addition to Bussieres’ performance, Jack Hiluta carded a 2-under-par 70, and both Cody Klein and Grant Price recorded even-par rounds on the final day.
It was USA’s first win since claiming the 2005 Sun Belt Conference championship.
Bussieres, who posted rounds of 69 and 68 on the opening day of the event, entered play in second place among the field of 87 individuals, three shots back. He birdied the second and third holes Tuesday, but gave back the strokes on a pair of par fours and made the turn with an even-par 36 over the front nine.
But, a four at the par-5 11th hole sparked a string of three straight birdies as he moved to 10-under par when he carded a two on the 157-yard 13th. Bussieres then added another birdie on No. 16 to shoot a 32 over the final nine holes.
His previous best finish was a third-place effort at the 2007 USA Spring Golf Classic, when he tied for third.
“I was even-par after the first nine. I didn’t know where I stood, but figured I needed to step up,” said Bussieres, who was the only player in the tournament to record scores below 70 in each of the three rounds. “When I made the birdie at 11, I heard that I might have a chance to catch up. On both 12 and 13, I hit the approach within three feet of the cup and made the putts. It all happened pretty quickly.
“It’s really nice to win at home with so many friends around the course. It was very exciting.”
“Marc had a great summer, he has played that kind of golf the last few months,” Hannan added. “When the chips were down, he hit great shots and made putts. I’m really pleased for him, he’s developing into a super player ? this can really be a big boost for Marc.”
The event’s defending champion, Jaguar senior Daniel Burns, and Erik Barnes of Austin Peay finished two strokes behind Bussieres with a two-day total of 207, posting 9-under-par totals. Kennesaw State’s J.P. Putnam matched Bussieres for the lowest round of the day, using his 68 to move up to fourth, one stroke behind the pair. Hiluta rounded out the top five with a 210 total over the three rounds.
Actually, USA had five of its six individuals finish among the top 17. Price recorded a 2-under-par 214 to tie for 12th, while Klein’s three-round score of 217 was good enough to tie for 17th. Both were playing in their first event for the Jaguars.
David Leathem, also making his USA debut, had a two-day total of 222 as well.
APSU held off South Florida to post the runner-up finish with a 9-under-par score of 855, one stroke ahead of the Bulls. KSU ? whose 284 final-round total was second-best on the day ? ended fourth with a 4-under-par 860, and New Orleans placed fifth after shooting even par over the two days.
Kennesaw State started the final round in seventh place, but made the biggest move of the day.
The Jags next return to action when they take part in the Mason Rudolph Intercollegiate host by Vanderbilt Sept. 26-28 in Nashville.
“As exciting as this is, there are some things we need to focus on,” said Hannan. “We have to continue to get better, but you can see the confidence starting to grow.”
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
?USA?
Palmer’s Toyota Fall Intercollegiate
Azalea City Golf Club, Mobile, Ala.
Par 72, 6,850 yards
Team Scores: 1) South Alabama 278-274-282?834; 2) Austin Peay 281-280-294?855; 3) South Florida 287-282-287?856; 4) Kennesaw State 285-291-284?860; 5) New Orleans 289-285-290?864; 6) Belmont 290-284292?866; 7) Louisiana-Monroe 283-292-294?869; 8) Liberty 294-292-288?874; 9) Louisiana Tech 290-287-299?876; 10) West Florida 290-293-294?877; 11) Troy 294-298-297?889; 12) Tennessee State 304-301-298?903; 13) Nicholls State 303-301-309?913.
Individual Leaders: 1) Marc-Etienne Bussieres, USA 69-68-68?205; 2) Daniel Burns, USA 67-67-73?207 and Erik Barnes, APSU 68-70-69?207; 4) J.P. Putnam, KSU 68-72-68?208; 5) Jack Hiluta, USA 71-69-70?210; 6) Jose Toledo, UNO 71-71-70?212, Danny Amundson, BU 71-69-72?212 and Otto Bonning, UWF 70-69-73?212; 9) Robby Carl, USF 68-74-71?213, Michael Tulacz, KSU 70-72-71?213 and Raj Nahal, USF 73-69-71?213.
South Alabama Scores: 1) Marc-Etienne Bussieres 69-68-68?205; T2) Daniel Burns 67-67-73?207; 5) Jack Hiluta 71-69-70?210; T12) Grant Price 72-70-72?214; T17) Cody Klein 71-74-72?217; T40) David Leathem 74-70-78?222.
