The second annual MyrtleBeachGolfTrips.com Intercollegiate featured a final-round rally from Florida Atlantic University to win the team competition and a dominant performance by Coastal Carolina University junior Jack Lee in the battle for medalist honors at the Grande Dunes Resort Course.
(Team Leaderboard; Individual Leaderboard)
Lee fired an opening-round 65 on Sunday to lead wire-to-wire en route to his first collegiate victory. He shot a second-round 66 to stake himself to a six-shot lead
entering Tuesday’s final round, and he closed with a 1-under 71 to finish the 54-hole event at 14-under par, two strokes clear of Florida Atlantic’s Biagio Gagliardi.
“It was just phenomenal,” Coastal Carolina coach Jacob Wilner said of Lee’s play. “He putted extremely well; he drove it well. You know, it’s really difficult to try to close off a golf tournament and he stayed patient. He hit a lot of quality golf shots out there today and ended up getting the win.”
The victory for the Englishman was made even sweeter by the presence of his parents, who traveled from London to see their son play for only the second time as a collegian.
“It means a lot,” Lee said of his parents being in attendance. “I mean, my parents have travelled three and a half thousand miles just to come and watch this event.”
They watched their son make 15 birdies and an eagle over three days as he overpowered the Roger Rulewich design.
“I drove the ball the best I have for a long time,” said Lee, who made the winning putt in a sudden-death playoff last spring to clinch the Sun Belt Conference championship and earn the Chanticleers a spot in the NCAA Championships. “Just around this golf course, hitting it long and straight sets up a lot of opportunities.”
Florida Atlantic entered the third round four shots behind Florida Gulf Coast University, but the Owls erased the deficit with a blistering 14-under final round – the lowest team score of the week – to surge past FGCU and Clemson. In addition to Gagliardi’s final-round 7-under 65, NaShawn Tyson fired a final-round 66 and finished tied for third individually.
“I’m proud of the boys,” said Florida Atlantic coach Adrien Mork, whose team finished at 26-under par. “We still have a young team, and they’re getting better. Last year, we didn’t really finish the way we did today, so I’m proud of the guys. They really stepped up and had a great run today, so it’s exciting.”
FGCU and Clemson finished tied for second at 17-under while Coastal Carolina, the host, finished fourth with a team score of 14-under.
Clemson’s highly touted freshman Jackson Byrd, the son of 5-time PGA Tour winner Jonathan Byrd, finished tied for 19th in his collegiate debut after shooting 2-under par.
Grande Dunes, one of South Carolina’s premier public courses, stretches to 7,600 yards and features five holes along the Intracoastal Waterway, including the signature par-3 14th. With wide fairways, bold greens complexes, and stunning views, it’s an ideal venue to challenge America’s best young players.
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