Men's Golf Wins Sixth Tournament; Every Claims Indiv. Title

Sunday, March 21

Statesboro, GA

12:00 AM

Florida Gators

Schenkel E-Z Go Invitational

Men's Golf Wins Sixth Tournament; Every Claims Indiv. Title

Sunday, March 21, 2004 | Men's Golf

Sophomore Matt Every (Daytona Beach, Fla.) won his second medalist honor of the season, while No. 1 Florida captured its sixth tournament title of the year by 10 strokes at the Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational on Sunday at Forest Heights Country Club.

The Gators 280-290-289 = 859 (-5) were the only team to shoot in the red for the tournament and their final round score of 289 was seven strokes better than the next best team. Georgia finished 10 strokes back in second at 869 (+5), while South Carolina finished third 871 (+7) at the par 72, 6,962-yard course. The 2003-04 squad is now tied with three other teams for the second most wins in a season in school history with six. The squad also finished inside the top five for the 10th straight tournament this season – just two shy of the UF record.

"It seems like every tournament that another team will play with us for the first two rounds and then we'll get some separation," Florida coach Buddy Alexander said. "Our guys are always taking turns stepping up for us at each tournament, although Matt and Camilo Villegas have stepped up and stayed there for the most part all season."

Every carded a final round 68 (-4) to finish at 207 (-9) and overtake Wake Forest's Bill Haas, who entered the final round with a six-shot lead. Haas finished two strokes back at 209 (-7) after a final round 77 (+5). Every became just the seventh player in school history to win more than one tournament in a season after he claimed medalist honors at the Gary Koch Invitational in the fall.

"Matt played a great round," Alexander said. "He hung in there and made some birdies to get up on Bill Haas and he stayed ahead. I'm real proud of Matt picking up his second win of the year. The guy has sort of come out of nowhere to be what looks like a first team All-American."

Senior Camilo Villegas (Medellin, Colombia) shot a final round score of 72 (E) to finish in a tie for fifth at 214 (-2). The even par round was his 19th of the season and the three-time All-American has now finished in the top five in four of his last five tournaments.

Rebounding from a pair of rough tournaments, freshman Jessie Mudd (Louisville, Ky.) placed inside the top 20 for the seventh time in nine tournaments this season and inside the top 10 for the second time this year by finishing in a tie for eighth. He shot a final round score of 72 (E) to finish at one-under for the tournament at 215. Mudd's finish helped the Gators place three players in the top 10 for the fourth time this season.

Sophomore Brett Stegmaier (Madison, Conn.) finished in a tie for 47th at 226 (+10) after a final round 78 (+6), while junior Duke Butler IV (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) was one shot back in a tie for 54th at 227 (+11) after a third round score of 77 (+5).

Florida will play in its final regular season tournament next week when the Gators will travel north for the Atlanta Intercollegiate on March 29-30 at Eagle's Landing Country Club.

TEAM STANDINGS

Place	Team	1^st Round	2^ndRound	3^rd Round	Total	Over/Under Par
1.	Florida	280	290	289	859	-5
2.	Georgia	289	286	294	869	+5
3.	South Carolina	292	282	297	871	+7
4.	Duke	285	286	301	872	+8
5.	Augusta State	289	285	302	876	+12
6.	Clemson	297	283	298	878	+14
7.	LSU	287	290	302	879	+15
T8.	Wake Forest	287	282	312	881	+17
T8.	USC	285	295	301	881	+17
10.	Ohio State	290	283	309	882	+18
11.	Georgia Southern	295	288	301	884	+20
12.	North Carolina State	305	289	296	890	+26
13.	North Carolina	297	291	304	892	+28
14.	Tennessee	295	290	308	893	+29
15.	Auburn	295	292	308	895	+31

FLORIDA RESULTS

Place	Player	1^st Round	2^nd Round	3^rd Round	Total	Over/Under Par
1.	Matt Every	67	72	68	207	-9
T5.	Camilo Villegas	70	72	72	214	-2
T8.	Jessie Mudd	71	72	72	215	-1
T47.	Brett Stegmaier	72	76	78	226	+10
T54.	Duke Butler IV	76	74	77	227	+11