INDIO, Calif. – The Tiger individual trio of Austin Coggin, Hal Dove and Reed Lotter concluded play at The Prestige Wednesday with each man carding a top-30 finish.
Once again, high winds factored into play as the average score of all players in the final round rose to 77.90 strokes.
"Wind was definitely a factor in some not-so-pretty scores today," Tigers assistant coach Chris Williams said, "but that's never an excuse. The best golfers out there can ride that roller-coaster and find a way to execute outside of their comfort zone. If this team wants to make a deep run in the postseason, learning that lesson is going to be crucial."
Capping a remarkable showing with an 83, freshman Lotter leaves California with a 217 (+1) and a seventh-place finish in the very first outing of his career in the Orange & Blue.
Lotter was one of just four freshmen to finish inside the event's top-10 and was also the highest-placing golfer from the Southeastern Conference, regardless of class.
"Today was a grind from the start," Lotter said. "I didn't have my game from the first hole. The wind was brutal and I was searching all day. Definitely a learning experience and showed me that I have some holes in my wind game. I will take the positives this week and move forward. This will only make me a stronger player and I like where I'm going."
With an 80 in his final outing, senior Austin Coggin held onto yet another top-20 performance, marking the sixth for the Birmingham native in his last eight appearances.
"This week was awesome," Coggin said. "All I can do is be thankful for the experience that the coaches gave us for letting us go. It was cool to play desert golf, which is certainly challenging with wind — you must drive the ball well and putt good. The last day was definitely the hardest day of golf so far this year for me. I'm leaving here having learned a lot."
Dove wrapped up his week by carding the Tigers' low round of the day with a 78. The senior responded to a challenging front nine by making birdie thrice on his home stretch on holes 10, 15 and 17 to post an even 36 for his final nine holes.
Up next, it's a quick turnaround for the Tigers of Auburn golf as the team is set to compete at the Dorado Beach Collegiate in Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico Feb. 26-28.
| Placement | Golfer | R1 | R2 | R3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Reed Lotter | 67 (-5) | 68 (-4) | 83 (+11) | 217 (+1) |
| T19 | Austin Coggin | 71 (-1) | 73 (+1) | 80 (+8) | 224 (+8) |
| T29 | Hal Dove | 78 (+6) | 72 (E) | 78 (+6) | 228 (+12) |