Tuesday, April 23
Texarkana, Ark.
All Day
Rice University
vs
Conference USA Championship
Rice Goes Back-to-Back as Benson Wins C-USA Individual Championship
4/23/2019 4:31:00 PM | Men's Golf
Texarkana, Ark. — Sophomore Jake Benson carded a final round 73 to finish five-under par and win the 2019 Air Force Reserve Conference USA Men's Golf Individual Championship by one stroke, played at the par par-72, 6,935-yard Texarkana Country Club.
With the victory, which was Benson's first career, he earns a spot into the NCAA Regionals.
The victory is the third C-USA Individual title for the Owls and the second in as many years. Benson joins Christopher Brown in 2010 and Mitchell Meissner last year as C-USA Champions. It is the second time in school history that Rice has won consecutive individual conference championships, joining Buddy Weaver's back-to-back Southwest Conference championships in 1950 and 1951.
Rice is now one of four schools to win at least three C-USA Individual Championships, joining UAB (4), Houston (4) and TCU (3).
Benson started slow, sandwiching a pair of bogeys around a birdie in the first three holes. After pars on the next two holes, Benson bogeyed the sixth, but got it right on back on the seventh hole to get back to one-over par. He then straightened things out, recording pars on the final 11 holes.
His 54-hole score of 211 tied the second lowest for a Rice golfer in the Conference USA Championship since joining the league in 2005 with Meissner last year.
Rice shot a one-under par 287 to finish eight-over par in fifth-place, ending its season.
Freshman Austin Escamilla had the best finish of his young career, tying for 10th-place at one-over par after finishing with a 73. His 54-hole score of 217 is a career-best.
Junior Nicholas Duggan finished two-over par and tied for 17th-place after firing a final round 70. The 70 is his ninth round of par or better this year and the 20th of his career. He now has three top 20 finishes on the year and five in his career.
Freshmen Harrison Hineline and Campbell Gibson finished in a tie for 54th-place and 57th-place, respectively. Hineline posted a 71 to finish 15-over par while Gibson carded a 77 to finish 16-over par. Hineline's 71 gives him five rounds of par or better this year.
What Justin Emil Had to Say
"We set out early to go post a round and see what happens. We gave the match play cut a pretty good run and missed by a single shot, which hurts. I'm really proud of this team and how they put the past behind them and focused on the job they needed to do this week. Jake (Benson) got the win and retained the individual title for us. I'm so excited for him and the team's future."
Next Up
Benson finds out where he will travel to on May 1 when the NCAA Men's Golf Regional selections are announced. Regionals will take place May 13-15 at six different sites.
With the victory, which was Benson's first career, he earns a spot into the NCAA Regionals.
The victory is the third C-USA Individual title for the Owls and the second in as many years. Benson joins Christopher Brown in 2010 and Mitchell Meissner last year as C-USA Champions. It is the second time in school history that Rice has won consecutive individual conference championships, joining Buddy Weaver's back-to-back Southwest Conference championships in 1950 and 1951.
Rice is now one of four schools to win at least three C-USA Individual Championships, joining UAB (4), Houston (4) and TCU (3).
Benson started slow, sandwiching a pair of bogeys around a birdie in the first three holes. After pars on the next two holes, Benson bogeyed the sixth, but got it right on back on the seventh hole to get back to one-over par. He then straightened things out, recording pars on the final 11 holes.
His 54-hole score of 211 tied the second lowest for a Rice golfer in the Conference USA Championship since joining the league in 2005 with Meissner last year.
Rice shot a one-under par 287 to finish eight-over par in fifth-place, ending its season.
Freshman Austin Escamilla had the best finish of his young career, tying for 10th-place at one-over par after finishing with a 73. His 54-hole score of 217 is a career-best.
Junior Nicholas Duggan finished two-over par and tied for 17th-place after firing a final round 70. The 70 is his ninth round of par or better this year and the 20th of his career. He now has three top 20 finishes on the year and five in his career.
Freshmen Harrison Hineline and Campbell Gibson finished in a tie for 54th-place and 57th-place, respectively. Hineline posted a 71 to finish 15-over par while Gibson carded a 77 to finish 16-over par. Hineline's 71 gives him five rounds of par or better this year.
What Justin Emil Had to Say
"We set out early to go post a round and see what happens. We gave the match play cut a pretty good run and missed by a single shot, which hurts. I'm really proud of this team and how they put the past behind them and focused on the job they needed to do this week. Jake (Benson) got the win and retained the individual title for us. I'm so excited for him and the team's future."
Next Up
Benson finds out where he will travel to on May 1 when the NCAA Men's Golf Regional selections are announced. Regionals will take place May 13-15 at six different sites.
Players Mentioned
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