RIVER HILLS, Wis.– No. 3 Auburn men's golf soared to its second victory of the fall season with huge final round at the Marquette Invitational at Milwaukee Country Club Monday.
The Tigers carded the best round of the tournament, 274 (-6), to contribute to an 845 (+5) overall score and beat the nearest teams by six shots as the lone group to shoot below par in the finale.
With a win at the Marquette Invitational, the Tigers have won two of their first three events of the season, matching the program's best start since the fall of 2016.
"What a fantastic and gutsy performance by our team today," Tigers head coach Nick Clinard said. "The goal was to leave this event with a win, and with their backs against the wall, the guys found the discipline and the composure to get the job done, which is exactly what you want to see. Coach Williams and I could not be more proud of the work they put in all week. This will be an invaluable experience for us to lean on moving forward."
All-American J.M. Butler surged to second place on the leaderboard by way of a 63 (-3) in his third round. Butler matched a single bogey with a pair of birdies and an eagle on the third hole to lock down the seventh top-five finish of his collegiate career.
Butler fell just four strokes shy of the individual crown, won by Iowa State's Luke Gutschewski at six-under 204.
"I'm really proud of us for battling this week," Butler said. "The course required a lot of control and patience. We didn't have our best stuff and still found a way to win, which is the true test of a champion. It was also a great learning experience for us all that will push to continue us to grow as players."
Earning his third consecutive top-25 finish of the year, junior Ryan Eshleman continued to be a steady force in the Orange & Blue lineup with a fourth-place finish in Milwaukee. The Birmingham, Alabama native capped his middle round at 68 (-2) and proceeded to shoot 71 (+1) in his final set. For the week, Eshleman carded a 209 (-1).
"Today was a great day," Eshleman said. "For us to charge back and play the way we did on that course was outstanding. Weeks like this are so good for us to put in the memory bank and use later in the season. We're off to a great start this year, but we still have lots of goals to accomplish and are excited for the road that lies ahead."
Carson Bacha was the No. 3 Tiger on the scorecard this week, utilizing a par of even par rounds to clinch the first top-10 performance of his junior campaign. Since making his collegiate debut a year ago, Bacha has accumulated six top-20 finishes and has carded 18 rounds at or below par.
Auburn's sophomore duo of Brendan Valdes and Evan Vo rounded out the team's scorers at Marquette. The pair both earned top-30 finishes in the 87-player field. Valdes wrapped up action at 216 (+6) and Vo finished just a shot above at 217 (+7). Tigers individual player Alex Vogelsong also finished strong, matching Valdes at 216.
As a unit, the Tigers posted tournament-leading marks in par 4 scoring (4.06), par 5 scoring (4.50), total birdies (44) and total eagles (1).
Up next, Auburn concludes its fall season with a stint at the Isleworth College, Oct. 23-25, in Orlando, Florida.
| Placement | Golfer | R1 | R2 | R3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T2 | J.M. Butler | 70 (E) | 71 (+1) | 67 (-3) | 208 (-2) |
| 4 | Ryan Eshleman | 70 (E) | 68 (-2) | 71 (+1) | 209 (-1) |
| T10 | Carson Bacha | 70 (E) | 74 (+4) | 70 (E) | 214 (+4) |
| T24 | Brendan Valdes | 73 (+3) | 75 (+5) | 68 (-2) | 216 (+6) |
| T24 | Alex Vogelsong (I) | 72 (+2) | 72 (+2) | 72 (+2) | 216 (+6) |
| T30 | Evan Vo | 73 (+3) | 75 (+5) | 69 (-1) | 217 (+7) |
| 1 | TEAM | 283 (+3) | 288 (+8) | 274 (-6) | 845 (-5) |
TEAM STANDINGS
1.#3 Auburn 845 (+5)
T2. Northwestern 851 (+11)
T2. Marquette 851 (+11)
4. Iowa State 856 (+16)
5. Purdue 860 (+20)
6. South Florida 863 (+23)
7. RV Charlotte 868 (+28)
8. UC Davis 869 (+29)
9. Northern Illinois 870 (+30)
10. Minnesota 871 (+31)
11. #25 Wisconsin 874 (+34)
12. Cal Poly 879 (+39)
13. Miami (Ohio) 882 (+42)
T14. Rutgers 883 (+43)
T14. Howard 833 (+43)