Alabama wins team title at Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational

Statesboro, GA (March 18, 2012) -- The Alabama men's golf team cooled off a little on Sunday during the final round of the Schenkel Invitational but still rolled to a 22-shot victory for the team's second win of the spring schedule with a 47-under-par total of 817 on the par-72, 6,962-yard Forest Heights Country Club. The 47-under-par is a new Alabama school record in relation to par, breaking the old mark of 42-under par (810) at the 2007 Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate. The Crimson Tide still shot the lowest round in the field on Sunday with an 8-under-par 280 to complete the wire-to-wire victory. The 817 total also broke the tournament record by eight strokes. “I’m really proud of the guys this weekend, 47-under par – that is some pretty good golf,” Alabama head coach Jay Seawell. “We had a rough tournament in Las Vegas and from the time we got out of the van this week at the Schenkel, you could just see a different look in their eye. We learned some valuable lessons, got back to competing and did a great job.” Virginia finished second at 25-under-par 839 while Auburn and Florida tied for third at 17-under 847 with UAB rounding out the top five at 9-under 855. Virginia's Ben Kohles captured medalist honors with an 18-under-par total of 198 with Auburn's Blayne Barber second at 15-under 201. Alabama would then lockdown the next four spots on the leader board with Justin Thomas and Cory Whitsett tying for third at 12-under 204. Hunter Hamrick and Bobby Wyatt were then tied for fifth at 10-under 206. Scott Strohmeyer, who fired the Tide's lowest round on Sunday with a 3-under 69, at tied for 21st at 1-under 215. Thomas and Hamrick shot 2-under-par rounds of 70 on Sunday while Wyatt carded a 1-under 71 and Whitsett and even-par 72. Hamrick did not make a bogey during the 54-hole Schenkel Invitational. Alabama returns to action on March 24-25 at the Linger Longer Invitational at the Reynolds Landing Golf Club in Greensboro, Ga.