MELBOURNE, Fla. - Barry University plays host to both the Men’s & Women’s Sunshine State Conference Golf Championships in 2016. For the fourth-straight year, the 54-hole SSC tournaments will be broken into three days of 18 holes each. This year’s championship will be played at Crandon Golf at Key Biscayne. Dates for the competition are Sunday, April 17th - Tuesday, April 19th.
For Live Scores, In-depth Tournament History and other information, please visit: Golf Championship Central
Men’s Season Review
In 2016 Barry posted two second place team finishes (Matlock Invitational, Panther Invitational) and four Top-5 finishes. Niclas Weiland (Fr., Linkoping, Sweden) was the only individual winner for the Buccaneers this spring. He won the Panther Invitational with score of 217. Mario Beltran (Jr., Valencia, Spain) looks to be Barry’s most consistent golfer this spring. Beltran finished 11th at the 2015 SSC championship.
Eckerd’s top team finish in 2016 came at the Panther invitational (11th place). Callum Mackay (Jr., Guildford, England) has paced the Tritons this season. His top finish was 14th (tied) at the Matlock Classic. He finished 31st (tied) at the 2015 SSC championship.
Florida Southern placed Top-5 in all four of their spring tournaments this season. The Moccasins took first place at the Southeastern Collegiate as a team. John Coultas (So., Valrico, Florida) won the Southeastern Collegiate with a 3-under 213. Coultas finished second at the 2015 SSC championship. Last year’s SSC champion, FSC’s John VanDerLaan (So., Southbury, Connecticut), has three Top-10 finishes this year.
Florida Tech recorded three Top-10 team finishes on the season, including a fifth place finish at their own Panther Invitational. Alastiar Thurlow (Fr., Edinburgh, Scotland) finished fourth at the Panther Invitational. Brandon Shelley (Sr., Pensacola, Florida) was FIT’s scoring average leader across five tournaments this season. His three-round average equaled 224.8.
Lynn took part in six tournaments this spring. The Fighting Knights placed first at the South Regional Preview, Gary Freeman BCU Spring Invite, and the Bobcat Invitational. Lynn also had three individual first place finishes with Martin Cancino (Jr., Chicureo, Chile) at the Gary Freeman BCU Spring Invite, Jose Andres Miranda (Sr., Quito, Ecuador) at the Bobcat Invitational, and Mateo Gomez (Jr., Cali, Colombia) at the Buccaneer Invitational. Lynn took the 2015 SSC team championship. Cancino, Miranda, and Gomez finished 16th (tied), 3rd (tied), and 16th (tied), respectively.
Nova Southeastern placed Top-5 in all five of its tournaments this spring, including a first place finish at the Buccaneer Invitational. Hunter O’Mahony (Sr., Jupiter, Florida) and Piriyanshu Singh (So., Delhi, India) tied for second at the Matlock Classic and tied for third place at the Buccaneer Invitational. O’Mahoney leads the Sharks with a three-round average of 217.8. Singh finished 20th at the 2015 SSC championship.
Rollins’ top team finish in 2016 was an 11th place finish at the Matlock Invitational. Barry Babbitt (Jr., Orlando, Florida) has been a steady factor for the Tars as he leads the team with a three-round average of 228.7 over three tournaments. Bobbits top finish came at the Bobcat Invitational where he finished 28 (tied).
Saint Leo took home four Top-5 finishes this spring. The Lions opened the season with a first place finish at the Matlock Invitational which saw Liam Ainsworth (Sr., London, England) capture first place. Hugo Bernard (Fr., Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec) finished first at the Argonaut Invitational. Hugo Bernard’s three-round average of 215.6 leads the Lions in 2016. Ainsworth finished 18th at the 2015 SSC championship.
Tampa took home a first place finish at the Webber Invitational in February. The Spartans recorded Top-10 finishes at the Webber Invitational (tied for 7th) and Panther Invitational (tied for 6th). Justin Ewell’s (Jr., Sewell, N.J.) second place (tied) finish at the Panther Invitational was the best individual finish by a Spartan this Spring. Danny Syring (Jr., Park Ridge, N.J.) leads the Spartans with a three-round average of 225.6. Syring tied for 31st at the 2015 SSC championship.
