Feb. 28, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
IRVING, Texas - Behind the play of junior Greg Forest and sophomore Mike Stern, who shared medalist honors, the UCF men's golf squad claimed the team title at the UCF Rio Pinar Invitational on Tuesday. The tournament victory was the first for the Knights since they won the same event in 2005. Forest and Stern both finished at 205 (-11) in the event that featured four of the top-40 squads in the nation.
On Tuesday, Stern carded a two-under 69 and Forest posted a one-under 71. Forest and Stern both took medalist honors for the first time on the collegiate level. Forest led the tournament with 16 birdies, while Stern paced the field in par-5 scoring (-8). For their efforts, the duo was awarded C-USA Co-Men's Golfer of the Week.
CO-MEN'S GOLFER OF THE WEEK
GREG FOREST - UCF MIKE STREN - UCF
Jr., Palm City, Fla. (Martin County) So., Miami, Fla. (Killian)
Forest and Stern carried the Knights to the UCF Rio Pinar Intercollegiate title, sharing co-medalist honors at the event. Forest and Stern both finished at 205 (-11) at the three-round event. The tournament victory was the first for the Knights since they won the same event in 2005. In the second round, both players equaled the UCF 18-hole record with respective scores of eight-under 64. The event featured four squads ranked in the top 40 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. Stern closed the event by carding a two-under 69 in the final round, while Forest posted a one-under 71. The tournament victory was the first for both players. Prior to the event, no Knight had taken medalist honors at a tournament since 2005. This is Forest's third career weekly honor and the first for Stern.
OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES
CHRISTOPHER BROWN - Rice
Brown shot a pair of even-par 72s in the weather-shortened Cuthbert Cup to finish in a tie for 10th. He helped the Owls to a seventh-place finish in the team's third competition of the spring.
KELLY KRAFT - SMU
Kraft, a freshman, shot a 209 (69-68-72) and tied for 17th individually as the SMU men's golf team finished fifth in the 21-team John Burns Intercollegiate at the 6,917-yard, par 72 Leilehua Golf Course.
HERBERT DAY - UTEP
Day tied for second place at the John Burns Intercollegiate in Honolulu Feb. 20-22. He shot a season-low 203 with rounds of 68, 67 and 68, respectively. Day finished two strokes back of medalist Stephen Hale of California (67-67-67-201). UTEP tied for eighth place at the 21-team tournament.
GOLFWEEK TOP 100 RANKINGS
27. UCF
31. UAB
52. SMU
74. Memphis
77. East Carolina
79. Southern Miss
EAST CAROLINA
Junior Andre Thorsen and freshman Warren Straub each fired a seven-over par 223 and finished tied for eighth place at the third-annual Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate on Hilton Head Island... The duo paced East Carolina to a sixth place finish in the final team standings with a 903 (299-298-306)... Thorsen (223) earned his second top 10 finish of the season, while Straub (223) recorded the first top 10 finish of his collegiate career... Sophomore Tanner Briele (224) finished one stroke behind his teammates tied for 12th... ECU will next compete at the Pinehurst Intercollegiate, March 16-18, at historic Pinehurst No. 8.
HOUSTON
Houston junior Ben Moser closed with a final round 3-over-par 75 to finish as the runner-up at the All-American Intercollegiate Invitational held on the Traditions Course at Cypresswood Golf Club... Led by low-scoring finishes by Moser and senior Jordan Irwin, the Cougars shot a third-round 308, a 901 overall, to place fifth... Other Cougar golfers in the tournament were sophomore Jackie Lindsey (230) +14, junior Steven Frazier (234) +18 and freshmen Trevor Edwards (234) +18... The second-place finish is a career-best for Moser, a transfer from Kent State... The Cougars are off next week but return to action March 14-15 in the Border Olympics at the Laredo Country Club in Laredo, Texas.
MARSHALL
Marshall finished the 54-hole, 15-team Wexford Intercollegiate at the par-72, 6,828-yard Wexford Plantation Course, in 12th place on Tuesday... Marshall's score of 927 (306-304-317), like the majority of teams at the event, ballooned thanks to high winds on Hilton Head Island for Tuesday's final round... The Herd's Christian Brand, a sophomore, carded Marshall's best round of the tournament with his opening-round 74 on Monday... He concluded the event with scores of 79 and 77 for a team-best 230, placing him in a tie for 35th along with teammate Trent Schambach... The senior posted a round of 6-over 78 on Tuesday... The Herd will return to South Carolina for its next event, the Palmetto Intercollegiate in Aiken, S.C., from March 10-11.
