Men's Golf 4/17/2016 5:15:00 PM

Men's Golf Captures 30th USA South Conference Championship

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- All five Methodist golfers finished in the top 10 and the Monarchs captured their 30th USA South Athletic Conference Championship by 32 strokes on Sunday afternoon at Benvenue Country Club.

Methodist recorded the only sub-300 rounds of the tournament and finished with a three-day score of 885 (291-298-296) to outpace Huntingdon in second place (305-307-305--917). The Monarchs also boasted the only individual to finish under par as Larkin Gross, playing in his second tournament all season, claimed individual medalist honors with a score of 214 (-2). He shot rounds of 71-72-71 and became MU's first individual medalist since Josh Schrader in 2010.

After MU and Huntingdon, LaGrange took third (317-310-303--930), Greensboro was fourth (315-314-302--931), and Piedmont took fourth (316-305-316--937).

Gross had an eventful day en route to his second 71 of the tournament. He carded three birdies and three bogeys in playing an even-par front nine. Two birdies to open the back were followed by back-to-back bogeys on 13 and 14 before he closed out his round with a birdie on 18. His 14 birdies on the week led the tournament and he was one of four players with one eagle.

Jackson Collier finished in second place with a final score of 220 (+4). After opening with 68 (-4) on Friday, he shot 77 on Saturday and closed with 75 on Sunday. Collier's lone birdie on Sunday came on the third hole, part of a 37 (+1) over his first nine holes.

Craig Decato closed out the tournament with his best round of the event with a 73 (+2). He finished in seventh place (82-74-73--229). Decato opened in 38 (+2) but got back to even par with consecutive birdies on 12 and 13 to get to even par. He was unable to improve however as a bogey on 17 pushed him a stroke above par.

Mason Stutler (78-75-77) and Davis Jensen (74-77-79) each tied for eighth at 230. Stutler went out in 40 (+4), but managed to play his final nine holes in one over par, recording a birdie on the par-4 16th. Jensen had two birdies in his final round.

With the win, the Monarchs earn the USA South's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships in Rochester, N.Y., from May 10-13.