SunTrust Gator Inv: Rule, Arkansas prevail

By Brentley Romine, Golfweek GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 16, 2014) -- Arkansas opened its spring with a victory at the SunTrust Gator Invitational Sunday at Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla. The Razorbacks, ranked 25th in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, shot 1-under 279 in the final round to finish at 9-over 849, six shots better than runner-up No. 21 Florida State, the defending champion. No. 16 Vanderbilt was third at 18 over while eighth-ranked Central Florida was fourth at 23 over. The Knights closed with the best round of the tournament, a 5-under 275. Mercer's Trey Rule took medalist honors by winning a two-hole playoff over Florida State's Hank Lebioda. Both players finished 54 holes at 4-under 206, three shots clear of third-place Greg Eason of Central Florida. Rule led Lebioda by two shots entering the final round. He also held the 36-hole lead in his last event of the fall, the Eagle/Osprey Intercollegiate, before closing with an 81 and finishing T-14. Arkansas had two players, Sebastian Cappelen and Taylor Moore, tie for fourth at even par.