Cincinnati, OH – For the first time since 2005, an Austin Peay State University (APSU) men’s golfer has won individual medalist honors at back-to-back events, with Seth Smith shooting three-under 207 to win by two shots at the Xavier Invitational, Tuesday, while leading the Governors to a third-place finish as a team with a score of 861 at Maketewah Country Club.
A week after picking up his first collegiate victory at Murray State’s The Buddy, Smith became the first Austin Peay State University men’s golfer with multiple individual victories in a season since Marco Iten won three times during the 2013-14 campaign. Smith also became the first Governor to win back-to-back events since Chris Barron won the Cardinal Intercollegiate and Earl Yestingsmeier Classic during the 2005-06 season.
Smith’s victory marked the first time Austin Peay State University has had back-to-back individual medalists since Dustin Korte and Anthony Bradley won the Memphis Intercollegiate and ASU Red Wolves Intercollegiate, respectively, during the 2012-13 season. With Smith’s two individual wins and Patton Samuels’ win at the Golfweek Fall Challenge, the Governors already have multiple individual winners in the same season for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign.
Austin Peay State University shot 15-over 295 in the Xavier Invitational’s final round and finished tied for third with Connecticut. The Governors finished six shots behind Xavier’s A-Team and B-Team, who tied for the team title at the par-70, 7,100-yard track. The APSU Govs also beat fifth-place IU Indy by two shots and were 15 shots better than sixth-place Northern Kentucky.
Tied for the lead after 36 holes on Monday, Smith shot one-under 69 in the third round to beat Xavier’s Kyle Smith by two strokes for the individual title. Samuels carded a three-over 73 in the third round and finished in fifth place with a score of three-over 213.
Michael Long shot eight-over 78 in the final round to finish tied for 32nd at 12-over 222, and Reece Britt shot five-over 75 to finish tied for 37th at 13-over 223. Rounding out the lineup for Austin Peay State University, freshman Grady Cox shot a 78 in the third round and finished in 54th with a score of 231.
At the end of the five-event fall schedule under first-year head coach Easton Key, Austin Peay State University has a 54-8-2 record against the field as a team and finished in the top three in every event.
Next Up For APSU Men’s Golf
The Austin Peay State University men’s golf team is back in action when it takes on Murray State at the Battle of the Border on February 8th to kick off the spring season at Hopkinsville Country Club in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The Governors’ first spring tournament comes when they compete at Stetson’s Daytona Beach Invitational, March 3rd-4th, at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida.
For news and updates, follow the Austin Peay State University men’s golf team on Twitter and Instagram (@GovsMGO) or check back at LetsGoPeay.com.
