Bison stampede: Lipscomb places four starters among top nine to run away with ASUN men's golf
The University of North Florida men’s golf team – along with everyone else in the conference – got swept up by Lipscomb’s depth in the ASUN men’s golf tournament.
The Bison placed four players among the top nine at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Highland Oaks Course in Dothan, Ala., including co-medalists Will Holan and Ford Goldasich, and won their first-ever conference title at 16-under-par 848 on Tuesday, topping Central Arkansas by 17 shots and the Ospreys by 21.
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Lipscomb was the fourth-highest ASUN team in the Spikemark rankings at 85th entering the tournament. UNF was 30th, Florida Gulf Coast 62nd and Stetson 63rd.
Both Lipscomb players had chances to win
Holan (66, the tournament’s low round) birdied seven of 10 shots during one stretch and would have claimed first alone had it not been for a bogey at No. 18. Goldasich (70) was 8-under with a two-shot lead until a triple-bogey at No. 16. He recovered with a birdie on the next hole to earn his share of the lead.
Joe Sullivan (68) of Florida Gulf Coast birdied his last two holes to join Holan and Goldasich in the tie for first at 6-under-par 210. The Eagles finished fourth, two shots behind the Ospreys.
UNF senior Robbie Higgins (70) finished fourth at 5-under, his third consecutive finish among the top 10 in the ASUN tournament. He bogeyed the par-5 15th hole, birdied No. 16, then parred his last two holes in an effort to tie the trio at the top.
Higgins had a 10-foot birdie putt attempt on the final hole that lipped out.
Alexandre Vandermoten of Jacksonville (72) tied for ninth at 1-over 217. Jason Duff (70) and Davis Lee (70) of UNF tied for 17th at 4-over and Chase Carroll (75) tied for 21st at 5-over.
Ospreys were without Nick Gabrelcik
North Florida played without three-time ASUN Player of the Year Nick Gabrelcik, who was held out for undisclosed reasons.
The Ospreys have finished third or higher in 15 of 18 ASUN tournaments under coach Scott Schroeder. With a national ranking of 30th entering the tournament, UNF is likely to make the field for the NCAA regionals.
Schroeder said it was doubtful the Ospreys could have caught Lipscomb at full strength.
"We might have had a little more on an intimidation factor if we had everyone, but in the end, I don't it would have mattered with the way Lipscomb played," he said. "Hats off to them ... they're a veteran team and they've been playing well lately."
The men’s golf selection show will be May 1 at 2 p.m., aired by Golf Channel.
"We'll find out where we go and then to back to work," Schroeder said.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: North Florida finishes third as Lipscomb wins first-ever ASUN golf title
