SAPPHIRE, N.C. – Behind a season-low round of 274 in the second round, the Georgia Southern men's golf team finished tied for third at the JT Poston Invitational at the Country Club of Sapphire Valley, held Monday and Tuesday. Individually, Luke Koenig shot a 207 for a -6 to tie for third place.

The Eagles finished the first day on a strong note, posting a 17-stroke improvement from Round 1 to Round 2. That strong round vaulted the squad into the top 5 heading into Tuesday's final round. In the first round, two Eagles posted par-71s, but the second round saw four of the five squadded players, and all three individuals, go below par. Koenig led the way with eight birdies to shoot a collegiate career-low 65 (-6). Playing as an individual, Hayden Carner carded six birdies in the round for a 68 (-3), tying his collegiate career low. Luke Dasher posted 16 pars and two birdies to shoot a 69 (-2) in the round and Ian Glanton recorded the first eagle of the season for the squad en route to a 69 (-2).

On the final day, Reece Coleman posted his first eagle of the season along with seven birdies to fire a 66 (-5) to lead the way as the Eagles made a strong push as a team to finish in the top 3.

For the tournament, the Eagles finished second in the field in both par 4s (4.03) and par 5s (4.58; -19). The squad tied for the tournament lead in pars with 174, led by Dasher's 40 (T2nd).

Quote from Coach Carter Collins:
"I'm really proud of the step forward we took this week at The JT Poston. This team showed a lot of GRIT and perseverance to climb the leader board like we did in the final two rounds. Congratulations to Luke Koenig on a great individual performance. To have a top-three finish in his third career start is a great sign of what he's capable of. We still have lots of work, but this team is building in the right direction. I'm excited for the opportunities ahead! Hail Southern!"

Scores
Team – 291-274-281=846 (-6), T3

Luke Koenig - 71-65-71=207 (-6), T3
Hayden Carner* - 71-68-71=210 (-3), T16
Reece Coleman - 72-73-66=211 (-2), T20
Brycen Jones* - 73-70-68=211 (-2), T20
Brantley Baker - 76-70-70=216 (+3), T39
Parker Claxton - 72-70-75=217 (+4), T42
Luke Dasher - 76-69-74=219 (+6), T59
Ian Glanton* - 76-69-78=223 (+10), T83
*Played as an individual

Next Up
The Eagles head to South Bend, Indiana, for the Fighting Irish Classic hosted by Notre Dame on Oct. 1 and 2.