PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The fourth-ranked Georgia Southwestern men's golf team captured its second consecutive team title by pulling away from the 14-team field at the Argonaut Invitational hosted by the University of West Florida on Tuesday to win by six strokes at the Pensacola Country Club. The Hurricanes were one of only two teams in a loaded field, that included five teams ranked in the top seven of the latest National Collegiate Golf Rankings from Clippd, to shoot under par on the par-72, 6,903-yard course in the final round. Payne Sells won the individual championship with a 9-under par for his first collegiate victory.
Sells posted three rounds under par. He opened with a 66 on Monday. In the final round, Sells knocked down four birdies and played bogey free through 14 holes in rough conditions, battling winds 20-30 miles per hour, and notched a par on the 18th to secure the win with a two-stroke advantage. Jack Tharrington had the low round for GSW on Tuesday with a 68 to jump 24 spots in the standings and finish in a tie for fourth place overall at 4-under. Joao Costa finished tied for 13th with a 1-under after carding an even par in Round 3. Erik Fogel tied for 33rd and Mateo Quiroga tied for 52nd.
The Hurricanes claimed their third championship of the school year, with victories coming in October at their Hurricane Invitational and in their last event, the Bobcat Invitational hosted by Georgia College & State University, in March. It was GSW's first Argonaut Invitational team title.
The Hurricanes will defend their Peach Belt Conference Championship on April 19 at Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.
2024 ARGONAUT INVITATIONAL - TEAM SCORES
Pos | ↑↓ | Team | Rd. 1 | Rd. 2 | Rd. 3 | Total | +/- |
1 | - | Georgia Southwestern (4) | 283 | 280 | 285 | 848 | -16 |
2 | ↑3 | North Georgia (1) | 289 | 281 | 284 | 854 | -10 |
3 | - | Oklahoma Christian (5) | 278 | 291 | 288 | 857 | -7 |
4 | ↓1 | West Florida (17) | 279 | 290 | 292 | 861 | -3 |
5 | ↑1 | West Florida - B | 282 | 294 | 297 | 873 | +9 |
6 | ↑5 | Columbus State (26) | 289 | 296 | 290 | 875 | +11 |
7 | ↓5 | Coker (23) | 283 | 285 | 308 | 876 | +12 |
T8 | ↑2 | Lincoln Memorial (2) | 290 | 292 | 295 | 877 | +13 |
T8 | ↓1 | Flagler | 289 | 289 | 299 | 877 | +13 |
10 | ↓2 | Henderson State (19) | 290 | 290 | 299 | 879 | +15 |
11 | - | Lee (7) | 292 | 293 | 296 | 881 | +17 |
12 | ↓3 | Montevallo | 297 | 285 | 305 | 886 | +22 |
T13 | ↓2 | Valdosta State | 294 | 291 | 303 | 888 | +24 |
T13 | ↑1 | Shorter (21) | 297 | 290 | 301 | 888 | +24 |
15 | - | Carson-Newman | 297 | 301 | 302 | 900 | +36 |
( ) - NCAA Division II National Collegiate Golf Rankings | |||||||
GSW SCORES
Place | ↑↓ | Player | Rd. 1 | Rd. 2 |
Rd. 3 | Total | +/- |
1 | ↑1 | Payne Sells | 66 | 71 | 70 | 207 | -9 |
T4 | ↑24 | Jack Tharrington | 73 | 71 | 68 | 212 | -4 |
T13 | ↑2 | Joao Costa | 70 | 73 | 72 | 215 | -1 |
T33 | ↓27 | Erik Fogel | 74 | 66 | 80 | 220 | +4 |
T52 | ↑11 | Mateo Quiroga | 77 | 72 | 75 | 224 | +8 |
T73 | ↑5 | *Davis Aaron | 77 | 81 | 72 | 230 | +14 |
* Played as an individual |