Sept. 30, 2014
Meadows of Dan, Va. - The 12th-ranked Auburn men's golf team recorded the second lowest total in school history at 37-under 827 while Michael Johnson broke the school record at 16-under 200 as both finished second by a stroke at the Primland Collegiate Invitational on Tuesday.
Entering the day four shots behind No. 21 Wake Forest, Auburn shot a 14-under 274, tying for the fifth lowest round in school history. The Tigers played the final three holes 6-under. Johnson followed up a pair of career-low 67s during Monday's 36 holes with a 6-under 66, making birdie on four of the first six holes as well as on 14, 16 and 17. He finished a shot behind North Carolina's William Register, who had a final round 68 for his 17-under 199 total.
Matt Gilchrest tied for third at 11-under with a final round 67 with seven birdies and a double on the par-5 13th. Will Long tied for 24th at 68-213 while Ryan Benton tied for 27th with a 73-214 and Dan Stringfellow tied for 34th at 76-218. "I'm proud of the guys and their effort this week," said Auburn head coach Nick Clinard. "We played very well, and they had exceptional attitudes all week. We still need to putt better, and we will continue to work diligently on being the best in the nation mentally and physically."
Auburn was shy of the school 54-hole record score of 44-under at the 2008 John Burns Intercollegiate while Johnson broke the record of 15-under 201 by both Blayne Barber at the 2012 E-Z-GO Schenkel Invitational and Kyle Kopsick at the 2009 Gary Koch Invitational.
Penn State finished third, 11 shots behind Auburn with a 280-838 while Virginia Tech (278-839) was fourth followed by No. 24 Clemson (272-843), No. 10 Virginia (277-845), No. 17 North Carolina (283-849), Tennessee (287-852) and UNCW (284-877). The Tigers return to action at the Sagamore Preview Oct. 13-14 at the Sagamore Club in Noblesville, Ind.
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