LAKE WORTH, Fla. – Coming off a season-best-tying finish earlier this week, the FGCU men's golf team faces a quick turnaround as the Eagles travel across the state to tee it up in the Slomin Autism Championship hosted by FAU beginning Friday and concluding Sunday from The Fountains Country Club.
 
The 20-team field – the largest FGCU has competed against this year – will play three rounds throughout the day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Live scoring will be available by following the link accompanying this release, by clicking here or by visiting FGCUAthletics.com. Additionally, updates will also be posted on Twitter by following @FGCU_MGolf, with recaps and results following each day of competition.
 
Last year FGCU finished in 7th place out of 15 teams at the invite as the Eagles improved their team score each round. Junior Jake Sherwin (Fort Myers, Fla./Evangelical Christian HS) is the only returning member of the FGCU lineup this week who played in the tournament last year, and he posted rounds of 72-73-72 to finish as FGCU's low man and 16th overall. Two years ago at the same event the Eagles tied Hartford for second place out of 18 teams.
 
The 20 teams this weekend will be playing the North Course – the longest of three Fountains CC courses at 6,876 yards – and the same track Sherwin faced last year. The layout plays to a par 71 and is known for its large greens but also abundant water.
 
Head coach Eric Booker will utilize nearly the same lineup as earlier this week when the Eagles finished in 4th place at the Grub Mart Intercollegiate. The lone exception is in the fifth position in his lineup as freshman Anthony Quintessenza (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northside Christian HS) will make his spring debut.
 
1) Jake Sherwin
2) Austin Schultz (Lakeland, Fla./Florida Southern College/Lee Virtual Instructional Program)
3) Casper Howells (London, England/Bradfield College)
4) Jordan Miller (Bradenton, Fla./Bradenton Christian HS)
5) Anthony Quintessenza
 
Sherwin remains in the No. 1 position in Booker's lineup following his third-straight top-10 finish earlier this week at the Grub Mart as he closed the three-round tournament in a tie for 6th overall with an even-par 216 (76-68-72). He easily leads the Eagles in stroke average this year at 73.22 over his 18 competitive rounds, and of FGCU's eight individual rounds in the 60s this year, he owns four of them, including three in the past two tournaments.
 
Schultz moved up to the No. 2 spot from No. 3 at the Grub Mart as he tied for 10th overall and was just two shots back of Sherwin with a 218 total (75-71-72). The finish was the best of his season, and also marked the first time this year two FGCU competitors have finished in the top 10 overall in the same tournament.
 
Howells was steady all during the Grub Mart with rounds of 75-73-75 (223) to tie him for 18th place overall and give the Eagles three top-20 finishers. The sophomore's best finish this year was 3rd at Notre Dame's Fighting Irish Gridiron Classic as he posted back-to-back rounds of 69 following an opening-round 75 to post a 2-under 213.
 
Miller owns FGCU's second-best stroke average at 74.48, and is also responsible for the Green and Blue's other two individual rounds in the 60s this year. The sophomore finished two shots behind Howells at the Grub Mart and in a tie for 23rd.
 
Quintessenza has not teed it up competitively since late October in FGCU's home event. The freshman has played in two tournaments thus far for the Eagles, and over those five rounds has posted a stroke average of 79.20.
 
The Slomin Autism Championship is the third of four tournaments the Eagles will play in a four-week span leading up to the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship Apr. 19-21 in Braselton, Ga. The team heads to Texas next to compete in the Jim West Intercollegiate hosted by Texas State Apr. 6-7.
 
Complete Field (Golfweek Rankings)
53 East Carolina 
96 UCF
105 Jacksonville State
119 Eastern Michigan
135 Hartford
136 Middle Tennessee State
148 Connecticut
154 Xavier
162 FGCU
175 Northern Illinois
184 DePaul
191 St. John's
195 FAU
201 Rhode Island
205 Arkansas State
207 Georgetown
212 Stetson
216 Murray State
236 Bethune-Cookman
242 Morehead State
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For schedule updates, news and information, visit FGCUAthletics.com. For the latest news and behind-the-scenes access to information, photos and videos, follow@FGCU_MGolf on Twitter.
 
COACH BOOKER
FGCU is led by coach Eric Booker, a member of the PGA Tour and Web.com Tour (formerly the Nationwide Series) for portions of 17 years from 1990-2007. Booker finished in the top-5 three times in tournaments on the PGA Tour and also played in the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. He played in 62 career events on the PGA Tour, with his best finish being a tie for 3rd at the 1999 Honda Classic.
 
HELP THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visitwww.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.