WINTER HAVEN - Ahead by only one stroke at the start of play on Tuesday, 5th-ranked Nova Southeastern was able to hold off #13 Barry to win the Sunshine State Conference championship by five strokes. The Sharks Greg O'Mahony had a slightly more difficult finish, but he too brought a trophy back to Davie by defeating Florida Southern's Brian Richey in a playoff for medalist honors.
Nova won its third SSC title in the last five years. The Sharks were able to pull ahead late Monday with a second-round score of 275, then came out Tuesday and shot a 283. That was four strokes better than Barry. Both teams got a 68 from their top golfers on Tuesday (Byron White for Nova, Chris Carlin for Barry), but Jack Bartlett's 69 for the Sharks was three strokes better than the number two golfer for the Buccaneers.
O'Mahony, whose second-round 66 included a hole-in-one, shot a 71 in Tuesday's final round, and captured the SSC individual title for the second year in a row, and for the second year in a row it came during a playoff involving a golfer from Florida Southern.
Last year, it was Jude Eustaquio; this year it was Brian Richey. With the help of one eagle and six birdies, Richey blistered the course with a seven-under par 65. His eagle came on his 16th hole of the day, the par-five #1, a hole that O'Mahony started with Tuesday and shot even par. That was enough to get the score tied, but O'Mahony responded in the playoff with a putt for birdie on the par-five #18 that gave him the win.
Nova Southeastern's final score of 16-under par was certainly impressive, but the Sharks were one of three teams in the field to break par in the tournament. Barry finished at 11-under, and host Florida Southern was five-under.
The 6th-ranked Moccasins had the best final round score of 274, and in fact it was the best round of the tournament for any team. Richey's score helped, but the Mocs also got a 67 from Eustaquio and a 69 from Matt Stauch. Robert Gleixner was their final counter with a one-over par 73. The Mocs were the only team in the tournament to have three players shoot in the 60’s in the same round.
Those scores got Florida Southern to third place in the final standings after the Mocs had started with a 297 in the opening round. They began the final round in fourth place, trailing Rollins by seven shots, but ended up 13 strokes ahead of the Tars at the end of the tournament. Instead of Rollins finishing fourth, it was Lynn, but the Mocs were still 12 strokes ahead of them.
Up next for several teams from the Sunshine State Conference will be the NCAA Regional Tournament, to be played in Florence, Alabama from May 4-6.
FINAL RESULTS
2009 Men's SSC Tournament
Lake Region Yacht & CC - Winter Haven,FL
** Playoff Winner
Dates: 04/20 - 04/21 (Today:04-21-2009)
Par: 72 Yardage: 6556
Fin. School Scores
1 Nova Southeastern U. 290 275 283 848 -16
2 Barry University 286 280 287 853 -11
3 Florida Southern Col 297 288 274 859 -5
4 Lynn University 295 291 285 871 +7
5 Rollins College 293 285 294 872 +8
T6 Florida Inst of Tech 302 296 295 893 +29
T6 Eckerd College 292 302 299 893 +29
8 Tampa, U. of 304 303 302 909 +45
9 St. Leo University 309 303 303 915 +51
Fin. Name School Scores
**1 Greg O'Mahony Nova SE 70 66 71 207 -9
2 Brian Richey Fl. South 71 71 65 207 -9
3 Carlos Velez Barry U. 72 66 72 210 -6
4 Steven Brame Lynn U. 71 72 68 211 -5
Byron White Nova SE 73 70 68 211 -5
J.D. Guinney Rollins 71 68 72 211 -5
7 Chris Carlin Barry U. 74 70 68 212 -4
8 Victor Billskoog Barry U. 69 72 72 213 -3
9 Jude Eustaquio Fl. South 76 71 67 214 -2
10 Jack Bartlett Nova SE 71 76 69 216 E
11 Marcus Williams Lynn U. 77 68 72 217 +1
12 Matt Stauch Fl. South 78 71 69 218 +2
13 Ben Vertz Nova SE 76 68 75 219 +3
14 Jordan Lewis Rollins 73 73 74 220 +4
Lance Gillett FL Tech 73 71 76 220 +4
Daniel Stapff Barry U. 71 72 77 220 +4
Hunter Stone Rollins 74 73 73 220 +4
18 Patricio Salem Lynn U. 77 75 69 221 +5
Robert Gleixner Fl. South 72 76 73 221 +5
20 Colin Dolph Rollins 75 72 75 222 +6
Fin. School Scores
1 Nova Southeastern U. 290 275 283 848
1 Greg O'Mahony 70 66 71 207
4 Byron White 73 70 68 211
10 Jack Bartlett 71 76 69 216
13 Ben Vertz 76 68 75 219
41 Bobby Bode 80 71 81 232
2 Barry University 286 280 287 853
3 Carlos Velez 72 66 72 210
7 Chris Carlin 74 70 68 212
8 Victor Billskoog 69 72 72 213
T 14 Daniel Stapff 71 72 77 220
25 Preston Roberts 75 75 75 225
3 Florida Southern Col 297 288 274 859
2 Brian Richey 71 71 65 207
9 Jude Eustaquio 76 71 67 214
12 Matt Stauch 78 71 69 218
T 18 Robert Gleixner 72 76 73 221
T 35 Danny Evelyn 79 75 75 229
4 Lynn University 295 291 285 871
T 4 Steven Brame 71 72 68 211
11 Marcus Williams 77 68 72 217
T 18 Patricio Salem 77 75 69 221
T 21 Chris Goldan 71 76 76 223
T 35 David Rose 76 77 76 229
5 Rollins College 293 285 294 872
T 4 J.D. Guinney 71 68 72 211
T 14 Jordan Lewis 73 73 74 220
T 14 Hunter Stone 74 73 73 220
20 Colin Dolph 75 72 75 222
T 28 James McDonough 79 72 76 227
T 6 Florida Inst of Tech 302 296 295 893
T 14 Lance Gillett 73 71 76 220
T 21 Kyle Westhorpe 77 74 72 223
T 26 Colin Fabbi 78 75 73 226
T 35 Ryan Borroso 79 76 74 229
40 Robert Schmidt 74 78 79 231
T 6 Eckerd College 292 302 299 893
T 21 Callum Georgallides 75 72 76 223
T 28 Thomas Mathiassen 69 83 75 227
T 32 Luca Bell 79 76 73 228
T 32 Matt Baker 74 75 79 228
T 32 Ryan Cuitino 74 79 75 228
8 Tampa, U. of 304 303 302 909
T 28 Ryan Barnett 75 74 78 227
T 28 Kris Shane 72 76 79 227
T 35 Chad Bouchard 79 77 73 229
T 35 Nicolas Jutigny 78 76 75 229
44 Kyle Roy 83 78 76 237
9 St. Leo University 309 303 303 915
T 21 Cole Cisbani 75 74 74 223
T 26 Mark McGuire 78 73 75 226
42 Tom Lynn 79 76 79 234
43 JP Albuquerque 77 80 78 235
45 Tom Crawford 81 82 76 239
