MUSCLE SHOALS, ALA – Both Columbus State and Georgia College & State University saved their best for last as each shot their tournament low in the final round of the NCAA Southeast Regional to qualify for the National Championships in Blaine, Wash. Columbus State finished fourth in the 20-team field while GCSU finished fifth. The top five teams advance to the finals on the par-72, 7,126-yard Robert Trent Jones at the Shoals course.

Six PBC teams competed in the regional with Lander finishing 10th, USC Aiken tied for 14th, Clayton State in 16th and Armstrong Atlantic State tied for 19th. Host North Alabama won the event followed by Lynn and Barry. UNC Pembroke’s Jordan Walor competed as an individual and finished 12th.

Top-ranked Columbus State got five solid scores on Wednesday in shooting a final round total of 289 (+1) to finish in fourth. The strong finish solidified an opportunity for the Cougars to play for the school's seventh national championship.

The Cougars led the field for much of the rainy day on the Robert Trent Jones tract, and actually moved into third place for a short time late in the round. Bogeys on the final three holes of play by Andrew Georgiou and Steven Paine dropped the Cougars into sole possession of the fourth spot.

CSU senior Kyle Albright finished tied for sixth with six other players after shooting a final round of 72 to finish at 215 (-1). JP van der Walt and Georgiou also carded rounds of even par on Wednesday. van der Walt finished tied for 16th at 217 (+1), while Georgiou was the third-best finisher for CSU as he tied for 41st at 224 (+8). Michael Hicks and Steven Paine each shot 73 in the final round. Both golfers tied for 53rd position at 226 (+10).

A field-best final-round 286 helped the No. 2 Georgia College & State University golf squad take fifth. Georgia College shot a 290-300-286=876, with junior Pedro C. Lima leading the way in sixth.

Lima fired a final-round 69, tying for the best round of the day. He finished at one-under, adding in a 75 and 71. Sophomore Billy Shida was second on the squad, tied for 29th. He shaved two strokes off yesterday’s 77 added to a 69 for 221 and five-over.

Classmate Joe Young (Cochran, Ga.) and junior Niclas Johansson (Skanor, Sweden) tied at nine-over for 48th. Johansson had his best round today (74-78-73) while Young did not (72-74-79), tying at 225. Rounding out the starters for GCSU was junior Francisco Bide (Buenos Aires, Argentina) following up a pair of 80s on the first two days to burn the
course with a 69 today. He finished at 13-over.

Lander’s Roberto Nasalli-Rocca fired a final round 70 to finish tied for 12th at one-under-par 216. Armstrong Atlantic State’s Chris Wolfe shot a 69 to finish at even par while USCA’s Roberto Diaz also shot a 69 in the final round to finish at 217. Clayton State’ Wade Binfield was also in the top 20 with a 218 after a final-round 71.

The NCAA National Championships will be held May 19-22 at the Loomis Trail Golf Club in Blaine, Wash. PBC golf teams have won seven national championships, including four in a row from 2003-06.

Final Results