EATONTON, Ga. – With all five starters in the top-25, the No. 18 Georgia College Golf team won the 2021 Bobcat Invitational Tuesday, besting No. 1 USC Aiken by a single stroke.
The Bobcats won the home tournament at Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee for the first time since 2009. GC carded rounds of 290 and 275 Monday and added a 282 today for seven-over on the par-70, 6,730-yard course.
A different Bobcat golfer posted the lowest score in each of the three rounds. In round one, it was junior Alex Wells (Evans) with a 69. Round two brought a 67 from sophomore Isaac Samples (Loganville). In round three it was junior Daniel Davis' (Columbus) turn, posting a 68.
Wells led the squad, finishing third in the field of 65. He carded the 69-68-71 for two-under par. He was two-under on the front nine, carding birdies on Nos. 4 and 7.
Second on the team and ninth overall was Davis, posting a pair of 72s and a 68 for two-over. Davis led the team with four birdies in the final round.
Samples finished 11th at four-over with rounds of 75-67-72. The sophomore finished strong, at par or better on his final nine.
Senior Austin Mancilla (Lawrenceville) earned a top-20 finish at seven-over, firing rounds of 78, 68 and 71. He carded a pair of birdies in Tuesday's action.
Freshman Max Sheppard (Columbus) was very consistent, carding rounds of 74, 72 and 72 for eight-over in 23rd place. Sheppard had the lone eagle for the Bobcats in the entire tournament, that coming today on the par-five second hole.
Winning the tourney means the Bobcats beat six Peach Belt Conference (PBC) schools and seven nationally-ranked squads. Joining No. 1 USCA from the Golfstat Top-25 is No. 4 Lincoln Memorial University, No. 8 Georgia Southwestern State University, No. 16 Young Harris College, No. 19 University of North Georgia and No. 20 Clayton State University.
Young Harris' Tobias Jonsson won individual medalist honors at six-under par, including a course-record 64 in round two.
Today's action combined with the Bearcat Classic earlier this season gives GC Golf two wins in the same season for the first time since 2012. That year, Georgia College won the Armstrong Pirate Invitational and the NCAA South/Southeast SuperRegional.
GC also sent five individuals to the course this week. Sophomore Michael Zachary (Johns Creek) led the group in 33rd, finishing 11-over with rounds of 72-78-71. Classmate Jacob Hatter (Alpharetta) shot 78-72-73 for plus-13 in 40th. Freshman Mike Leanos (Kennesaw) owned rounds of 76-78-71 for 46th at 15-over, while sophomore JT Kling (Evans) took 63rd with rounds of 83, 75 and 81. Junior Luke Ninneman (Fayetteville) shot rounds of 86, 78 and 77.
The Bobcats are back in action March 29-30 at the Cougar Invitational in Columbus.
The Georgia College Department of Athletics is proud to receive the 2020 NCAA Division II Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence. The two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner Cup and the former PBC Sportsmanship Institution of the Year, GC Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on Graduating Champions For Life. Sign up at @GCBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit GCBobcats.PhotoReflect.com to purchase photo prints from home athletic contests.
