The No. 8 Auburn Men’s Golf team finished at the top of the leader board at the 2010 Schenkel E-Z Go Invitational with a team score of 862. “It’s a great win,” said sophomore Will McCurdy. “The Schenkel is a prestigious tournament.” The E-Z Go Invitational was a three-day, 54-hole tournament held at Forest Heights Country Club in Statesboro, Ga., March 19 - 21. “I’m very happy for the guys,” said head coach Nick Clinard. “They’ve worked hard.”

Auburn faced a number of tough teams, including Louisiana State University, the universities of Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and the defending Schenkel E-Z Go champions, University of South Carolina. “It’s a huge relief, I’m pretty excited about it,” said Cole Moreland, the only senior on the team. The University of North Florida came in second, with a team score of 863, one under par. Auburn came back from behind Sunday, shooting eight strokes better than North Florida, who finished 11 over par for the final day. “The course played a lot tougher on Sunday,” Moreland said. “We played smart, stayed patient and didn’t push too hard.”

The individual best score, a five-under 211, was a three-way tie between Jordan Gibb of North Florida, Hunter Hamrick of Alabama and Jonathan Randolph of the University of Mississippi. Sophomore Kyle Kopsick scored the best for the Tigers with an individual three-round score of three-under par 213, finishing tied for sixth overall. McCurdy earned his fourth-straight top-10 finish with a score of 215, earning the 10th place spot. Moreland shot a one-over 217 and finished the tournament tied for 15th, his fourth-straight top-15 finish.

Clinard said the team did very well, a result of its hard work on the course and in the gym, noting ball striking and confidence as two facets contributing to the win. Next on the Tigers schedule is The Hootie at Bulls Bay March 28-30. “Hopefully we can keep this momentum rolling,” McCurdy said. Auburn will face the University of Virginia, who finished second at the 2009 Hootie at Bulls Bay, and South Carolina, third-place finisher of the 2009 Tournament, both of whom Auburn defeated in Statesboro, Ga., last week.

Clinard said the team will prepare for the upcoming tournament with the same hard work and confidence that helped them win the E-Z Go Invitational. The Tournament will be held at Bulls Bay Golf Club. Bulls Bay Golf Club is a 72-par, 7,282-yard course in Awendaw, S.C. “It’s always very windy up there, you’ve got to be patient,” Moreland said. “Every shot’s a grind