LAKEPOINT, Ga. – After posting a 2nd-place finish at the Loyola (Md.) Fort Lauderdale Intercollegiate, FGCU senior Casper Howells has been named the ASUN Men's Golfer of the Week for the first time in his career, league officials announced on Thursday.
 
Howells (London, England/Bradford College) tied for 2nd overall in the field of 83, the highest finish in his collegiate career and just his second top 10 (excluding dual matches). After opening his tournament with a 4-over 76, Howells bounced back with a 4-under 68 in the 2nd round – matching a career and season low – before concluding the final round with a 1-under 71 for a 215 (-1) three-round total.
 
He finished just three shots behind medalist Keegan Hoff (212, -4) of Richmond as Howells battled windy conditions to help lead FGCU to a 3rd-place showing (885 total), just one shot behind 2nd-place Seton Hall.
 
Howells played the par-5 holes at Fort Lauderdale Country Club's North Course at 8-under par – two shots better than anyone else in the field. He rolled in 12 birdies over the three rounds – just one behind the tournament leader in that category – and also recorded an eagle.
 
The honor for Howells is the first for an FGCU golfer since now-assistant coach Austin Schultz earned the award in April of 2016.
 
Howells is one of two Eagles (Keaton Jones) who have competed in all seven of FGCU's tournaments this year, and he now ranks 2nd on the Eagles with a 74.11 stroke average. He has posted two rounds in the 60s and has six par-or-better rounds bridging the fall and spring seasons.
 
Combined with its 3rd-place finish last week at Stetson's Frontier Secure Intercollegiate, this marks the first time since the 2011-12 season that FGCU has posted consecutive top-3 finishes in tournaments. Going back to the end of the fall portion of the schedule when the Eagles finished 2nd out of 16 teams at their home event, they have secured three-straight top-3 showings for the first time since that 2011-12 squad incredibly won four-straight tournaments to end the fall season.
 
The Eagles and Howells will now turn their focus to Appalachian State's Cape Fear Intercollegiate Mar. 19-20 in LeLand, N.C. FGCU competed in the tournament at Cape Fear National Golf Course last year and finished tied for 6th out of 13 teams.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
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COACH BOOKER
FGCU is led by 3rd-year 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 visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.