LAKELAND â€" A near-record comeback by West Florida was enough to thwart Georgia College’s bid for a second straight Matlock title, while a near-record score by Billy Shida still gave Georgia College an individual champion for the second year in a row. The Argonauts shot a final round 279 to erase a nine-stroke deficit and capture the team title, and Shida posted his third straight round in the 60’s to clinch medalist honors at the 30th annual Matlock Collegiate Classic.
West Florida began the day in a tie for third place with Newberry (SC), trailing Georgia College by nine strokes. The Argonauts had been hurt by a 293 in the opening round, but came back with a 286 in the second. On Tuesday, they were even better, with their 279 the second best final round score ever shot at the Matlock Classic. Only Ohio State finished stronger with a final round 275 in 1992. It was still enough to enable West Florida to overcome the nine-stroke lead Georgia College held, making it the second largest final-round comeback in tournament history. In 1998, North Florida erased a 10-stroke lead by Augusta State on the final day.
The Argos were nearly unstoppable in winning their second tournament of the 2010-11 season. All four of their counters in the final round were under par, and they even threw out a 72. Otto Bonning and Carlos Rodriguez each shot a 69, Thomas Guste-Pederson carded a 70, and Blake Olson had a 71. Collectively, that group had 16 birdies and only six bogeys. The four Bobcat counters totaled 12 birdies and 12 bogeys, with a pair of doubles mixed in.
At the end of the day, Georgia College had to settle for second despite having a better total than last year when the Bobcats won the Matlock by a single stroke over Florida Southern. They were still two-under par for the tournament, the best score by a runner-up since Ohio State finished with the same score in 1998, but lost by two strokes as part of North Florida's record comeback.
Finshing in third place was host Florida Southern, which was remarkably consistent throughout the tournament with scores of 288, 288, and 289. That put the Moccasins at one-over and was their best performance in five tournaments this season. The defending national champs were led by Jude Eustaquio's one-under par 71, and a 72 from Shelton Smith. Spencer Baldwin and Lee White were Florida Southern's other two counters with scores of 73, and Baldwin joined Eustaquio as two of the 15 golfers in the field who broke par for the tournament.
Eustaquio was under par in every round and finished with a six-under 210 (70-69-71). Olson posted similar scores for West Florida, but both golfers had to take a back seat to Shida, who carded scores of 67, 69, and 69 to finish at -11 for the tournament. The last player in the Matlock Collegiate Classic to have three rounds in the 60's was Florida Southern's Darron Stiles in 1995, though Stiles had to settle for third place that year. It's only the seventh time it's happened in the 30 years the tournament has been played.
Shida's score was also one stroke off the tournament record set by Jeff Klauk of Florida Southern in 2000. He birdied the par-five #17, the longest hole on the course, to give himself a chance at the record, but came up a little short with a bogey on 18. It marked the second year in a row a golfer from Georgia College won the even, however, with Joe Young taking medalist honors in 2010. Young finished in a tie for seventh this year.
Florida Southern's next tournament will be March 4-6 at Lake Jovita when it takes part in the University of South Florida Invitational.
FINAL RESULTS          Matlock Collegiate Classic  Â
                        Lone Palm G. C.         Lakeland, FL Â
                        Dates: 02/14 - 02/15    (Today:02-15-2011)
                                  Par:       72              Â
                                  Yardage: 7065              Â
     Fin.  School                  ScoresÂ
        1  West Florida, U. of     293 286 279   858       -6
        2  Georgia College         285 285 292   862       -2
        3  Florida Southern Col    288 288 289   865       +1
        4  Barry University        291 292 284   867       +3
        5  Newberry College        285 294 290   869       +5
        6  Lynn University         296 288 286   870       +6
        7  Columbus State          294 286 295   875      +11
        8  Rollins College         296 298 283   877      +13
        9  Florida Inst of Tech    296 291 291   878      +14
       10  North Alabama, U. of    291 303 286   880      +16
       11  Valdosta St. U.         297 293 296   886      +22
       12  Nova Southeastern U.    295 298 294   887      +23
       13  Eckerd College          298 304 292   894      +30
       14  Lander University       294 306 303   903      +39
       15  Clayton State Univ.     320 317 312   949      +85
