OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – After an extremely impressive start, one of the best in program history, in rounds one and two on Monday, the Southern Arkansas Men’s Golf team finished the job on Tuesday as the Muleriders topped the eight-team field to capture the tournament title at the GAC Preview behind second and third place finishes from sophomore Roman Timmerman and junior Kade Johnson, respectively.
Timmerman finished two strokes back of the program’s Low 54 Hole Individual Total of 202 (-14) set by Johnson at last fall’s GAC Preview, while Johnson logged his second career 10-under or better tournament with a 205 (-11).
All five golfers finished with 54 Hole Individual Totals that rank in the top 8 of the program’s best three-round tournament scores.
Johnson matched Timmerman’s round one score with a 67 (-5) in the third round of action. Johnson and Timmerman become the second Mulerider Golf duo to fire rounds of 67 or better in the same tournament joining Evan Buchalski and Kyle Gordon who first notched the feat at the 2016-17 Oklahoma Baptist Fall Invite.
Johnson finished the tournament tied for the third-best par-4 scoring at 4-under (3.87) and Timmerman finished at 2-under in par-4 scoring (3.93).
Timmerman (-8), Johnson (-7) and sophomore Garrett Davis (-7) posted three of the six best par-5 scoring for the tournament. Timmerman and Johnson delivered 14 birdies each and Davis added 11.
Senior Kevin Elder shot -6 (4.50) on par-5 scoring and added 39 pars, while junior Calum Graham followed with 38 pars and Johnson added 37.
Redshirt sophomore Kyle West led all golfers by making par on 42 of the tournament’s 54 holes.
Davis, golfing as an individual, placed the fifth-highest among individual golfers finishing tied for 24th overall after shooting a 1-over, 73 in the final round. Davis was one of four players to record two or more eagles in the tournament. Of the combined 15 rounds of golf played by the Muleriders’ five ranked golfers, 13 of those rounds were shot under par.
Southern Arkansas set a new Low 54 Hole program record with an 829 (-35); 18 shots better than previous record set at last season’s GAC Preview.
The tournament victory is the third for the Muleriders under fourth-year head coach Ben Sanders.
The other two tournament wins came in the fall campaign as well: the 2015 Ranger Fall Invitational (1st of 6) and the 2016 Oklahoma Baptist Fall Invitational (1st of 8).
The Muleriders return to action in two weeks on Sept. 24-25 at the Missouri Southern Fall Invitational in Monkey Island, Okla., at the Shangri-La Golf Course.