Cougars Close Out Regular Season With Top-5 Finish

Friday, April 7

The Cliffs at Keowee Falls - Sunset, S.C.

All Day

College of Charleston

Clemson Invitational

4/9/2017 9:20:00 PM | Men's Golf

Final Round Team Results Final Round Individual Results

SUNSET, S.C. – The College of Charleston men's golf team closed out the regular season with its fifth Top-5 finish carding a three-round score of 886 (+22) on the final day of the second annual Clemson Invitational held at The Cliffs at Keowee Falls on Sunday.

With the majority of the 13 teams in the field hailing from the ACC, SEC and Big Ten, the Cougars place fifth overall. No. 18-ranked and host Clemson claimed the team title with an 858 (-6) followed by runner-up and No. 21 Georgia Tech (+9), No. 38 Alabama in third (+14) and SMU in fourth (+21).

"This was a great week to put three solid rounds together en route to a Top-5 finish just two weeks before CAAs," CofC Assistant Coach Alex Ellis said. "The team is trending in the right direction as we head to the most important part of our season."

Senior All-American and No. 79-ranked William Rainey (Charlotte, N.C.) led the way for the Cougars with rounds of 69, 72 and 73 to finish tied for third at 2-under par for the tournament. He was one of seven Top-100 ranked players in the 70-player field and co-leader after 36 holes. Patrick Cover of UNCW fired a tournament-low 65 in the final round (-5) to win individual medalist honors.

"(William) Rainey came up just a few shots short of his second collegiate victory," Ellis said. "He used this week as a momentum builder as he will try and defend his conference championship."

Senior Parker Derby (Columbus, Ga.) finished tied for 18th (+5), while freshman Michael Sass (Louisville, Ky.) tied for 31st (+11) turning in a final-round, 1-under par 71 with three birdies. Freshmen Hunter Dunagan (Augusta, Ga.) and Logan Sowell (Kershaw, S.C.) tied for 40th (+14).

"We were very proud of Mike Sass's comeback after round one," Ellis said. "He led our team the final 36 holes with an outstanding round of 71 today."

Up ahead, the Cougars will look to defend their Colonial Athletic Association Men's Golf Championship title in the coming weeks at the Salisbury Country Club on April 21-23 in Midlothian, Va.