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Lakers finish ninth at Kiawah Island Invitational with 611
McBride finishes sixth overall with a 1-over par 145

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. --- SEPTEMBER 12, 2006 --- The first tournament of the Barry Harwell era of Clayton State men’s concluded on Tuesday with a solid finish for the Lakers. Clayton State shot a 308 in Tuesday’s second and final round of the Kiawah Island Invitational to finish ninth overall with a 611.

The Lakers finished three strokes behind both Washburn and USC-Upstate, eight strokes behind Pfeiffer and nine strokes behind Lander. Clayton State defeated three Peach Belt Conference teams, finishing five strokes ahead of Georgia College, 12 strokes ahead of Georgia Southwestern and 20 strokes in front of UNC-Pembroke in the 16-tournament field at Cougar Point Golf Course.

Shooting a sizzling 288 for the final round, Armstrong Atlantic was the champion with a 584, eight strokes ahead of Belmont Abbey.

Individually for Clayton State, Neil McBride finished sixth overall with a 1-over par 145 (69-76), while Matt Beall finished tied for 18^th with a 7-over 151 (78-73). In addition, Mathias Carlander finished tied for 46^th with a 157 (77-80), Daniel Sommerville finished tied for 53^rd with a 158 (79-79) and James Martin tied for 69^th with a 163 (81-82).

USC-Upstate’s Baxter Culler was the individual champion with a whopping 7-under 137 (67-70).

The tournament was the first for new Clayton State head golf coach Barry Harwell, who was hired over the summer. Clayton State’s next fall tournament is the Orchard Fall Invitational in Clarkesville, Ga., on Sept. 25-26.