Inconsistencies in the short game landed the Tide men’s golf team a 10th-place finish at the Administaff Augusta State Invitational. The 16th-ranked Tide turned in scores of 286(-2) and 285(-3), before closing out the tournament with a 3-over-par team-total of 291.
Tournament host Augusta State, who holds the No. 2 spot in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings, demolished the 18-team field with a three-day total of 814(-47), good enough for a 16-stroke victory over runner-up South Carolina.
“Augusta State is one of the best teams in the country,” head coach Jay Seawell said, “and they showed the field what happens when you can putt well. The difference in the tournament was that we didn’t capitalize on the opportunities that we created. We hit good shots, but we didn’t finish.”
Highlighting the weekend for the Tide was again the performance of All-American Bud Cauley, who after his tournament title last weekend, now claims the No. 2 ranking in the country among collegiate golfers, according to the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index.
Cauley paced the Tide during the first 36 holes, firing rounds of 69(-3) and 66(-6) for a 9-under par total of 135, which was second on the leader board heading into the third and final round. Cauley has now shot in the 60s in four of his last six rounds and has lowered his UA scoring average to 71.32. Cauley struggled during the final 18, finishing with a 73(+1), placing him in a tie for ninth place.
“He’s gotten into one of these zones,” Seawell said. “He’s been fantastic for us all year and continues to show why he’s a first-team All-American.”
Redshirt freshman Lee Knox, who is an Augusta, Ga., native, fired his career-low score at the Capstone, with a 4-under-par 68 during round two. Knox carded a three-day total of 217, also a career-low.
“We played 36 holes on the first day, so I think for me the key was just calming down after the first 18,” Knox said. “I just started to focus more, and putts started to fall.”
Seawell said consistency from the freshmen on the team will aid the Tide during the course of the postseason.
“Lee took a big step for us this weekend,” Seawell said. “He broke 70, which sometimes is a mental barrier that you just have to get over. I think if Lee can continue to play like that, it’ll go a long way for us.”
The Tide will look to move forward in preparation for the SEC Championships, which will be held at Frederica Golf Club in St. Simmons Island, Ga., beginning on Friday, April 16.
South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, LSU and Tennessee account for only half of the tournament field, but each is ranked in the top 26 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, and each will battle head-to-head for the SEC title.
“It’s anyone’s tournament,” Knox said. “It’s going to be a very competitive field, but I think we have a great shot.”
