BOWLING GREEN, Fla. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's golf team beat four top-20 teams and finished four strokes behind the defending national champion in the season-opening Griffin Invitational this week at Streamsong Resort. RMAC Preseason Golfer of the Year
Colin Prater led the Mountain Lions with a 4-under 212 and a No. 12 overall finish.
The Mountain Lions finished sixth in a field that featured eight top-20 teams and the last three national champions. UCCS finished with a 2-over 866 and posted its best round of the week in the second round in a 4-under 284. The Mountain Lions finished three strokes behind fifth place and No. 11 ranked Nova Southeastern, and four strokes behind today's fourth-place team and the national preseason favorite of Florida Southern.
Prater finished the tournament with his best round of the week with a 2-under 70 after a pair of 71 performances in the first two rounds. He made 14 birdies and tied for the seventh-most among the 90 golfers.
Junior transfer
Jack Duguid placed No. 24 overall in his Mountain Lion debut with a 1-over 217, and matched Prater's 71 in the second round for his best round of the week. He finished with 13 birdies and went 5-under on the par five holes.
Ji Jang tied for No. 28 with a 3-over 219 and opened with his best round on Monday morning with a 71.
Tanner Comes turned in the best single-round performance for the Mountain Lions this week in the second round with a 3-under 69, but an opening and closing round of 76 put him in a tie for No. 34 with a 221.
Peter Johns started his UCCS career with a 226 and recorded his best round on Monday morning with a 73.
The Mountain Lions finished ahead of Florida Tech, South Carolina Aiken, Saint Leo and North Alabama, all teams ranked in the top 20 in the Golfweek national preseason poll. UCCS received 22 votes in the same poll and would be ranked No. 38 if the poll was extended.
UCCS will go from the East Cost to the West Coast next week for the 46th Western Washington Invitational. Action will take place Sept. 25-26, at the Bellingham Golf & Country Club.
