USC Aiken Opens Season With Win at Kiawah Island

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – The USC Aiken Pacers, ranked #4 in the nation, began the 2008-09 season with a bang as they captured the Kiawah Island Invitational which concluded play on Tuesday. The Pacers fired rounds of 277-282 for a 559 total, six strokes ahead of second-place Coker. GCSU was two behind Coker in third with a 567 while UNC Pembroke was 10th and Armstrong Atlantic State 11th.

The Pacers put four players in the top 20, including two in the top 10. J.P. Solis fired an unbelievable opening-round eight-under-par 64 and followed that with a 69 on day two. Solis ended up tied for the tournament lead with Coker’s Chris Marsh, who also shot a 64-69. Marsh took home medalist honors after winning a two-hole playoff.

For USC Aiken, Kevin Grady was seventh with a three-under 141 for a seventh-place tie while Ashley Smith finished even par in 15th and Roberto Diaz one over for 17th.

GCSU sophomore Joe Young was just three strokes out of that playoff in third place at an eight-under 136. Fellow returning All-American Niclas Johansson and junior Francisco Bide tied at 142, good for 10th. Johansson carded a 70-72, while Bide improved with a 72-70. Playing in his first tournament for the Bobcats was junior Pedro C. Lima finishing 23rd after adding five strokes to yesterday’s 71. Lima finished at a three-over 147. Rounding out the Bobcat five was sophomore Billy Shida at 51st.

The UNCP Braves finished round one in tenth place and finished there despite improving four strokes from one day to the next. Matthew Montford earned the top spot for the Braves carding rounds of 75 and 71 to finish tied for 20th at 146. Matt Morrison shot 75-75 to finished tied for 35th at 150 and Taylor Ferguson posted rounds of 77-74 to tie for 39th at 151.

Freshmen Scott Lambert (76, 79) and Jordan Walor (78-84) finished tied for 51st and 72nd, respectively, in their first collegiate tournament for UNCP.

For Armstrong Atlantic State, senior Chris Wolfe fired the day's second-best individual round, carding a six-under-par 66 to finish 10th with a two-under-par 142 total. Senior Justin Smith fired a 76 on Tuesday to finish tied for 48th place with a 10-over-par 154 total, while junior Jon Wingate shot an 80 and sophomore David Patterson shot a 78, each tying for 51st place with 11-over-par 155 totals. Freshman Matthew Motes rounded out the Pirates' scoring with a second consecutive 78, finishing tied for 59th with a 156 total.

GCSU, USC Aiken and Georgia Southwestern will be back in action starting Sept. 14.

To see the complete tournament results, click here.