NINETY SIX, S.C. – The High Point University men’s golf team battled to elements to shoot a combined 298 in the third and final round of the Big South Championship, finishing in eighth place with a total score of 896 at the Patriot Golf Club in Ninety Six, S.C. Junior Chase Wilson finished in 17th with a three-over 219 (73-71-75) to lead HPU.
“It was pretty hard today,” head coach J.B. White said. “We came in and had to sit during the rain delay, eat and then went back out on the golf course. I am pretty sure it was tough for us to get emotionally back into the game. Still when we got to our last nine holes I think we played really well.”
Wilson shot 75 in the third round to post his best 54-hole score in three years at the Big South Championship. The junior had two birdies in the final five holes to finish the day three-over par. Senior Curtis Brotherton ended his final Big South Championship one-stroke back of Wilson after shooting a two-over 74 on Wednesday to finish in a tie for 18th with a score of 220 (78-68-74) over the three days.
Fellow senior Thomas McLellan matched Brotherton for the low round of the day with a two-over 74 to finish in a tie for 36th with a 54-hole score of 229 (79-76-74). Freshman Sam Stewart carded a 75 and finished in 40th with a total score of 232 (78-79-75) while freshman Charles Valluzzo shot a 79 and finished in 41st with a total score of 233 (76-78-79).
The third round was marked by a steady rain throughout the day which forced an almost two-hour delay midway through the round due to several greens being deemed unplayable.
Liberty turned in the low round of the day with a one-over 289 to claim its second-straight team championship. The Flames finished with a three-day score of 844 to set a new Big South Championship record. LU finished 10-strokes ahead of runner-up Coastal Carolina which shot a combined 854 in the three-day tournament. Charleston Southern finished in third with a total score of 859 while Campbell (866) and Winthrop (879) rounded out the top five.
Liberty’s Robert Karlsson shot a three-under 69 on Wednesday to pass 36-hole leader Daniel Kim of Gardner-Webb for the individual title, finishing with a 10-under 206. The senior has won two of the past three Big South crowns. He is only the third player in Big South history to win multiple conference titles.
Karlsson finished two-strokes up on Kim who came in second with a score of 208. Jacobo Pastor finished third with a 54-hole score of 210.
The Big South Championship marks the end of the 2011-12 season for the HPU men’s golf team.