Wildcats post top-10 finish at South Florida Inv.

Monday, March 11

Tampa, Fla.

Abilene Christian

USF Invitational

An Abilene Christian golf bag rests outside the putting green at the Southland Conference Championship.

Photo by: Southland Conference

Wildcats post top-10 finish at South Florida Inv.

3/12/2019 8:03:00 PM | Men's Golf

Final Results

TAMPA, Florida — The ACU Wildcats couldn't maintain their first-round momentum Tuesday as they finished the 54-hole University of South Florida Invitational in ninth place after shooting a final round 307.

The Wildcats opened the tournament Monday with a first-round 8-over-par 296 and then were on pace for about the same kind of round on the next 36 holes before play was stopped because of darkness. ACU finished its second round early Tuesday morning at 11-over-par 299, moving up to seventh place at 19-over-par 587.

But the third round at the par-72, 7,004-yard Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club wasn't as kind to the Wildcats, who never could get any momentum going in Tuesday's final round. ACU finished at 19-over-par 307 in the final round to card a 38-over-par 902 to finish ninth.

"We struggled to maintain momentum in all three rounds," ACU head coach Tom Shaw said. "There was usually a point in each round where all of the guys were playing well and on the verge of putting together something special. But on each occasion, we promptly gave back whatever momentum we had built.

It was usually a roller coaster ride every round and that was certainly accentuated by all the guys playing together in one group. You could really feel the swings in energy and emotion, both positive and negative."

The 22nd-ranked Bulls of South Florida won their own tournament championship by firing rounds of 279-293-282 to finish at 10-under-par 854. Illinois State and Elon tied for second at 2-over-par 866, followed by Mercer at 9-over-par 873 and Southern Illinois at 13-over-part 877.

ACU defeated fellow Southland Conference competitor Central Arkansas in the final team standings as the Bears finished in 11th at 48-over-par 912.

Bryce Dooley was ACU's top finisher as he checked in tied for 24th at 6-over-par 222, followed by Garrett Glanton (tied for 33rd at 10-over-par 226), Francisco Osio (tied for 35th at 11-over-par 227), Daniel Seibert (tied for 57th at 17-over-par 233) and Chase Allison (tied for 70th at 23-over-par 239).

The Wildcats will be off for a couple of weeks before returning to competition at The Big Texan (March 25-26) at Comanche Trace Golf Course in Kerrville.