The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Men’s Golf Returns to Action at Gator Invitational
2/16/2018 11:41:00 AM | Men's Golf
LIVE RESULTS
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Looking to build off of a strong fall finish, the UAB men's golf team returns to the links this weekend, Feb. 17-18 for the SunTrust Gator Invitational at the Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla.
The Par-70 course – running 6701 yards – will entertain a competitive field that includes tournament host No. 7 Florida. Other prominent teams in the event include four ranked inside the GolfStat.com top-30 – No. 6 Vanderbilt, No. 20 Arkansas, No. 26 Missouri and No. 27 North Florida.
Central Florida, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, Georgia Southern, Jacksonville, Liberty, Lipscomb, Mississippi State, South Florida and Troy round out the 16-team field.
UAB's lineup this weekend consists of R.J. Keur, William Walker, Murray Naysmith, John Hayden and John Racciatti.
UAB will be paired with Charleston and Costal Carolina for Saturday morning's 8 a.m. shotgun start. The tournament consists of 54 holes, with 36 slated for Saturday and the final 18 to be played on Sunday.
"Our guys are ready to compete and anxious for the opportunity to take on a challenging field," head coach Mike Wilson said. "We had an encouraging winter and expect to carry the momentum that we built at the end of the fall into next weekend."
The Blazers fall season saw standout performances from a number of golfers. R.J. Keur led the way with two top-five finishes (Shoal Creek: T3; Steelwood: 1st) and a Conference USA Golfer of the Week Honor following his tournament title at Steelwood.
His current stroke average of 70.87 is the second lowest stroke average in program history entering spring play. The senior from North Charleston, South Carolina is currently ranked No. 69 nationally among individual golfers in the most recent GolfStat rankings.
Redshirt Sophomore William Walker flashed moments of brilliance with two tournament results under par. The Tuscaloosa product fired the low round among UAB golfers in the fall with an opening round -8 (64) at the Shoal Creek Intercollegiate and finished a cumulative -7 over his 54 holes. His eight under was a Shoal Creek course record.
Newcomers John Racciatti and Nick Robillard provided depth, as each fired two rounds at or under par. Veterans John Hayden (low: 68), Taylor Eyster (low: 69) and Murray Naysmith (28.0 average putts – best on team) also provided contributions.
Former Blazers dot the history books at the event, as Zach Sucher (2008), Chris Cousins (2004) and Graeme McDowell (2002) each took home individual crowns. McDowell's cumulative -10 (65-67-68 = 200) in 2002 currently resides as the eighth best individual tournament score.
UAB will be looking to extend the streak of consecutive seasons (seven) that an individual or team has qualified for the NCAA tournament.
For the latest UAB men's golf news, follow @UAB_MGOLF on Twitter and Instagram.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Looking to build off of a strong fall finish, the UAB men's golf team returns to the links this weekend, Feb. 17-18 for the SunTrust Gator Invitational at the Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla.
The Par-70 course – running 6701 yards – will entertain a competitive field that includes tournament host No. 7 Florida. Other prominent teams in the event include four ranked inside the GolfStat.com top-30 – No. 6 Vanderbilt, No. 20 Arkansas, No. 26 Missouri and No. 27 North Florida.
Central Florida, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, Georgia Southern, Jacksonville, Liberty, Lipscomb, Mississippi State, South Florida and Troy round out the 16-team field.
UAB's lineup this weekend consists of R.J. Keur, William Walker, Murray Naysmith, John Hayden and John Racciatti.
UAB will be paired with Charleston and Costal Carolina for Saturday morning's 8 a.m. shotgun start. The tournament consists of 54 holes, with 36 slated for Saturday and the final 18 to be played on Sunday.
"Our guys are ready to compete and anxious for the opportunity to take on a challenging field," head coach Mike Wilson said. "We had an encouraging winter and expect to carry the momentum that we built at the end of the fall into next weekend."
The Blazers fall season saw standout performances from a number of golfers. R.J. Keur led the way with two top-five finishes (Shoal Creek: T3; Steelwood: 1st) and a Conference USA Golfer of the Week Honor following his tournament title at Steelwood.
His current stroke average of 70.87 is the second lowest stroke average in program history entering spring play. The senior from North Charleston, South Carolina is currently ranked No. 69 nationally among individual golfers in the most recent GolfStat rankings.
Redshirt Sophomore William Walker flashed moments of brilliance with two tournament results under par. The Tuscaloosa product fired the low round among UAB golfers in the fall with an opening round -8 (64) at the Shoal Creek Intercollegiate and finished a cumulative -7 over his 54 holes. His eight under was a Shoal Creek course record.
Newcomers John Racciatti and Nick Robillard provided depth, as each fired two rounds at or under par. Veterans John Hayden (low: 68), Taylor Eyster (low: 69) and Murray Naysmith (28.0 average putts – best on team) also provided contributions.
Former Blazers dot the history books at the event, as Zach Sucher (2008), Chris Cousins (2004) and Graeme McDowell (2002) each took home individual crowns. McDowell's cumulative -10 (65-67-68 = 200) in 2002 currently resides as the eighth best individual tournament score.
UAB will be looking to extend the streak of consecutive seasons (seven) that an individual or team has qualified for the NCAA tournament.
For the latest UAB men's golf news, follow @UAB_MGOLF on Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
UAB vs ECU Post Game Press Conference
Sunday, March 08
UAB vs North Texas Post Game Press Conference
Sunday, March 01
UAB MBB vs Tulane Post Game Press Conference
Sunday, February 15
UAB MBB vs Rice Postgame
Sunday, February 08
