MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. - The University of South Alabama men's golf team used four individual rounds of par or better Wednesday to fire a 6-under-par 282 as a team, giving the Jaguars a six-stroke victory at the Sun Belt Conference Championships. With the win, USA has earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships, which will begin at regional sites on May 20.
Marc-Etienne Bussieres and Jack Hiluta each finished in the top six individually to earn all-league honors for the second season in a row, with Bussieres tying for third with an even-par 216 total after shooting a 2-under-par 70 in the final round and Hiluta ending up tied for sixth one shot behind after he posted a 1-under-par 71 over the last 18 holes.
Freshmen McLain Leberte and Blake Kelley chipped in with final-round scores of 70 and 71, respectively, and Chris Piumelli added a 73 to help the Jags match the third-lowest team score at the SBC Championships in the school's record books - the 282 equalled USA's second round score in the 2008 event, which was also contested in Muscle Shoals. The Jaguars' 872 54-hole total was the seventh-lowest turned in by the team at the conference championships as well.
The Jags began the round four strokes behind runner-up Middle Tennessee and one behind UNO, but their final-round score was the second-lowest recorded among the 12 teams over the course of the event. Louisiana-Lafayette's 280 score today was the lowest of the tournament.
It marks the sixth time that the USA has claimed the conference title as a team, and first since 2005. It was also the program's second team title of the season after winning the Memphis Intercollegiate in October - the last time the Jaguars won more than one tournament in the same season was the 2004-05 campaign.
"Every year, winning the conference championship is at the top of the list of our goals. To play the way we did all week - to battle, hang on and persevere - and then come out and accomplish what we did today, is a testament to this team and speaks highly of their character," USA head coach Ben Hannan commented. "Individually I'm very happy for Marc, who is the only senior on the team. To give him a conference championship on his way out of here is very special for me.
"Overall, this is a great day for our program, as well as for the Birdie Club members, individuals at the University and in the community who have provided us with support. We are thrilled to share this victory with everybody."
Leberte led the way for USA over the last 18 holes at the 7,171-yard, par-72 The Shoals' Fighting Joe Course, recording seven birdies to finish one stroke off his career-best score carded at the UK Bluegrass Invitational April 10. His front-nine 34 was keyed by three straight birdies on Nos. 6-8, and he sandwiched birdies on the 13th and 15th holes around a bogey on the way to shooting par after the turn.
He ended with a three-day 223 total to tie for 21st place.
Kelley's final-round score was the lowest of his career by two strokes, marking the first time in his collegiate career that he has shot below par. His 33 on the opening nine holes was the best score posted by a Jag before the turn, as he responded to a bogey on No. 1 with a birdie on the next hole before collecting birdies on Nos. 7-9. Kelley - who ended the event with a 233 54-hole total - added another birdie on the 17th hole, his fifth of the round.
Hiluta began the day with birdies on three of the first four holes to shot 2-under-par on the front side. He would go on to match Kelley with five birdies in the round after posting a three on the par-four 10th and a final birdie at No. 17. The finish was Hiluta's third top-10 performance of the year.
Bussieres will enter postseason play with a team-leading five top-10 finishes after he paced the Jaguars for the seventh time in 11 events. After collecting birdies on the third and fifth holes, he turned in a team-best 34 over the last nine by birdying Nos. 14 and 17.
It was the third straight tournament, and eighth this year, that he has finished at or below par.
Piumelli, who led USA after each of the opening two rounds this week, recorded birdies on the ninth and 17th holes to end the championships in 11th place with a 218 score. It was his best total and finish since tying for eighth with an even-par 216 at the Rio Pinar Invitational March 15-16, and his third top-20 performance of the year.
"Going out we knew we had to play well since Middle Tennessee is a top-40 club who has been good all year - they weren't going to back up to us," Hannan explained. "We were focused from the first tee, and our commitment to each shot was a key. When some putts started to fall for us, it put pressure on the other teams. You could feel the momentum starting to flow our way.
"With the contribution we received from all five guys, it was superb golf for 18 holes. They knew what we had to do today going out and were able to accomplish it."
UNO's Oscar Zetterwall was the tournament medalist, winning the event by five strokes after his final-round 71 gave him a 54-hole score of 8-under-par 208. Rodolfo Cazaubon of North Texas - the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year - was the only other player among the 60 in the field to finish below par after carding a three-round 213 total. UNO's Chris McCarter was named the Coach of the Year after guiding the Privateers to a third-place finish, one shot behind MT. ULL and NT rounded out the top five.
The Jaguars' will be making their sixth NCAA Championships appearance as a team, and first since 2005, although Bussieres will be competing in the event for the second year in a row after earning an individual at-large berth last spring. The field will be announced on Monday, May 10.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
-USA-
Sun Belt Conference Championships
The Shoals Fight Joe Course, Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Par 72, 7,171 yards
Team Scores: 1) South Alabama 296-294-282-872 (+8); 2) Middle Tennessee 286-300-292-878; 3) New Orleans 296-293-290-879; 4) Louisiana-Lafayette 297-303-280-880; 5) North Texas 291-307-287-885; 6) Arkansas State 303-298-290-891; T7) UALR 308-302-287-897; T7) Western Kentucky 298-306-293-897; 9) Louisiana-Monroe 302-296-301-889; 10) Troy 312-304-290-906; 11) Florida Atlantic 305-303-300-908; 12) Denver 308-309-299-916.
Individual Leaders: 1) Oscar Zetterwall, UNO 71-66-71-208 (-8); 2) Rodolfo Cazaubon, NT 72-73-68-213; T3) Marc-Etienne Bussieres, USA 73-73-70-216; T3) Linus Gillgren, UALR 76-71-69-216; T3) Hunter Green, MT 73-70-73-216; T6) Jack Hiluta, USA 73-73-71-217; T6) Philipp Fendt, ULL 73-75-69-217; T6) Espen Kofstad, DU 76-73-68-217; T6) Kyle Prichard, ULL 75-71-71-217; T6) Alex Yost, WKU 71-74-72-217.
South Alabama Scores: T3) Marc-Etienne Bussieres 73-73-70-216 (E); T6) Jack Hiluta 73-73-71-217; 11) Chris Piumelli 72-73-73-218; T21) McLean Leberte 78-75-70-223; 48) Blake Kelley 79-83-71-233.
