SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Paced by Jacob Tveit's top 10 finish, the Francis Marion University golf team tied for eighth at the 20th-annual Wofford Invitational presented by VAULT at The Carolina Country Club in Spartanburg, S.C.
Day one leaders Elon University and Western Carolina University's Andres Cuenca held on to their respective leads to earn team and individual titles, respectively. The 54-hole, two-day event resumed following a two-hour delay for fog Tuesday morning and concluded with the final 18 holes on the 6,877-yard, par 72 course on another picture perfect weather day.
Elon shot under par for the third-straight round in finishing as the only school in the 14-team field under par. The Phoenix carded a 7-under par 287-284-286=-857 to win the team crown by 10 strokes over Charleston Southern University, the 2006 winner. The 7-under par team score is the fifth lowest in tournament history and fourth lowest for 54 holes since the event began in 1988. Elon also becomes the first team to finish the tournament under par since Virginia and East Carolina each did it in 2002.
FMU carded a final-round 299 team score to finish at 878, tied with Winthrop University, and only two shots behind the University of South Carolina.
Tveit tied for ninth with a 54-hole score of 2-under-par 214 (75-69-70). Patriot freshman Christopher Couch tied for 18th (71-74-73=218), while Ronan O'Connor tied for 21st (70-73-76=219), Andrew Pitcher tied for 48th (75-72-80=227), and Keith Crowley finished 73rd (78-83-88=249).
Cuenca entered final round action with a two-shot edge and fired even par Tuesday to hold off Elon's Justin Newton and Wofford's John Gault in the race for medalist honors. The Western Carolina sophomore posted an 8-under par 70-66-72=208 to tie for the seventh-lowest tally in tournament history. His final score is the lowest for an individual since Virginia's Steve Marino registered a 9-under par 207 to win the 2002 championship.
Francis Marion will compete in the Palisades Collegiate Golf Classic, April 9-10, in Charlotte.
Top-10 Individuals:
1--Andres Cuenca (Western Carolina), 70-66-72--208 (-8)
T2--John Gault (Wofford B), 68-71-71--210 (-6)
T2--Justin Newton (Elon), 69-71-70--210 (-6)
T4--Russel Knox (Jacksonville), 73-66-73--212 (-4)
T4--Scott Hockemeyer (Elon), 74-67-71--212 (-4)
T4--Mark Silvers (South Carolina), 69-69-74--212 (-4)*
T7--Mike McKenzie (Wofford), 73-70-70--213 (-3)
T7--Matt Cook (Western Carolina), 68-73-72--213 (-3)
T9--Shawn Hall (Charleston Southern), 71-70-73--214 (-2)
T9--Jacob Tveit (Francis Marion), 75-69-70--214 (-2)
Team Standings:
1--Elon, 287-284-286--857 (-7)
2--Charleston Southern, 291-281-295--867 (+3)
3--Jacksonville, 295-284-289--868 (+4)
4--Wofford, 290-288-291--869 (+5)
T5--Western Carolina, 289-287-297--873 (+9)
T5--Samford, 288-293-292--873 (+9)
7--South Carolina, 290-293-293--876 (+12)
T8--Winthrop, 299-288-291--878 (+14)
T8--Francis Marion, 291-288-299--878 (+14)10--Gardner-Webb, 291-288-303--882 (+18)
11--Stetson, 299-299-294--892 (+28)
12--High Point, 309-298-292--899 (+35)
13--Wofford 'B', 305-301-306--912 (+48)
14--Appalachian State, 305-309-301--915 (+51)