MEMPHIS
Memphis senior Ian Rochester shot a 7-under par 209 in the 54-hole Rio Pinar Invitational to lead Memphis and finish third in the field... As a team, Memphis recorded a score of 877 to tie for 11th... Memphis sophomore Brandon Bunn shot a 219 to tie for 34th... Junior Brad Benjamin tied for 37th with a 220... The Tigers will be back in action March 3-4 when they compete in the Charleston Southern Spring Classic.
RICE
The third round of the Cuthbert Cup was cancelled Tuesday afternoon dues to inclement weather... The tournament final standings reverted back to the second round results... Rice sophomore Christopher Brown shot a pair of even-par 72s on Sunday and Monday and tied for 10th... As a team, the Owls placed seventh in the final standings... Rice shot a 587 (+11) to finish eight strokes back of the tournament champion... Rice returns to action March 14-15 when the Owls travel to Laredo for the Border Olympics.
SMU
SMU carded a final round 285 to finish fifth at 841 at the John Burns Intercollegiate at the 6,917-yard, par 72 Leilehua Golf Course... Following the team's best round of the event on Thursday, 277, no Mustang golfer managed to break 70 on the final day as SMU slipped from fourth to fifth... Individually, Kelly Kraft (69-68-72) and Ben Tewes (71-68-70) tied for 17th at 209, while Scott Barton (72-69-70) just missed a top-25 finish, tying for 27th at 211... SMU returns to the links on March 10 at the Louisiana Classic.
SOUTHERN MISS
Paul Apyan and Wes Carter finished in a tie for eighth, and Southern Miss posted a team score of seven-over par 871 to finish in eighth place at the UCF Rio Pinar Invitational, played at the Rio Pinar Golf & Country Club... Apyan and Carter finished with final round scores of 74 and 70, respectively, to close the tournament with a three-under par 213... Sophomore Tyler Sparks shot a final round of 72 for a three-round total of 220 to finish in a tie for 37th... Southern Miss continues its spring schedule, March 17-18, at the Grub Mart Intercollegiate, hosted by Jacksonville State, in Gadsden, Ala.
TULSA
Tulsa finished in 13th place at the Rio Pinar Invitational on Tuesday, after carding a final round of 293 for a 54-hole total of 879 at the par-72 Rio Pinar Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Fla... Tulsa sophomore Rob Laird finished 19th overall with a score of 216 after today's team-best round of 70... Junior Ryan Brooks and sophomore Jake Chominsky tallied three-round 220 totals to tie for 37th-place... Tulsa will be in action next at the General Jim Hackler Invitational on March 9-10 at Myrtle Beach, S.C.
UAB
UAB continued to improve during the third and final round of the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational on Feb. 19, and finished tied for seventh overall... The Blazers closed play with a three-day total of 893 (301-296-297) and defeated four teams ranked ahead of them in the latest national poll... The Blazers entered the competition ranked 31st in the nation, and were one of nine teams in the event that are ranked among the top-30 teams in the country... Individually, it was senior Kyle Sapp and junior Zach Sucher who both finished tied for 16th overall with a five-over par 221... Sucher was awarded C-USA Co-Golfer of the Week honors for his performace both in this event and after taking co-medalist honors at the SunTrust Gator Invite a week earlier... The Blazers will next compete at the Seminole Intercollegiate on March 2-4 in Tallahassee, Fla.
No. 20/27 UCF
Behind the play of junior Greg Forest and sophomore Mike Stern, who shared medalist honors, the UCF men's golf squad claimed the team title at the UCF Rio Pinar Invitational on Tuesday... The tournament victory was the first for the Knights since they won the same event in 2005... Forest and Stern both finished at 205 (-11) in the event that featured four of the top-40 squads in the nation... On Tuesday, Stern carded a two-under 69 and Forest posted a one-under 71... Forest and Stern both took medalist honors for the first time on the collegiate level... Forest led the tournament with 16 birdies, while Stern paced the field in par-5 scoring (-8)... For their efforts, the duo was awarded C-USA Co-Men's Golfer of the Week... The Knights will not be in action again until March 23, when they compete at the Hootie at Bulls Bay in South Carolina.
UTEP
UTEP tied for eighth place in its first tournament of the season, the John Burns Intercollegiate, on Friday in Honolulu... The Miners finished with a three-day total of 847 (281-287-279)... UTEP freshman Herbert Day tied for second place, carding a 203 (68-67-68)... The Miners' Josh Taylor tied for 50th place (71-70-74-215), Chad Keohane (72-75-70-217) and David Murray (70-75-72-217) tied for 59th place, and Zac Hildenbrand tied for 96th place (81-76-69-226)... UTEP returns to action March 14-15 at the Border Olympics in Laredo, Texas.
