OPELIKA, Ala. – Rasmus Karlsson equaled a career low with a 4-under-par 68 Monday in the final round of the Tiger Invitational presented by Jason Dufner, leading the University of South Alabama men's golf team after tying for sixth in the individual standings with a 6-under-par 54-hole total.

In posting his best three-round score this year, Karlsson earned his fourth top-10 finish of his freshman season.

Jason Mendel recorded an even-par 72, just missing the top 20 individually after coming in a tie for 21st place with a 217 total over two days, and Sylas Elliott tied for 31st two shots behind.  Drew Cooke had 75 over the last 18 holes for a 228 54-hole score while Brooks Rabren shot a final-round 74 to finish with a 232 total.

Tournament host No. 23 Auburn won the team title with a 13-under-par 851 total, with Troy (856) and Missouri (857) the only other teams in the field of 19 to break par as a group.  The Jaguars — who carded a 289 over the final 18 holes, a 10-stroke improvement over their second-round score — came in ninth place, just four shots from a fourth-place result.

UNC-Wilmington's Thomas Eldridge recorded rounds of 69, 66 and 68 for a 13-under-par 203 54-hole score to claim medalist honors by a three-stroke margin over Zan Luka Stim of Arkansas State.

"I was proud of the effort our guys gave today, they really responded to a pretty good message about what it is going to take for us to achieve our goals," Jag head coach Alex Hamilton said.  "They bounced back and they fought hard to play some great golf today.  We had a legitimate chance to move from ninth all the way up to fourth with just a few holes to go, unfortunately in a tightly-packed field the last couple of holes didn't go our way."

Karlsson was 4 under on both sides of the par-72, 7,149-yard Grand National Lake Course in the last round, carding a team-best seven birdies.  After beginning with a three at No. 9, playing at 411 yards, he birdied both par fives — the 522-yard 12th and 545-yard 14th — on the venue's back nine as well as No. 17.  Karlsson tacked on a three at the first, then birdied both Nos. 4 and 6 to get to 5 under for the round before closing with a 68, his second score in the 60s for the event.

He also had five birdies in the second round, which was completed Monday morning, tying for first in the field of 99 individuals with a 9-under-par score on par-five holes and finishing third with 18 birdies.

"Rasmus played great golf all week, he was very solid from start to finish," said Hamilton.  "He played consistently with very few three-putts, and he struck it well; it was a great all-around performance.  I know he has been working his tail off so it was good to see, I was happy for him."

Mendel opened play with a double bogey on No. 10, but after responding with back-to-back birdies in the 13th and 14th and adding another three at the 334-yard 16th he made the turn in the last round 1 under.  The junior — who shot a 76 over the middle 18 holes — also carded a birdie at No. 1 for his seventh round of par or better this year, tying him for the team lead.

Elliott also has seven scores of par or better this season after recording a 72 in the second round with birdies at Nos. 1 and 14.  The junior had a pair of birdies in the last round as well, posting a three at the first and a four at No. 4 — playing at 380 and 527 yards, respectively — while shooting a 77 to end the tourney tied for 10th in scoring on par-four holes.

Three of Cooke's four final-round birdies came on par fours at Nos. 1, 11, and 13, with another at the par-five 14th to conclude the event with his second score of 75.  The senior had a 78 over the middle 18 holes that included birdies on the third, 12th and 14th holes.  Rabren had an 80 in the second round, but after birdying two of his final three holes at Nos. 7 and 9 the sophomore would shoot 1 under on his front nine — birdying the 12th, 16th and 17th — of the last round en route to his lowest score of the tournament with a 74.

The Jaguars return to action on Saturday when plays begins at the General Hackler Championship hosted by fellow Sun Belt Conference member Coastal Carolina in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

"I am hoping we can continue our good play, we are physically playing some really good golf right now," said Hamilton.  "If we can tighten a few things up and get over a couple of mental hurdles — we are playing 36 holes well but not a complete 54-hole tournament — it will be the perfect timing for us to get right back into a competitive battle again.  There will be a really strong field so it will be a good opportunity for us to showcase the way we are playing, if we can play South Alabama golf the way we know how I think we will be very happy with how we end up."

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).

Join the Birdie Club – the men's golf specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Birdie Club go directly to support the South Alabama men's golf program. For more information on how you can join visit:  http://jaguarathleticfund.com/sports/2013/3/13/Birdie%20Club.aspx?id=26

—USA—

Tiger Invitational
Grand National Lake Course, Opelika, Ala.
Par 72, 7,149 yards
Team Scores: 1) Auburn 279-288-284—851 (-13); 2) Troy 291-287-278—856; 3) Missouri 280-299-278—857; 4) Kennesaw State 287-296-284—867; 5) Georgia State 290-284-294—868; T6) UNC-Wilmington 288-285-296—869; T6) Charlotte 289-295-285—869; 8) Arkansas State 287-290-293—870; 9) South Alabama 283-299-289—871; 10) Mississippi State 291-294-287—872; 11) Minnesota 293-287-293—873; 12) Louisville 287-293-296—876; 13) West Virginia 295-289-293—877; 14) Kansas State 290-297-291—878; T15) James Madison 295-291-296—882; T15) Maryland 296-288-298—882; 17) UNC-Greensboro 297-299-300—896; 18) Davidson 293-308-305—906; 19) Samford 305-316-297—918.

Individual Leaders: 1) Thomas Eldridge, UNCW 69-66-68—203 (-13); 2) Zan Luka Stim, ASU 66-68-72—206; 3) Justin Doeden, Minn 67-70-71—208; T4) Roland Massamino, K-State 67-71-71—209; T4) Trace Crowe, Aub 67-72-70—209; T6) Rasmus Karlsson, USA 69-73-68—210; T6) Cam Norman, Troy 70-72-68—210; T8) Jovan Rebula, Aub 69-72-70—211; T8) Taylor Grant, MSU 74-68-69—211; 10) Chris Guglielmo, Kenn St 65-75-72—212.

South Alabama Scores: T6) Rasmus Karlsson 69-73-68—210 (-6); T21) Jason Mendel 69-76-72—217; T31) Sylas Elliott 70-72-77—219; T78) Drew Cooke 75-78-75—228; T89) Brooks Rabren 78-80-74—232.