Men's Golf | April 20, 2023

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The #10/11 Clayton State University men's golf team is set to tee off the 2023.Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Men's Golf Championship on Friday morning.  The Lakers look to improve upon a fourth-place finish in last year's championships.  The Lakers are seeking their second Conference Championship in school history and first since the 2009 season. 
 
CHAMPIONSHIP VITALS
When: Friday, April 21^st through Sunday, April 23^rd (18 holes a day)
Location: Forest Hills Golf Club | Hosted by the University of North Georgia | Augusta, Ga.
Live Results: https://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=participants&tid=27800&x=0.101914626674
 
SCHOOLS COMPETING (Rankings according to Golfstat)

#4 North Georgia

#7 Georgia Southwestern

#11 Clayton State

#23 Lander

#24 Columbus State

USC Aiken

Georgia College & State

Flagler

Young Harris

 
LAKERS LINEUP

1. Nico Cabello (Sr./Santiago, Chile)
2. Felipe Gomez (Jr./Santander, Spain)
3. Augusto Oliva (Sr./Buenos Aires, Argentina)
4. Sam Hershoff (Sr./Naples, Fla.)
5. Daniel Medellin (So./Bogota, Colombia)

 
LINEUP PREVIEW
This will be the second time this season that the Lakers played at the Forest Hills Golf Club with the first time being their first tournament of the season on September 12-13^th.  Clayton State finished in tied for sixth as a team and saw Medellin lead the Lakers with a tied for 12^th finish with a score of +1.  This season as a team, the Lakers five, top-five finishes and a pair of top three finishes.  At the Tennessee River Rumble, the Lakers shot the sixth lowest 54-hole total in program history of 856 (-8).  That score remains the lowest round of the season. 
 
The Lakers bring back four of the five competitors in last year's championship in Cabello, Oliva, Hershoff, and Medellin. Oliva led the Lakers with a 10^th place finish overall.
 
Leading the Lakers into this season's championship is Felipe Gomez.  Gomez leads the team with a scoring average of 72 and with 11 rounds of par or better.  In addition, Felipe leads the Lakers averaging 3.04 strokes on the par threes.  That average is second all-time in program history.  Gomez saw his best finish in the Fall at the McCoy-Wright Currahee Invitational on October 24-25 as he finished tied for second.  Overall, Felipe brought home six top-20 finishes including three top-10 finishes, so far this season. 
 
Medellin, like Gomez, has had a good season for the Lakers.  In eight tournaments and 23 rounds, Daniel is second on the team and averages a score of 72.7 strokes a round and has turned in 10 rounds of par or better.  In addition, Medellin shot a pair of rounds in the 60s and saw his best finish come at the Cougar Invitational, on September 26-27, when he finished fifth.  This season, Daniel has gathered five top-15 individual finishes including three top-10 finishes.  In just two seasons as a Laker, Medellin is currently second all-time in scoring average, carding 72.8 strokes a round. 
 
Following Gomez and Medellin is Nico Cabello.  Cabello, who has had a solid spring season, comes into play with a scoring average of 73.35.  In addition, he turned in three top 20 finishes and saw his best finish come at the Bearcat Golf Classic on March 6-7 when he finished ninth with a final score of four-under par.  This spring, Nico carded a pair of rounds in the 60s as well.  Sam Hershoff then follows Cabello.  Hershoff, like Cabello, had a solid spring, finishing in the top-15 in three of the four tournaments.  Sam carded three rounds in the 60s including four rounds of par or better golf. 
 
Rounding out the lineup for the Lakers is Augusto Oliva. So far this season, Oliva averages 73.4 strokes a round and has a pair of top-20 finishes.  Entering the championship, Oliva is second all-time in program history in rounds played (108) and rounds of par or better (37) and is the all-time leader in counting scores with 95 counters and with 306 birdies.
 
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