Women’s Season Review
Barry claimed five Top-5 finishes this season including a first place finish at Southern Mississippi’s Lady Eagle Invitational, where Tilda Larsson (Fr., Emmaboda, Sweden) and Maria Paola Fiorio (Sr., Torino, Italy) finished in a tie for first. Larsson claimed first at the Peggy Kirk Bell invitational also with 219. Her three-round average of 196 leads the Buccaneers. Paola Fiorio finished tied for 18th
Eckerd had two Top-5 finishes this season at Warner (4th) and Embry-Riddle (5th). Sarah Green (So., Albuquerque, N.M.) shot a 165 at both the Warner Invitational and ERAU’s Lady Eagle Invitational where she placed fifth and tied for eighth, respectively. Greene led the Tritons on the season with a three-round average of 194 in three tournaments. Green was the Tritons’ top finisher at the 2015 SSC Championship (tied for 32nd).
Florida Southern finished in the Top-10 three times including a second place finish at the Tucsulum/Kiawah Island Intercollegiate to begin the season. In the final regular season tournament Shannon McKew (R-Jr.,Cockeysville, Maryland) won her first collegiate tournament at the Lady Argonauts Invitational. Kit Creighton’s (Sr., Buffalo, N.Y.) three-round average leads the Moccasins. Creighton finished tied for 24th at the 2015 SSC championship.
Florida Tech finished with six Top-5 finishes including four first place finishes this spring. Felicia Leftinger (Sr., Trollhattan, Sweden) finished tied for first at both the Buccaneer’s Women’s Invitational and the St. Edward's Invitational (lost in playoffs). Brittany LaPadula (Jr., Port St. Lucie, Florida) leads the Panthers with a three-round average of 199.2 in six tournaments. Leftinger tied for 30th at the 2015 SSC championship.
Lynn enters the SSC Championship tournament following three Top-5 finishes including a first place tie at the Lady Moc Invitational. Krissy Ortiz (Fr., Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) took home first place at the Barry Women’s Invitational and the Lady Panthers Invitational. Jenny Ayala (So., Bogota, Colombia) finished first at the Lady Mocs Invitational. Ortiz’s three-round average of 216 leads the Fighting Knights. Ayala finished tied for 10th at the 2015 SSC championship.
Nova Southeastern finished the season with a Top-5 finish in all five tournaments they took part in this season. Highlighting their season was a first place finish at the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational. The Sharks Top-5 golfers had a three-round season average between 213 - 218 with Aldana Foigel (Fr., Plottier, Argentina) leading the way.
Rollins finished with three Top-5 finishes including two first place finishes this Spring. The Tars won the Lady Moc Classic and the Lady Argonaut Invitational. The Tars were lead by Hally Leadbetter (R-Sr., Bradenton, Florida) (225.75), Lexi Toth (So., Dublin, Ohio) (226), and Annie Dulman (R-Sr., Bradenton, Florida) (226.75) who all had a three-round average within a stroke of each other. Toth, Leadbetter, and Dulman all finished Top-10 at the 2015 SSC championship.
Saint Leo enters the SSC Championship Tournament with a top performance finishing fourth at Southern Mississippi’s Lady Eagles Invitational. The Lions’ Sabrina Runbaugh (Jr., Gross-Zimmern, Germany) and Amanda Jakobsson (So., Gothenburg, Sweden) finished in tied for ninth. Jakobsson leads the Lions with a three-round average of 214.4. Jakobsson tied for fifth at the 2015 SSC championship.
Tampa’s top team finishes in 2016 came at the World Golf Invitational (15th place) and the Lady Moc Classic (15th place). GraceMarie Schian (Sr., Phoenix, Arizona) has paced the Spartans this season. Her top finish was 15th at the Panther Invitational. Schian took 39th place at the 2015 SSC championship.
The Course
Crandon Golf at Key Biscayne is a championship 18-hole golf course located on the island paradise of Key Biscayne, just 10 minutes from downtown Miami. Crandon was built in 1972 with influence from President Nixon. It rates as the third most difficult municipal golf course in the U.S. behind Bethpage Black and Torrey Pines. Crandon hosted the Senior PGA Classic from 1987-2004.
