WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. - WKU men's golf matched its second-best finish of the 2015-16 season, taking third overall as a team at the Greenbrier Collegiate Invitational at the Greenbrier's Old White TPC on Tuesday.
The Hilltoppers turned in a team score of 26-over 866 (287-289-290), the team's third-best total in a three-round tournament this year. WKU bested three other C-USA teams in the field of 17 competitors, defeating Marshall by four strokes and both Old Dominion and Middle Tennessee by 15 strokes apiece. ETSU earned the team championship with a six-over 846 (282-285-279) across the 54-hole event.
"I thought we had pretty solid play today even though we didn't get as many low scores as we wanted to," Head Coach Phillip Hatchett said. "We got really good play in this tournament out of Stuart Easton. We're proud of him as a freshman playing so well and being in the hunt in each of our last two tournaments."
Easton led the Hilltopper card for the first time in his career, tying for fifth overall on the individual leaderboard for a new career-best finish. Easton's one-over 211 (69-69-73) was not only the best 54-hole total of his collegiate career thus far, it was the best performance by a WKU individual in any three-round tournament this year. The freshman topped his previous low score of 216 set at last week's Wyoming Cowboy Classic.
Billy Tom Sargent surged up the leaderboard on Tuesday, climbing 22 spots during the final round to finish tied for 18th. The sophomore matched his lowest round of the season with a one-under 69 and had his best 54-hole performance since the Bash at the Beach in early March, turning in a seven-over 217 (74-74-69).
Up next for the Hilltoppers were Trey Aguirre and Blake Smith, who tied for 30th and 41st, respectively. With his 10-over 220 (71-75-74), Aguirre has now shot 220 or better in four of WKU's five spring outings, including a career-best 212 at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic. Smith fired a 74 in each of his three rounds to finish at 12-over 222.
Austin King rounded out the card with a 13-over 223 (73-72-78) to tie for 48th place. Old Dominion's Nick Rencis, competing as an individual, captured individual medalist honors with a three-under 207 (71-71-65) to win by two strokes.
"It feels good for us to be in the hunt over our last couple of tournaments and we're really looking forward to continue that run of play," Hatchett said. "We'll spend this next week preparing and getting ready for the conference championship and hope to continue our momentum there."
WKU will close out the 2015-16 season at the C-USA Championship in Texarkana, Ark., in two weeks. The championship will begin with a three-day stroke play tournament on April 24-26 to determine the individual medalist, and the top four teams will advance into a match play playoff on April 27 to award the team championship.
WKU Final Results
T5. Stuart Easton (+1, 211, 69-69-73)
T18. Billy Tom Sargent (+7, 217, 74-74-69)
T30. Trey Aguirre (+10, 220, 71-75-74)
T41. Blake Smith (+12, 222, 74-74-74)
T48. Austin King (+13, 223, 73-72-78)