  Fin.  Name                  School      ScoresÂ
     1  Billy Shida           GA College   67  69  69   205 -11
     2  Jude Eustaquio        Fl. South    70  69  71   210  -6
         Blake Olson           W. Florida   69  70  71   210  -6
     4  Jose Joia             Lynn U.      70  71  70   211  -5
     5  Daniel Stanley        Newberry     69  71  72   212  -4
         Zach Potter           FL Tech      73  67  72   212  -4
     7  Joe Young             GA College   73  69  71   213  -3
         Spencer Baldwin       Fl. South    72  68  73   213  -3
         Marcus Segerstrom     Barry U.     72  71  70   213  -3
    10  Callum Georgallides   Eckerd       71  75  68   214  -2
         Bobby Bode            Nova SE      72  72  70   214  -2
    12  Otto Bonning          W. Florida   75  71  69   215  -1
         Carlos Rodriguez      W. Florida   76  70  69   215  -1
         Max DeCraecker        Rollins      68  75  72   215  -1
         Thad Wier             Lander U.    74  68  73   215  -1
    16  Ricardo Gouveia       Lynn U.      74  70  72   216   E
         Clarke Hendrick       ValdostaSt   71  69  76   216   E
         Justin Grice          CSU          74  69  73   216   E
    19  Spencer Cole          Rollins      75  72  70   217  +1
         Jake Greer            N. Alabama   69  74  74   217  +1
    21  Stephen Swanepoel     CSU          74  72  72   218  +2
         Marcelo Huarte        Barry U.     73  75  70   218  +2
         Matthew Campbell      Newberry     73  73  72   218  +2
         Guillermo Pumarol     Barry U.     73  72  73   218  +2
         Will Repko            ValdostaSt   75  72  71   218  +2
    26  Christian Westhorpe   FL Tech      72  74  73   219  +3
         Daniel Young          Lynn U.      76  73  70   219  +3
    28  Tyler Ekenberg        N. Alabama   74  76  70   220  +4
         T. Guste-Pedersen     W. Florida   73  77  70   220  +4
         Jeremy Britt          CSU          76  68  76   220  +4
    31  Daniel Stapff         Barry U.     73  74  74   221  +5
         Patrick Garrett       GA College   73  73  75   221  +5
         Patrick Sheedy        FL Tech      74  75  72   221  +5
         Matthew Killen        Newberry     70  75  76   221  +5
         Ben Lown              Newberry     76  75  70   221  +5
         Jeff Evanier          Eckerd       74  74  73   221  +5
    37  Lee White             Fl. South    71  78  73   222  +6
    38  Tyler Chandler        N. Alabama   74  78  71   223  +7
         Robbie Van Riper      W. Florida   76  75  72   223  +7
    40  Rourke Van der Spuy   CSU          73  77  74   224  +8
         Tim Crouch            Fl. South    75  74  75   224  +8
         Jack Bartlett         Nova SE      76  74  74   224  +8
         Matthew Yonz          GA College   72  74  78   224  +8
    44  Chris McManus         Clayton St   77  73  75   225  +9
         Max Fischer           Lander U.    70  79  76   225  +9
         Shelton Smith         Fl. South    76  77  72   225  +9
         Ricky Stimets         N. Alabama   74  80  71   225  +9
    48  Hunter Stone          Rollins      77  77  72   226 +10
         Nam Padungsiriseth    Rollins      76  74  76   226 +10
    50  Chris Carlin          Barry U.     77  79  71   227 +11
         Ben Vertz             Nova SE      72  79  76   227 +11
         Corey Menter          FL Tech      77  76  74   227 +11
         Ernesto Vitienes      Lynn U.      76  77  74   227 +11
    54  Marcelo Rozo          Lynn U.      80  74  74   228 +12
         Ricardo Celia         Nova SE      75  79  74   228 +12
         Jace Windom           N. Alabama   78  75  75   228 +12
         Colin Flabbi          FL Tech      77  75  76   228 +12
    58  Evan Hanna            ValdostaSt   78  77  74   229 +13
         Wes Bowman            Lander U.    76  78  75   229 +13
         Abdul Sihag           ValdostaSt   73  78  78   229 +13
    61  Michael Rafalowicz    ValdostaSt   80  75  75   230 +14
         Paul Henderson        Eckerd       78  76  76   230 +14
         Chandler Gruenmeier   Newberry     73  77  80   230 +14
         Jeff Cockerham        Eckerd       75  80  75   230 +14
    65  Jordan Lewis          Rollins      78  84  69   231 +15
    66  Taylor Smith          GA College   80  75  77   232 +16
    67  Michael Hicks         CSU          73  78  82   233 +17
    68  Curtis Lahey          Eckerd       79  79  77   235 +19
         Chad Siefert          Lander U.    74  81  80   235 +19
         Mitch Farrer          Nova SE      80  73  82   235 +19
    71  Clark Nelson          Clayton St   78  80  80   238 +22
    72  Barrett McCarthy      Clayton St   79  83  81   243 +27
    73  Adam Novakowski       Clayton St   91  81  76   248 +32
    74  Tanner Robb           Lander U.    85  85  79   249 +33
