FIT Men Claim First SSC Golf Title; NSU's Guerra Wins Individual Championship

04.24.18

The 2018 championship yields lowest scores in tournament history

Special thanks to Nova Southeastern University and the entire Sharks staff

DAVIE, Fla. - Florida Tech hoists the SSC Men’s Golf Championship trophy for the first time in program history. The Panthers bested hard rain and long days to claim the 2018 title. Juan Jose Guerra of Nova Southeastern University is this year’s individual champion following an 11-under showing at Grande Oaks Golf Club.

2018 Men’s Golf Championship Central | Individual Full Leaderboard | Team Leaderboard

Men’s Final Round Recap

Guerra brings the Sharks program its fifth individual SSC title after shooting the second lowest three-day score in SSC tournament history. The junior from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, followed back-to-back 3-under rounds with a 5-under (66) in his final 18 at the 6725 yard, par-72 Osprey Point Golf Course.

Barry University’s Niclas Weiland came in second with after finishing the tournament at 9-under (204). Max O’Hagan of Florida Tech and John Coultas of Florida Southern College finished the tournament tied for third at 8-under. FIT’s Xan Hue secured fifth place thanks in large part to a record-tying final round of 7-under (64).

Florida Tech closed the door on the 2018 SSC championship on Tuesday with a final round score of 16-under (268), which stands as the greatest team single round score in SSC tournament history. The Panthers’ overall tournament score of 19-under (833) ties Barry’s tournament record set in 2014 at Lake Jovita. Florida Southern’s second-place score of 15-under holds as the fourth-best tournament score in history, while Barry’s 13-under is the sixth best.

Men’s Tournament Notes

O’Hagan [Florida Tech], Weiland [Barry], and Coultas [Florida Southern] join a list of 32 others to finish Top-5 two or more times at an SSC Men’s Golf Championship.

Coultas and teammate John VanDerLaan become only the seventh and eighth golfers to finish Top-10 in four straight SSC tournaments. Manuel Torres [Lynn] joins an elite list of 21 golfers who own three or more Top-10 finishes.

Guerra’s 11-under is the second lowest score for a three-round conference tournament. Steve Paramore [Florida Southern] shot a 12-under in 2003 at Rio Pinar and Kyle Brey [Barry] recorded a 12-under in 2017 at Duran.

Grande Oaks has produced eight of the 15 lowest scoring individual tournament scores in SSC history (including five in 2018), as well as nine of the 15 lowest scoring team tournament scores.

The five lowest rounds of the tournament all came in the third round. Xan Hue’s [Florida Tech] 7-under ties him for lowest round in SSC history with Florida Southern's Brian Richey (Lake Region - 2009) and Steve Sokol (Lakeland Jovita - 2002).

Nova Southeastern (10-under) and Lynn (8-under) registered the same team tournament scores as last time the championship was played at Grande Oaks (2010).

Florida Tech’s final round 16-under bests the previous SSC Championship team round score by two-strokes. The record was previously held by the 2009 Florida Southern squad (Lake Region).

T10 Dylan Allen is the first golfer from Palm Beach Atlantic University to finish Top-10 or better at the SSC championship.

More Info: Round 3 Course Stats | In-Depth Tournament History