The University of Southern Mississippi men’s golf team placed second at the Dorado Beach Collegiate on Tuesday at TPC Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico. The Golden Eagles finished with a team score of 7-under 857, behind Stetson and ahead of the host University of North Carolina Greensboro, according to school officials.
Southern Miss head coach Jack Brescher praised his team’s effort. “Another great week by our program to finish second in Puerto Rico,” Brescher said. “The golf course was a great test this week. There were some difficult spots, but also some spots where you could make some birdies and move up the board. I’m very proud of our guys and how they grind hard all the way to the finish. The way they finish today is going to pay dividends come the month of May.”
Benjamin Fernandez led the team, tying for fifth place with a four-under 68 in round two. Fernandez also posted rounds of 72 and 72, finishing the event at 4-under overall. He recorded an eagle on the 11th hole and five birdies, four of which came on the front nine. Jake Moffitt, the reigning Ben Hogan Award winner, tied for fifth after shooting a final even-par 72. Moffitt also posted rounds of 71 and 70.
Matthew Javier finished tied for seventh at 1-over 217 after rounds of 73, 68, and 73. Supakorn Amornchaichan improved six spots with a final score of 1-under 71 in the third round. The Golden Eagles led the field with 56 birdies, two more than George Mason in second place. Moffitt tied for first on par 4s with an average of 3.93 and was tied for third on par 3s at 2.92. Fernandez led all players on par 5s with a seven-under total and also tied for first in birdies with 16.
This finish marks Southern Miss’s first second-place team result since 2007, when they also finished second at the Adams Cup of Newport and the Memphis Intercollegiate. The team will next compete at the Seminole Intercollegiate from March 15 to 17 at Seminole Legacy Golf Club in Tallahassee, Florida.
