A week before defending its back-to-back SWAC championships, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff men’s golf team warmed up by winning a trophy in the greater Nashville, Tenn., area.
UAPB placed first in Tennessee State’s Big Blue Invitational, held Monday and Tuesday at Hermitage Golf Course in Old Hickory.
The Golden Lions finished 4 under par, beating out University of Tennessee at Martin’s 1 under par for the top spot. Those two were the only teams to finish under par, with Southern Indiana claiming third place at 6 over par, Florida A&M finishing fourth at 10 over, and Eastern Illinois taking fifth at 14 over.
The Golden Lions led after every round and were the only team in the field not to post at least one round above par, turning in rounds of minus-3, minus-1 and even.
UAPB sophomore Jose Berenguel finished second individually at 7 under par behind UT Martin’s Jackson Twerdahl, who finished 9 under to claim the individual title. Berenguel led after two rounds, but Twerdahl turned in a minus-6 on round three to pass the Golden Lion.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Jules De Reu, another UAPB sophomore, tied with UT Martin’s Luke Caldwell for fourth at even par. UAPB freshman Jonathan Baumann tied for sixth with four other golfers at 1 over par, and sophomore Timur Alalin’s 2 over par tied him for 11th. Finally, freshman Juan Melida tied for 45th at 11 over par.
UAPB and FAMU were joined by two other SWAC teams, Prairie View A&M and Alabama A&M, in the 14-team field. Prairie View A&M finished eighth, and Alabama A&M tied for 13th.
The SWAC championships will be held April 14-16 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Oxmoor Valley in Birmingham, Ala. UAPB has won this event each of the past two seasons.