EL PASO, Texas – Louisiana State University sophomore Sam Burns won the 2016 Sun Bowl Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic posting a 12-under-par, 201 (67-68-66) on the 6,889-yard, par 71 El Paso Country Club course, Sunday, Nov. 13.
Burns played well from the start of the round marking a birdie on the par 4, 420-yard hole No. 1. He finished the day carding five birdies, two bogeys and an eagle. The eagle shot came on the par 5, 547-yard hole No. 13. He started the day in second place, although his consistent play from hole 1 through hole 14 boosted him into first and helped him receive the coveted Lee Trevino Trophy.
“I’d love to come back for 20 more years to play,” Burns said. “I am really honored to play in this tournament. From the first day I got here I felt extremely welcomed.”
Burns was one of the elite players in college golf as a freshman as he finished the 2015-16 campaign ranked No. 35-nationally in Golfstat’s final individual player rankings. He was also the No. 55-ranked player in college golf in the final individual player rankings released by Golfweek following the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships.
USC sophomore Justin Suh began the day in third place but jumped into a second place finish after posting a 67 in round three. He marked six birdies and two bogeys to make a push for the title but just could not make up the ground he needed as he bogeyed hole No. 13, the hole Burns fired an eagle on.
Oklahoma State junior Kristoffer Ventura, who was in the lead heading into the final round, dropped two spots to place third after posting an even par with two birdies and two bogeys.
Kentucky’s Tyler McDaniel had the best round of the day and the best round of the weekend with a 7-under-par, 64, although he struggled on day one and wrapped up the tournament in a tie for 16th. UNLV’s John Oda, who finished in fourth this year with a 7-under-par, was the last player to post a 64 in the All-America Golf Classic when he did it last year. Jerry Pate, formerly of Alabama, was the first player to card a 64 when he accomplished it during the inaugural tournament.
Day One Results
1. Sam Burns (LSU): 67-68-66—201 (-12)
2. Justin Suh (USC): 69-68-67—204 (-9)
3. Kristoffer Ventura (OSU): 67-67-71—205 (-8)
4. John Oda (UNLV): 71-67-68—206 (-7)
5. Rico Hoey (USC): 73-66-69—208 (-5)
6. Davis Riley (Alabama): 68-72-69—209 (-4)
T7. Nahum Mendoza III (SDSU): 71-69-71—211 (-2)
T7. William Rainey (Charleston): 70-70-71—211 (-2)
T7. Charles Kim (Arkansas): 72-67-72—211 (-2)
T7. Luis Gagne (LSU): 72-70-69—211 (-2)
11. Will Gordon (Vanderbilt): 73-68-71—212 (-1)
T12. Patrick Martin (Vanderbilt): 74-68-71—213 (E)
T12. Ryan Cole (JMU): 69-72-72—213 (E)
13. Jared duToit (ASU): 72-68-74—214 (1)
14. Max McGreevy (Oklahoma): 72-68-76—216 (3)
T16. Michael Perras (Houston): 74-72-71—217 (4)
T16. Tyler McDaniel (Kentucky): 73-80-64—217 (4)
18. Stratton Nolen (OSU): 73-72-73—218 (5)
19. John Coultas (Florida Southern): 74-70-76—220 (7)
The Sun Bowl Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic is one of the premier college golf tournaments in the country. Some of golf’s brightest stars have traveled to El Paso to compete in the tournament since its inaugural year in 1976.
Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III, Ricky Barnes, Notah Begay and Jerry Pate are just a handful of past participants who went on to have successful PGA careers. College All-America Golf Classic Alumni have combined to win 50 majors championships and have earned over $1.8 billion in career earnings.
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