HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Behind four golfers that finished inside the field's individual top 12, the Southern Arkansas Men's Golf team produced a third-consecutive top five team finish after shooting an 853 (-11) over 54 holes to finish second overall in the ten-team field at Henderson State's Battle for the Belt from the par-72, 6,713-yard Arlington Course of the Hot Springs Country Club.
With 18-hole efforts of 285-284-284 in Central Arkansas, the Muleriders have now shot under par in eight of the team's nine rounds of action this fall; the program record is ten. SAU's team score of 853, its second-lowest this season, is tied for the fifth-lowest 54-hole total in program history. Aiding that effort was 173 made pars which tied for the tournament lead. Additionally, SAU's three eagles, highlighted by junior
Alex Gerrard's first career hole-in-one on the par-3,160-yard No. 2 during Tuesday's final round, gives the Muleriders 11 for the season; two back of tying last season's record-setting 13.
Junior
Logan McDonald led the way for Southern Arkansas with a fifth-place finish after firing all three rounds at par or better. He dropped three strokes off of his opening round 72 to shoot 69 in round two and closed out Tuesday with a 70 to finish at 211 (-5). His effort included a dozen birdies and an eagle on the par-5, 555-yard No. 10 in round two.
Senior
Connor Harrington trailed McDonald by just a single stroke as he finished tied for 6th with a 212 (-4) after shooting 69-73-70. Harrington produced ten birdies and made par a tournament-best 39 times.
A single stroke back of Harrington in a tie for 8th was senior
Caleb Miller who sandwiched a 69 in between a pair of even-par efforts in rounds one and three. He finished with nine birdies and matched Harrington's effort in made pars. Miller's second round on Monday made him just the third player in SAU's GolfStat Era to record 30 or more rounds at par or better.
In outright 12th was junior
Wil Griffin II who registered 72-73-72 to finish at 217 (+1). He trailed only McDonald in birdies as he delivered 11.
Junior
Will Blake improved each round and answered a round one 80 with a 78 in round two and a 75 to close out the 54-hole tournament. Blake birdied four times and finished with a 233. Gerrard's best effort came in the second round as he shot a 76. He finished at 241 behind a four-birdie and one-eagle effort.
SAU finished at +14 in both par-3 and par-4 scoring, while shooting 22 under par on par-5 holes. SAU's 46 birdies were the second-most among the field. Miller led the squad in par-3 scoring at +1, while he and McDonald shot -1 on par-4 holes. Harrington went even on par-4 scoring and led the team in par-5 scoring at -7. Griffin followed at -6.
Through three tournaments totaling nine rounds and 648 holes, the Muleriders boast a finish percentage of 83.72%. SAU's 148 birdies as a team are already the 11th-most in a single season.
The Muleriders will return to the course on October 16 and 17 for the Super Regional Preview hosted by Southern Nazarene from the Kickingbird Golf Club in Edmond, Oklahoma. Live results will be available at
www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