    75  Mitchel Konkle        Clayton St   86  91  84   261 +45
Â
     Fin.  School                  ScoresÂ
        1  West Florida, U. of     293 286 279   858
     T 2   Blake Olson             69  70  71   210
     T 12   Otto Bonning            75  71  69   215
     T 12   Carlos Rodriguez        76  70  69   215
     T 28   T. Guste-Pedersen       73  77  70   220
     T 38   Robbie Van Riper        76  75  72   223
        2  Georgia College         285 285 292   862
        1   Billy Shida             67  69  69   205
     T 7   Joe Young               73  69  71   213
     T 31   Patrick Garrett         73  73  75   221
     T 40   Matthew Yonz            72  74  78   224
       66   Taylor Smith            80  75  77   232
        3  Florida Southern Col    288 288 289   865
     T 2   Jude Eustaquio          70  69  71   210
     T 7   Spencer Baldwin         72  68  73   213
       37   Lee White               71  78  73   222
     T 40   Tim Crouch              75  74  75   224
     T 44   Shelton Smith           76  77  72   225
        4  Barry University        291 292 284   867
     T 7   Marcus Segerstrom       72  71  70   213
     T 21   Marcelo Huarte          73  75  70   218
     T 21   Guillermo Pumarol       73  72  73   218
     T 31   Daniel Stapff           73  74  74   221
     T 50   Chris Carlin            77  79  71   227
        5  Newberry College        285 294 290   869
     T 5   Daniel Stanley          69  71  72   212
     T 21   Matthew Campbell        73  73  72   218
     T 31   Matthew Killen          70  75  76   221
     T 31   Ben Lown                76  75  70   221
     T 61   Chandler Gruenmeier     73  77  80   230
        6  Lynn University         296 288 286   870
        4   Jose Joia               70  71  70   211
     T 16   Ricardo Gouveia         74  70  72   216
     T 26   Daniel Young            76  73  70   219
     T 50   Ernesto Vitienes        76  77  74   227
     T 54   Marcelo Rozo            80  74  74   228
        7  Columbus State          294 286 295   875
     T 16   Justin Grice            74  69  73   216
     T 21   Stephen Swanepoel       74  72  72   218
     T 28   Jeremy Britt            76  68  76   220
     T 40   Rourke Van der Spuy     73  77  74   224
       67   Michael Hicks           73  78  82   233
        8  Rollins College         296 298 283   877
     T 12   Max DeCraecker          68  75  72   215
     T 19   Spencer Cole            75  72  70   217
     T 48   Hunter Stone            77  77  72   226
     T 48   Nam Padungsiriseth      76  74  76   226
       65   Jordan Lewis            78  84  69   231
        9  Florida Inst of Tech    296 291 291   878
     T 5   Zach Potter             73  67  72   212
     T 26   Christian Westhorpe     72  74  73   219
     T 31   Patrick Sheedy          74  75  72   221
     T 50   Corey Menter            77  76  74   227
     T 54   Colin Flabbi            77  75  76   228
       10  North Alabama, U. of    291 303 286   880
     T 19   Jake Greer              69  74  74   217
     T 28   Tyler Ekenberg          74  76  70   220
     T 38   Tyler Chandler          74  78  71   223
     T 44   Ricky Stimets           74  80  71   225
     T 54   Jace Windom             78  75  75   228
       11  Valdosta St. U.         297 293 296   886
     T 16   Clarke Hendrick         71  69  76   216
     T 21   Will Repko              75  72  71   218
     T 58   Evan Hanna              78  77  74   229
     T 58   Abdul Sihag             73  78  78   229
     T 61   Michael Rafalowicz      80  75  75   230
       12  Nova Southeastern U.    295 298 294   887
     T 10   Bobby Bode              72  72  70   214
     T 40   Jack Bartlett           76  74  74   224
     T 50   Ben Vertz               72  79  76   227
     T 54   Ricardo Celia           75  79  74   228
     T 68   Mitch Farrer            80  73  82   235
       13  Eckerd College          298 304 292   894
     T 10   Callum Georgallides     71  75  68   214
     T 31   Jeff Evanier            74  74  73   221
     T 61   Paul Henderson          78  76  76   230
     T 61   Jeff Cockerham          75  80  75   230
     T 68   Curtis Lahey            79  79  77   235
       14  Lander University       294 306 303   903
     T 12   Thad Wier               74  68  73   215
     T 44   Max Fischer             70  79  76   225
     T 58   Wes Bowman              76  78  75   229
     T 68   Chad Siefert            74  81  80   235
       74   Tanner Robb             85  85  79   249
       15  Clayton State Univ.     320 317 312   949
     T 44   Chris McManus           77  73  75   225
       71   Clark Nelson            78  80  80   238
       72   Barrett McCarthy        79  83  81   243
       73   Adam Novakowski         91  81  76   248
       75   Mitchel Konkle          86  91  84   261