The course is considered one of the most beautiful and difficult par-72 courses in the state of Florida. Crandon’s seventh hole is touted as “One of the Greatest Holes in Golf,” a gorgeous par 4 that doglegs to the right and sends your golf ball soaring over sparkling water. The course has been rated in the top ten courses by Golfweek, and one of America’s top 75 upscale courses by Golf Digest.
More info: Crandon Golf at Key Biscayne
Women’s Tournament History
Nicole Ferre led Barry University to the 2015 SSC Championship. It was the first career win for Ferre and the Buccaneers’ first conference championship. Marie Coors of Saint Leo won the individual championship in 2014. Both Ferre and Coors will be on the course for the 2016 championship. Before 2014, NSU had four-consecutive individual championships won by Sandra Changkija (2010 & 2011) and Liliana Cammisa (2012 & 2013).
Barry shot an 897 at RedTail GC in Sorrento, Florida to garner the 2015 championship. Lynn recorded an 897 at Lake Jovita GC in Dade City to take the 2014 title. Florida Southern won the title in 2013 at Lake Jovita breaking up Nova Southeastern’s run of three championships (Concession GC, Boca CC, and Grand Oakes GC). Rollins has won the most SSC titles at seven. Both Nova Southeastern and Florida Southern have four conference championships.
In-depth SSC Women’s Golf Tournament History (Winners, All-Time Top-5 & Top-10 Finishes, Results by round and course, etc…)
Men’s Tournament History
John VanDerLaan became Florida Southern’s eighth individual champion after posting a 10-under at RedTail GC in Sorrento, Florida. VanDerLaan’s win ended a streak of seven years where Barry or Nova Southeastern had claimed the individual championship. Adam Svenson (2014 - Lake Jovita GC), Daniel Stapff (2011 - Boca CC), and Carlos Velez (2010 - Grand Oakes GC) won titles for Barry. Ricardo Celia (2013 - Lake Jovita), Ben Taylor (2012 - Concession) and Greg O’Mahony (2008 - Duran GC, 2009 - Lake Region) hoisted titles for Nova Southeastern.
Lynn tallied a score of 852 to edge competition at RedTail GC in 2015. It was the first SSC title for the Fighting Knights since 2006 (Lake Jovita). Barry won back-to-back in 2013 and 2014, both held at Lake Jovita. Nova Southeastern won back-to-back in 2011 and 2012 at Boca CC and Concession GC, respectively. Florida Southern has won 16 SSC titles since the inaugural event in 1977. Both Rollins and Nova Southeastern have five conference championships
In-depth SSC Men’s Golf Tournament History (Winners, All-Time Top-5 & Top-10 Finishes, Results by round and course, etc…)
Women’s National Championship History
The SSC has dominated the national competition in women's golf by winning 15 of the last 16 NCAA National Championships since Division II began its own championship event in 2000. From 1996-99, Division II and III competed in a combined championship. In 12 of the last 16 championships, SSC teams also finished runners-up. Lynn won back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2014. Last year Rollins finished runner up to University of Indianapolis. Nova Southeastern won four-straight from 2009-12. Rollins won five national titles in the time span, including four-straight from 2003-06, and Florida Southern claimed three-straight from 2000-02 and one in 2007. For a more in-depth look at the dominance of SSC Women's Golf, click here.
Men’s National Championship History
On the men's side, Nova Southeastern defeated Lynn in the 2015 NCAA Championship to win its second in four years. Between NSU's titles Barry went back-to-back defeating Nova Southeastern (2014) and Lynn (2013). Nova Southeastern swept both the men's and women's national titles in 2012. Florida Southern last won in 2010, but the Moccasins won five of the six national titles from 1995-2000 and have claimed a total of 12 national titles. Rollins claimed its second national title in 2002 and finished runner up the next year. The men's golf SSC championship record books date back to 1991. For a look at past scores, click here.
Combined, SSC men's and women's golf teams have won 40 national titles and earned national runners-up 30 times.
Regional & NCAA Information
Team and individual champions will represent the SSC at the NCAA Regionals May 2-4.. Women will compete at Stonebrook Golf Club in Pace, Florida. Men will play at Mission Inn Resort and Club in Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida. NCAA Championships will be held Tuesday, May 17-21 at the Spring Festival in Denver.