FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University men's golf finished third at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship on Thursday in Valdosta, Georgia. Sebastian Gamboa and Nolan Harper placed near the top of the leaderboard for the Eagles, tying for second and sixth at Kinderlou Forest Golf Course.
FGCU will now wait to see if its name will get called for an at-large regional berth. The NCAA Men's Golf Championship Selection Show will air Wednesday, April 30, at 1 p.m. on the GOLF Channel. FGCU entered the ASUN Championship ranked No. 54 in the rankings.
The Eagles fought to the very end Thursday. Then, fourth-place FGCU nearly overcame an 11-shot deficit on the back nine. The Green and Blue pulled to within three strokes with a handful of holes remaining, needing just a little more help to overcome both Stetson and Central Arkansas. UCA held on to win the team title at 26-under-par. Stetson came in second and one stroke off the tournament lead. FGCU fell short of its first-ever team title by just three strokes.
FGCU turned it in the lowest rounds of any team on Wednesday and Thursday, but UCA's 17-under start in the opening round on Tuesday was too much to overcome. FGCU shot 11-under in Wednesday's second round action in Valdosta.
Gamboa kept his name in contention late with a bogey-free back nine. The sophomore started off Thursday's final round a little shaky, penciling in a bogey on his second hole. He settled in with three straight pars and then sank a birdie on six. He later birdied the 10th and 11th after recording another bogey on the par-four ninth. Gamboa produced seven connective pars to his second one-under, 71 performance of the event and entered the clubhouse at eight-under for the tournament.
Gamboa shot a six-under, 66 in round two, but eleven-under would be the mark to beat. Stetson's Gaspar Glaudas (-11) overtook Central Arkansas' Noah Blaickner (-8) for the individual crown. Blaickner tied Gamboa (-8) for second.
Freshman Nolan Harper also put his name into the mix Thursday. Harper finished tied for sixth at six under. The freshman shot three straight under-par rounds during his first-ever championship appearance: 71, 69 and 70.
Freshman Brett Moore also finished under par. He closed at four-under after responding with a two-under 70 on Thursday. Moore opened the event with a five-under, 67 to tie for second through the first 18 holes. He slid down to 19th on Wednesday with a 75, but finished 13th on the leaderboard.
Christian Figueredo improved each round, posting a 73, 72 and 71 to place 31st overall at even par.
