HPU Men’s Golf Finishes Tied for Eighth at the Coca-Cola Invitational

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The High Point University men’s golf team shot a combined 296 in the third and final round of the Coca-Cola Invitational on Tuesday to finish in a tie for eighth out of 18 teams with a total score of 872 at the Country Club of Spartanburg in Spartanburg, S.C. Senior Curtis Brotherton had the low round of the day with a one-under 71.

“We still seem to be struggling with the last round of tournaments,” head coach J.B. White said. “I still feel good about the way we are playing overall heading into the conference tournament. I was proud of the way Curtis played today and the way that Chase played throughout the tournament. Overall I am really pleased with how the whole team is playing. We just need to get back and spend some time working on out short game before the championship next week.”

Brotherton finished the Invitational in a tie for 25th with a total 54-hole score of 219 (74-74-71). Junior Chase Wilson shot an even-par 72 on Tuesday and was High Point’s top finisher with a three-round score of 212 (69-71-72) leaving him in seventh. The three-round score by Wilson is his second-lowest of the season.

Freshman Charles Valluzzo carded a 76 in the third round to finish in a tie for 32nd with a total score of 220 (73-71-76) while fellow freshman Sam Stewart shot a 77 and finished in a tie for 41st with a 54-hole score of 222 (70-75-77). Senior Thomas McLellan turned in an 83 in the final round and finished in a tie for 86th place with a total score of 235 (73-70-83).

Charleston Southern shot a combined 279 in the final round to finish atop the team standings with a three-round score on 841. The Buccaneers’ final score is a new 54-hole tournament record, besting the previous record of 847 which was set by ETSU in 2010. CSU won by 10 strokes over two-time defending champion ETSU which finished with a score of 851. Campbell (861), Wofford (291) and Longwood (870) rounded out the top five.

Day-one leader Vaita Guillaume of Campbell shot a one-under 71 on Tuesday to clinch the individual medal with a tournament-record score of 204. Guillaume broke the previous 54-hole record of 205 which was set by Wake Forest’s Michael Capone in 1999. Charleston Southern’s Jacob Pastor tied the previous record and finished one-stroke back of Guillaume in second place with a score of 205 while teammate Ross Thomson finished in third with a three-round score of 208.

With the regular season finished, HPU will next head back to the Patriot Golf Club for the Big South Men’s Golf Championship beginning on Monday, April 16. The Panthers are the No. 8-seeded team and will tee-off beginning at 8 a.m., along with Radford and Presbyterian College.