BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Vanderbilt and host Samford shared the team championship at the 2010 Samford Invitational, completed Tuesday at Limestone Springs Golf Course.
Deadlocked at 877 (+13) after 54 holes of play, neither the Commodores nor the Bulldogs could break the tie in a three-hole playoff, and the result was called a tie for the annual event’s team championship.
This marks the third straight season that Shaw’s Commodores have won a team championship during the Spring. Last year, an eagle by Ryan Haselden on the 54th hole propelled Vanderbilt to the 2009 Seminole Intercollegiate title. In 2008, Hudson Johnson claimed medalist honors as the Commodores won the Kauai Collegiate Cup.
“We are happy to get this win,” VU Head Coach Tom Shaw said. “The playoff atmosphere was electric going against the hometown school. It was a terrific learning experience for the guys. We did not play well today and have some work to do, but it was nice to come out on top this week.”
In the team competition, Vanderbilt and Samford finished one stroke ahead of a third-place tie between Murray State and Kennesaw State, while Georgia State rounded out the top five. The Bulldogs tied the Commodores for championship honors in the 14-team event by shooting the tournament’s low round, a six-under 282, to make up a 20- stroke deficit over the final 18 holes.
Both Haselden and Johnson finished in the Top 20 at Samford. But it was sophomore Trey DelGreco who paced the Commodores and notched his second consecutive Top 10 finish. DelGreco shot three under-par rounds this week, closing out with a one-under 71 to move to four-under for the event and take sole possession of third place.
Two strokes back of DelGreco, Johnson earned his fourth Top 10 of the season by placing in a tie for fourth at two-under. Haselden carded a 79 on Tuesday to fall from third to 14th, still managing his fourth Top 20 finish of the 2009-10 season. Sophomore Charlie Grace and senior Chris Rockwell finished 54th and 60th, respectively, in the field of 75 golfers.
Samford’s Casey Otoole ran away with individual medalist honors after shooting 65-66 in the final two rounds. At 12-under, Otoole was seven strokes clear of his nearest competitor, Jeff Karlsson of Kennesaw State.
A highly-acclaimed golf course in the Birmingham area, Limestone Springs is playing at 6,987-yard and par-72 this week.
With school out in Nashville, the Commodores will travel from to Tallahassee, Fla., this week, to defend last year’s team championship at the Seminole Intercollegiate hosted by Florida State. The event is scheduled for 18 holes each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Southwood Golf Club in Tallahassee.
