CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
PALM HARBOR, Fla. – USF shot a 5-over-par 857 and defended their title to win the 2017 American Athletic Conference Men’s Golf Championship by 15 strokes over runner-ups Cincinnati and Houston Monday afternoon at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort.
The Bulls shot rounds of 287, 283 and 287, and placed three individuals among the Top 9 to claim their third consecutive championship title. The Bearcats (291-288-293) and the Cougars (288-297-287), who tied the lowest round of the day with the Bulls and Memphis, finished second with a three-round total of 872.
Houston junior Michael Perras claimed individual medalist honors after topping USF’s Cristian DiMarco in a one-hole playoff. Perras clinched the title when he bogeyed the extra hole and DiMarco double bogeyed after the duo finished the third round tied at 1-under 212.
SMU’s Gray Townsend (73-72-68) and USF’s Jimmy Jones (71-68-74) tied for third with a three-round total of 213 (E).
Townsend, Bobby Bai (UCF) and Kevin Lee (Memphis) shot the lowest round of the day with a 3-under 68.
The 2017 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship selections will be announced live on Thursday, May 4 on the Golf Channel. NCAA Men’s Golf Regionals take place May 15-17 and the National Championship, hosted by Northern Illinois University, is set for May 26-31 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois.
Final Results
Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course)
Par-71, 7,125 yards
Team Results
1. USF (287-283-287:857) +5
T2. Cincinnati (291-288-293:872) +20
T2. Houston (288-297-287:872) +20
4. UCF (289-294-294:877) +25
5. Memphis (294-300-287:881) +29
T6. SMU (300-295-289:884) +32
T6. UConn (295-292-297:884) +32
8. East Carolina (299-303-296:898) +46
9. Temple (298-300-304:902) +50
Top 10 Individuals
1. Michael Perras, Houston (71-70-71:212) -1
2. Cristian DiMarco, USF (73-69-70:212) -1
T3. Gray Townsend, SMU (73-72-68:213) E
T3. Jimmy Jones, USF (71-68-74:213) E
T5. Papito Gonzalez, Houston (68-76-70:214) +1
T5. Austin Squires, Cincinnati (72-68-74:214) +1
7. Manuel Elvira, UCF (69-72-75:216) +3
8. Jimmy Hervol, UConn (71-70-76:217) +4
T9. Rigel Fernandes, USF (72-73-73:218) +5
T9. Jake Fox, Cincinnati (73-71-74:218) +5