The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Ocean Course Intercollegiate
Shufflebotham Finishes In Second To Lead Blazers At The Invitational
9/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sept. 14, 2010
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. - Junior UAB golfer Jason Shufflebotham had a career-best second-place finish to pace the men's golf team in its first tournament of the fall season, The Invitational At The Ocean Course, hosted by College of Charleston. Behind Shufflebotham's stellar play, the Blazers placed fifth overall in the 12-team field, closing play with an three-round score of 888 (300-300-288).
"We played a really good round today," UAB golf coach Alan Kaufman said of his team's final-round 288. "We were able to shoot even par as a team today and that's the best we've played as a group in a long time. Overall, this is a good start to our season."
Not only did Shufflebotham have a career-best finish (his previous best was tied for 32nd overall at the 2010 C-USA Championship), but his three-round total of one-over par 217 (72-73-72) is the second-best 54-hole tournament mark of his UAB career. The Prestatyn, Wales native finished in a three-way tie for second with Notre Dame's Niall Platt and Coastal Carolina's Sebastian Soderberg. The trio finished three strokes behind individual medalist John Duke Hudson of College of Charleston.
The Blazers matched overall champion North Carolina State for the low score of the third and final round. As a result, UAB vaulted two spots from its 36-hole standing of seventh overall to earn its first top-five finish since the spring of 2009.
The Wolfpack used the strength of their final round to lift them to a team score of 873 and a six-stroke victory over second-place Notre Dame (879). Tournament host College of Charleston placed third with an 880, while Coastal Carolina (884) and the Blazers rounded out the top five teams.
Joining Shufflebotham's strong showing was another solid outing by sophomore Philip Kaiser. The Asker, Norway native carded an even-par 72 during Tuesday's final 18 holes to improve into 27th overall with a 227 (79-76-72). Sophomore Austen Dailey was two strokes behind Kaiser and finished in 33rd with a 229 (75-78-76) on the par 72, 7,504-yard Ocean Course.
Junior transfer Tyler Hock's round on Tuesday was the best round by any UAB golfer throughout the tournament. After shooting 74 and 86 in his first two rounds, Hock responded with a two-under par 70 to finish tied for 38th overall with a 230.
Rounding out the Blazers was a pair of freshmen in Thomas Sutton and Wilson McDonald. Sutton carded a 232 (79-73-80) to finish tied for 42nd, while McDonald closed play tied for 58th overall with a 236 (80-82-74).
The tournament's format features six players competing for each team with the top four scores going counting toward the overall team score.
The Blazers will return to action in early October when they compete at the Wolf Pack Classic on Oct. 4-5 in Lake Tahoe, Nev.
