BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — LSU junior Brian Noonan fired a 3-under 33 on his back nine to post an even-par 72 in Tuesday’s final round and lead the LSU men’s golf team with a second-place finish in the second-annual Shoal Creek Intercollegiate at Shoal Creek Country Club.
Noonan earned the best finish of his LSU career with a three-round total of 2-under 214, including a career low 4-under 68 in the second round Monday. His 54-hole total is also a career low with his previous best finish being a tie for 36th in the Coca-Cola Tournament of Champions in September of last season.
“I just played my game and stayed composed throughout the tournament,” Noonan said. “My mental preparation coming in kept me focused during each round. I tried not to think too much about where I stood or anything like that, but tried to stay focused on playing one shot at a time. I did that pretty well and had a great finish.”
LSU head coach Chuck Winstead said Noonan’s play this week is a result of the hard work and dedication he has shown from this time last year to improve all aspects of his game. He believes this will only further his development as the season progresses.
“Brian played well again today and has really shown some progress with his game from this time last year,” Winstead said. “He is a hard worker at improving all aspects of his game, and it’s nice for him to see some positive results from all of his hard work. There’s no question that he’ll just continue to grow with the work he puts in.”
The Tigers finished the tournament in a tie for 11th at 37-over 901 after posting a team round of 16-over 306 in the final round. Junior Chris Wells finished in a tie for 42nd place and was followed closely by sophomore Jarrod Barsamian‘s tie for 49th. Freshman Brent Blaum finished the event in a tie for 58th, while junior Beck Troutman placed 71st.
The Alabama Crimson Tide held on to their lead to capture the team championship by six strokes over Southeastern Conference rival Tennessee with a three-round total of 5-over 869. Jonas Blixt of Florida State fired a tournament low 5-under 67 on Tuesday to claim medalist honors with a 5-under 211.
The Tigers break for two weeks before returning to action Oct. 9 in the prestigious Jerry Pate Invitational hosted by Alabama at Old Overton Golf Club in Birmingham. They follow that with an appearance in the inaugural Oklahoma Intercollegiate at Oak Tree Golf Club in Edmond, Okla., from Oct. 15-17.
“We’ll continue to help this team grow and improve as we move forward,” Winstead said. “We look forward to playing in the Jerry Pate Invitational in two weeks. It will offer a tough test for our team with a strong field. I’m excited about being able to upgrade our schedule with such a high-end event.”
SHOAL CREEK INTERCOLLEGIATE ? FINAL ROUND RESULTS
TEAM SCORES (Par 864)
1. Alabama 288-288-293 ? 869 +5; 2. Tennessee 290-297-288 ? 875 +11; 3. Florida State 293-294-295 ? 882 +18; 4. Central Florida 295-290-300 ? 885 +21; 5. Auburn 300-291-295 ? 886 +22; 6. Michigan State 296-293-304 ? 893 +29; 7. Baylor 301-295-298 ? 894 +30; 8. NC State 296-295-305 ? 896 +32; 9. SMU 294-301-304 ? 899 +35; 10. UAB 298-301-301 ? 900 +36; t11. LSU 305-290-306 ? 901 +37; t11. Virginia 306-297-298 ? 901 +37; 13. Georgia Southern 305-299-302 ? 906 +42; 14. North Florida 305-301-303 ? 909 +45; 15. Samford 304-307-307 ? 918 +54
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (Par 216)
1. Jonas Blixt, Florida State, 68-76-67 ? 211 -5; 2. Brian Noonan, LSU, 74-68-72 ? 214 -2; 3. Matt Savage, Florida State, 69-72-74 ? 215 -1; 4. Charles Ford, Tennessee, 75-69-72 ? 216 E; t5. Gator Todd, Alabama, 68-73-76 ? 217 +1; t5. Mark Harrell, Alabama, 68-73-76 ? 217 +1; t7. Jeff Dennis, North Florida, 75-71-72 ? 218 +2; t7. Garrett Osborn, UAB, 71-74-73 ? 218 +2; t7. Preston Brown, Central Florida, 75-72-71 ? 218 +2; t10. Patton Kizzire, Auburn, 77-70-72 ? 219 +3; t10. Colt Knost, SMU, 70-73-76 ? 219 +3; t10. Philip Pettitt, Tennessee, 72-72-75 ? 219 +3
LSU SCORES
2. Brian Noonan 74-68-72 ? 214 -2
t42. Chris Wells 76-74-77 ? 227 +11
t49. Jarrod Barsamian 78-72-79 ? 229 +13
t58. Brent Blaum 77-76-79 ? 232 +16
71. Beck Troutman 81-81-78 ? 240 +24