IU places 6th in final fall tournament

The 19th-ranked IU men’s golf team closed out the final 18 holes of the UNCG Bridgestone Classic in Greensboro, N.C. with their best round of the 15-team tournament to finish in a tie for sixth. \nIU coach Mike Mayer has encouraged his team all year to finish tournaments strong. On Tuesday, the Hoosiers took his words to heart, finishing the round under par.\nThe Hoosiers’ three-round total was 874 (291-298-285), fourteen strokes behind tournament champion, 32nd-ranked Louisville. \nAlthough the Hoosiers struggled through their first two rounds on Monday, they were still in striking distance at nine strokes behind leader North Carolina. \nIU’s late surge was led by junior Seth Brandon. Brandon shot the lowest score of the final round, a 2-under-par 70. Brandon was also the highest individual finisher for the Hoosiers, tying for 11th place with a 216 (74-72-70). \nJunior Jorge Campillo also saved his best round for last, closing out the tournament and the fall season with a 1-under-par 71 and a share of 18th place. \nRounding out the lineup for the Hoosiers were junior Drew Allenspach, sophomore Alex Martin and freshman Paul Park. Allenspach, who finished tied for 23rd, shot an even par 72, followed by a 1-under-par 71 to finish strong after stumbling out of the gate with a 4-over-par 76. Martin finished tied for 29th with a 221 (73-75-73) and Park finished in a tie for 69th with a 230 (81-75-74).\nThe tournament marked the first team start for New Jersey native Park. Park improved vastly in his final two rounds after a 9-over-par 81 in his first round. Park’s only other match play came earlier this year when he competed individually at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate. \nThe Bridgestone Classic featured five teams ranked in the Top 25 and a total of eight ranked teams. The Hoosiers managed to finish ahead of No. 11 Wake Forest and No. 25 Arkansas. The tournament marked the final time the Hoosiers will take their game to the links in the six-tournament fall season. \nIU will begin its quest for a Big Ten championship on Feb. 16 at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate, hosted by the University of North Florida. The tournament will be played at the Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra, Fla.