Dukes Capture Fourth at Golfweek Conference Challenge

Friday, September 30

Spirit Hollow GC | Burlington, Iowa

James Madison University

Golfweek Men's Conference Challenge

10/2/2016 6:36:00 PM | Men's Golf

@JMUMGolf 2016-17 Schedule 2016-17 Statistics Final Results

BURLINGTON, Iowa - Junior Matt Cowgill fired a season-low round of 3-under 69 on Sunday afternoon, as the James Madison men's golf team improved its scoring for the second straight round and took home fourth place at the Golfweek Conference Challenge at the par-72, 7,179-yard Spirit Hollow Golf Course.

The Dukes moved up two spots with a round of 3-under 285, the third-lowest of any team in Sunday's final round, to close out the 12-team tournament in fourth place at 2-over 866. JMU was just four strokes behind third-place San Jose State, while Kansas took home the team title with a final score of 18-under 84.

Cowgill racked up six birdies across his round, which was tied for the fifth-lowest final round of any competitor in the 60-player field. The junior dropped six strokes from his first- and second-round scores to close out the week tied for 23rd at 3-over 219.

Senior Ryan Cole posted his third top-10 finish in as many tournaments, shooting a 1-over 73 on Sunday afternoon to close out the event in a tie for eighth at 2-under 214, while senior Poom Pattaropong racked up 13 pars in a round of 1-under 71 that brought him into a tie for 23rd, matching Cowgill's 3-over 219 for the week.

Sophomore Shota Ozaki played his final six holes at 3-under to close out the JMU scoring with an even-par 72 that put him in a tie for 31st at 5-over 221, while fellow sophomore Alex Henderson posted a round of 1-over 73 that put him in sole possession of 17th (even; 216) to wrap up the even.

QUOTING COACH FORBES
"This was a good final day for us. We gave away a few shots at the end of the round that we'd like to have back, but this was a solid performance that we can build on moving forward."

ALWAYS AMONG THE LEADERS
With the exception of the 2016 NCAA Championships, senior Ryan Cole has finished in the top 10 as seven consecutive tournaments, dating back to the 2016 Seahawk Intercollegiate, where he finished tied for 14th in a field of 84 players.

DUKES ATOP THE LEADERBOARDS
The Dukes have been remarkably consistent across the last two seasons, having finished in the top five in 15 of their last 16 tournaments, a span that includes the entire 2015-16 season and the final two competitions of the 2014-15 campaign.

HOLE BY HOLE
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UP NEXT
The Dukes will be back in action in eight days, when they head to Bridgeport, W.Va. to compete in the Mountaineer Intercollegiate hosted by West Virginia from Monday, Oct 10-Tuesday, Oct. 11. The tournament, held at the Pete Dye Golf Club, will have live stats available at GolfStat.com.