INNISBROOK, Fla. – The Valdosta State men's golf team fired a final round 302 on Tuesday to finish the 2023 Copperhead Championship on the par 71, 7,209-yard Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort with an 899 score for the 54-hole event. Lee University won the 16-team tournament with an 853 score.
Host West Florida finished second (855), followed by Oklahoma Christian, who fired a final round 281 to jump seven spots to finish third at 862. Coker was fourth (864), while Grand Valley State rounded out the top five (867).
Lander finished sixth at 868, followed by Tampa (871), Florida Southern (874), Nova Southeastern (875) and Lynn finished tenth with an 877 score. Barry and Saint Leo tied for 11
th (881), while Shorter and Cameron tied for 13
th (886). Carson-Newman finished 15
th at 897, two strokes ahead of the Blazers.
Individually Lee's Oliver Lewis-Perkins took home medalist honors with an 11-under 202 on rounds of 67, 69, 66. UWF's Nico Lang finished second at 4-under 209 (68,70,71), while Saint Leo's Jake Nash carded a final round 69 to move up six spots to finish tied for third with a 210 score (72, 69, 69) and Grand Valley State's Charlie Cooley also finished tied for third at 3-under 210 with rounds of 71, 69, 70.
Blazer freshman and reigning Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Week,
Alexander Nilehn paced the team finishing tied for 42
nd with a 222 score on rounds of 73, 78 and 71. Junior
Chase Long finished tied for 55
th with a 224 score (73,72,79), while junior
Brandon Cho tied for 79
th at 231 after carding rounds of 76, 75 and 80. Sophomore
Ty Folsom fired a final round 72 to tie for 81
st with a 232 score (75,85,72) and junior
Parker Highsmith finished 84
th at 233 with a 74, 77 and 82. Individually, junior
Zach Ashley finished 85
th with a 234 score on rounds of 75, 76 and 83.
This concludes the fall season for the Blazers as they will open the spring championship portion of the schedule Feb. 5-6 at the Matlock Collegiate in Lakeland, Fla., at Lone Palm Golf Club hosted by Florida Southern.
