Tar Heels Tie for Seventh Place at the Schenkel Invitational

Sunday, March 20

Statesboro, Ga.

All Day

North Carolina

Schenkel Invitational

March 20, 2011 | Men's Golf

By: UNC Athletic Communications

March 20, 2011

Final Results

Statesboro, G.A. - The North Carolina men's golf team carded an eight-over-par 296 in the third round of the Schenkel Invitational en route to a 880 total for the tournament, tying for seventh place. Michael McGowan and Sean Jacklin both fired even-par rounds of 72 to lead the Tar Heels in the final round.

McGowan, from Southern Pines, N.C., tallied an even-par 216 total to finish tied for 13th, marking the sophomore's second top-15 finish in three starts this spring. Jacklin, a freshman from Bradenton, Fla., and Raleigh, N.C., native, Henry Zaytoun III, both finished with a four-over-par 216 total and in a tie for 32nd place. Tar Heel Kevin O'Connell, a senior from Cary, N.C., fired a two-over-par 74 in the final round, his low round of the tournament, and finished with a 227 total overall. Clark Palmer, a sophomore from Augusta, G.A., finished with a 230 total after three rounds.

Auburn University captured the team title via a team playoff with Southeastern Conference rival Florida. Florida rallied from six strokes back as they fired an even-par 288 in the final round to match Auburn's 16-under-par 848 total for the tournament, forcing a playoff. Auburn needed only one playoff hole to dispatch the Gators. The Tigers' tallied three pars, one bogey and one birdie, besting Florida's two pars, 2 bogeys and one birdie. The playoff marked the first team playoff at the Schenkel since 1999 when Clemson defeated Georgia after a 54-hole tie. Virginia, LSU, and North Florida rounded out the top five.

Florida's Bank Vongvanij fired a tournament-best six-under 66 in the first round and never looked back, finishing with a nine-under 207 total to capture the individual crown. Kevin Aylwin, of North Florida and Auburn's Kyle Kopsick finished tied for runner-up, each carding an eight-under 208 total.

The tournament was played at the Forest Heights Country Club, which features a par-72, 6,947-yard layout. The Tar Heels next action will come Mar. 28-29 when they travel to Awendaw, S.C., to compete in the Hootie at Bull's Bay.