MOBILE, Ala. – Peter Staalbo and Drew Cooke both posted sub-par rounds and earned top-20 finishes Tuesday to lead the University of South Alabama men's golf team on the final day of the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate.

Staalbo carded a score of 1-under-par 71 — the third time in two days he shot below par at the event — to place second in the individual standings while Cooke had the squad's low round over the final 18 holes with a 2-under-par 70 en route to a tie for 17th.  Daniel Jansen recorded an even-par 72 as well while Brooks Rabren supplied a 74, helping the Jaguars move up one spot in the team standings after a group score of 287 on the last day of the tournament.

Fourth-ranked Auburn set an event record with a 26-under-par 838 total after a final-round 278, with the Tigers' Michael Johnson the medalist after posting a 14-under-par 202 54-hole score following a 68 on the last day; he also set a new tournament standard with his three-round total.

Staalbo, making his collegiate debut, recorded a score of 7-under-par 209 to pace the Jags, with Cooke carding a 216 total with his second sub-par round in a row.  Jansen was tied for 38th with a 220 54-hole score — he shot par or better in two of three rounds at the event — with Rabren a stroke behind in a tie for 43rd place.  Their efforts helped the Jags pass Mississippi and move into sixth place with an 866 team total, with Chattanooga (852), No. 2 Wake Forest (856), Kansas State (858) and Georgia State (859) rounding out the top five.

The field included 15 teams and 75 individuals.

"We battled hard and played well, it was a good start to the spring," said USA head coach Ben Hannan.  "There is no doubt we have some things we can build on, we were one round and a couple of holes away from having a really nice event in a pretty strong field."

Starting on No. 8 at the par-72, 7,212-yard Magnolia Grove Crossings Golf Course, Staalbo was 1 over through eight holes before birdying the 596-yard 16th as well as the third, playing at 385 yards.  He was second individually on par-four holes with a 5-under-par total, ranking among the top 10 with both 10 birdies and 41 pars for the week.

"He is obviously a very accomplished, skilled player; he showed that shooting 7-under par this week," Hannan stated.  "It's big for us and a positive sign for him, certainly we will try to build on this as we get ready for Auburn."

"To be honest, I expected to play well because I had a good feeling about the course and I played consistently through qualifying," Staalbo observed.  "But I didn't not expect to hit that many good iron shots in the second round; I hit it in to 10 feet on almost every hole, and if I just made more of those putts it could've been an even lower score.  I just try to play consistent golf, and that was what I was able to do.

"The transition [to joining the team this semester] has been ok because my teammates have accepted me from the beginning.  I like the coach and the team atmosphere."

Cooke — beginning play on the hole in front of Staalbo — opened with a bogey five, but that would be the junior's lone miscue of the day.  He answered immediately with a three at No. 10, playing at 417 yards, then added birdies on the first and sixth holes for his fifth score of par or better on the year.  Cooke was tied for 10th with an even-par total on the course's par threes and ended up among the top 20 in overall pars.

All three of Jansen's birdies came on his front nine, as he made the turn at 3 under after threes at Nos. 10 and 15 to go along with a two at the 226-yard 17th.  It was the ninth time in 15 rounds during his senior season that he has shot par or below.  Rabren carded a 1-under total on his final nine with four birdies in a six-hole stretch beginning at the fourth.  The freshman recorded fours at Nos. 4 and 6 — playing at 540 and 528 yards, respectively — and had a two at his next-to-last hole of the event.

Ally Purdy tied for 72nd as well for the Jaguars with a 229 54-hole total following a 79 in the final round.

Jason Mendel earned a top-10 finish for the Jags at the USA Individual Tournament, which was held simultaneously at the par-71, 7,158-yard Magnolia Grove Falls Golf Course.  His 72 in the final round was his low score of the event as he moved up four spots in the field of 35 competitors, tying for eighth with a score of 219 over two days; on the final 18 holes, the junior carded back-to-back birdies at Nos. 9 and 10.  Matt Sheehan was 34th in the tournament with a 249 total following an 83 on the last day.

Auburn's Trace Crowe won the event, firing a 3-under-par 68 for a 7-under-par 206 three-round total and a one-shot victory over Wesley Hunter of Spring Hill.

The Jaguars return to action on Sunday, March 6 with the start of the Tiger Invitational hosted by Auburn.

"We will sit down and evaluate where everybody is and prepare for Auburn," Hannan explained.  "The tournament will be at a Robert Trent Jones layout, but it plays differently — the greens are all elevated, it will be tight, dormant Bermuda [grass].  We'll do a lot of stuff around the edges and lag putting up and over hills to try and prepare for the style of course we're about to play."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—

Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate
Magnolia Grove Crossings Golf Course, Mobile, Ala.
Par 72, 7,212 yards
Team Scores: 1) Auburn 278-282-278—838 (-26); 2) Chattanooga 285-283-284—852; 3) Wake Forest 292-283-281—856; 4) Kansas State 293-284-281—858; 5) Georgia State 286-288-285—859; 6) South Alabama 293-286-287—866; 7) Mississippi 287-291-289—867; 8) Mississippi  State 292-289-289—870; 9) Eastern Michigan 291-295-288—874; 10) Southern Mississippi 290-300-289—879; 11) Texas State 297-295-288—880; 12) Louisiana-Lafayette 290-301-291—882; 13) Illinois State 303-295-285—883; 14) Middle Tennessee 296-294-296—886; 15) Mercer 304-291-292—887.

Individual Leaders: 1) Michael Johnson, Aub 66-68-68—202 (-14); 2) Peter Staalbo, USA 71-67-71—209; T3) Jake Mondy, Aub 69-72-70—211; T3) Davis Womble, WF 72-70-69—211; T3) J.J. Grey, GSU 68-71-72—211; T3) Matt Gilchrest, Aub 71-68-72—211; T3) Ben Wolcott, Miss 69-73-69—211; T8) Lake Johnson, UTC 72-71-69—212; T8) Will Zalatoris, WF 73-70-69—212; T8) Zach Burry, ISU 76-69-67—212.

South Alabama Scores: 2) Peter Staalbo 71-67-71—209 (-7); T17) Drew Cooke 76-70-70—216; T38) Daniel Jansen 71-77-72—220; T43) Brooks Rabren 75-72-74—221; T72) Ally Purdy 76-77-79—232.