Arkansas Captures Victory At Gopher Invitational

Final Results

INDEPENDENCE, Minn. – The No. 33 Arkansas men’s golf team poured in 17 birdies and two eagles on Monday and fired a final round 5-under 279 to run away from the field and capture the team championship at the Gopher Invitational at Windsong Farm Golf Club.

Arkansas opened the day with a one shot lead and two of the top eight teams in the country lurking close behind, but the Razorbacks went 7-under during their final five holes to race away from the field and record a 10-shot victory. Arkansas’ rounds of 284-285-279 – 848 (-4) tied the lowest score in Gopher Invitational history.

The Razorbacks capture a tournament title for the 12th consecutive season as head coach Brad McMakin has guided Arkansas to 25 victories in 12 years, including 20 championships during the last seven seasons.

“I am really proud of these guys for battling and coming out with a win against a great field here in Minnesota,” said McMakin. “Beating two top 10 teams and knocking off the defending National Champions will give this team confidence that hopefully we can build on moving forward.”

Arkansas beat one of the best fields in collegiate golf, taking down nine nationally ranked teams, including defeating No. 8 Baylor by 10 shots, No. 6 Oklahoma by 11 strokes and No. 17 Kent State by 12 shots.

Alvaro Ortiz led the charge in the early portion of the round, posting a birdie and eagle in a three-hole span, while Mason Overstreet provided the fireworks late with a birdie and eagle in back-to-back holes to create separation from the field.

Overstreet recorded back-to-back 4-under 67’s to post a runner-up finish, his second such result in his last three collegiate events after ending last season as the runner-up at the NCAA National Championship. His rounds of 72-67-67 – 206 (-7) gives him four rounds under par in two tournaments this year.

Ortiz’s final round featured six birdies and one eagle as he signed for a 2-under 69 and top 10 finish for the second consecutive week. William Buhl birdied four of his final 14 holes and recorded a 1-under 70 in the final round to finish T-14th overall, while Charles Kim finished T-26th overall and Luis Garza rounded out the team T-68th.

Arkansas also had three players compete at the nearby Gopher Individual as the Razorback trio all finished inside the top 10. Sophomore Dylan Naidoo and freshman Kyle Robinson finished T-8th overall at 4-over, while freshman Landon Ernst posted a T-10th finish at 5-over par.

The Razorbacks return to action in two weeks at the Bearcat Invitational in Cincinnati, Ohio. The two-day event is set for Sept. 25-26 at Coldstream Country Club.

Team Quick Hits
• The Razorbacks tied the Gopher Invitational record with a 4-under 848 as a team.
• Arkansas has won at least one tournament in each of the last 12 seasons.
• Head coach Brad McMakin recorded his 25th tournament victory at the helm of the Razorbacks.
• The Razorbacks have a fall head-to-head record of 17-5 through two events.
• Arkansas is averaging 2.8 wins per year during the last seven seasons.
• The Razorbacks led the field in par five scoring at 20-under and par three scoring at 2-over.
• Arkansas ranked No. 1 in total birdies with 51, eight more than Baylor, Minnesota and Charlotte.

Player Quick Hits
• Alvaro Ortiz opens his senior season with back-to-back top 10 finishes.
• Mason Overstreet has two runner-up finishes in his last three collegiate events.
• Ortiz and Overstreet have combined to record nine of their 12 rounds under par this fall.
• Overstreet Ranked No. 1 in the field in par five scoring at 7-under
• Ortiz had a tournament-best 13 birdies, including six during the final round.

Razorback Lineup (Final Round)

Gopher Invitational Results (Final Round)

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