PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (October 28, 2024) – The University of North Alabama men's golf team concluded round one and two of the FAU Golf Invitational in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. on Monday. The Lions started slow, sitting in last place before driving up 10 spots to second place to end the second round. 

The nearly 7,000 yard, 71-par course proved to be difficult as the Lion's got off to a rocky start, alongside the windy conditions that did not help the team.

The Lions found themselves in a hole – no pun intended – as they dropped all the way down the leaderboards at one point, to 12th. For most of the first round, they hovered around that spot and managed to be tied in 10th. UNA finished round one tied for seventh place. 

However, a new 18 holes were placed in front of the Lions, and they climbed out. The Lions soared up the board in round two, finishing behind a stout South Florida team that finished five-over for the day. The Lions sit in second and are six spots ahead of third place UAB and Toledo. 

North Alabama's round one came to a close as junior Corey Maher led the way tied in 10th. As Maher paved the way with his five birdies and one eagle, another junior in Sebastian Bengtsson followed suit, tied for 16th place. Maher shot even for the round at 71 while Bengtsson concluded at a 72, just one-over. 

In a spot that they are not typically seen, junior Xing Luo and sophomore Andrew Ferworn finalized the round outside the top-25 competitors. Luo finished tied for 26th with a two-over while Ferworn tied for 39th with three-over. Senior Chase Kaiser closed out the five-man squad in 76th place.

Round two, however, told a more successful story.

Ferworn showed why he has won the past two individual crowns and the ASUN Golfer of the Week awards. He decided to hole four birdies en route to a one-under finish. He and Maher are currently tied for sixth heading into the last round. Bengtsson is one stroke behind in 16th.

Kaiser came in renewed in the second round after finishing in the last spot of round one. He birdied five holes for the 10th best round, moving up 13 spots to 63rd overall. The five birdies were tied for the best by a UNA player on the day and best in the second round from a Lion. Luo currently sits tied for 37th.

The Lions conclude day one at 10-over as a team, sitting in the rearview of South Florida's first spot at a five-over with a 573 scorecard. USF is ranked No. 26 in the nation.

"We were in last place through nine holes and the guys really had to change the momentum," said head coach Austin Phillips. "They fought hard and changed the narrative for the day. We gave ourselves an opportunity to win a tournament tomorrow without our best stuff and will give it a good shot tomorrow. I'm proud of these guys and can't wait for tomorrow."

There were 12 teams in the field. None of the teams came in under par for the day, all shooting five-over or more. Toledo and UAB finish off the top-three as they tie with 584 stroke score. ASUN foes Stetson and Central Arkansas finish at fifth and 11th, respectively. Common opponent Jacksonville State tied with UCF at sixth, who both led the tournament at different points. FAU finishes the first day of their tournament in eighth. Abilene Christian and Seton Hall tie for ninth, while Temple closes out the field in 12th.

North Alabama continues the FAU Golf Invitational at the PGA National (Champion) in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. on Tuesday, Oct. 29 where round three will conclude the tournament.   

FAU Golf Invitational

PGA National (Champion)

Team Leaderboard - First & Second Round Official

1. South Florida                573 | +5
2. North Alabama             578 | +10
T3. Toledo                        584 | +16
T3. UAB                           584 | +16
5. Stetson                        585 | +17
T6. UCF                           586 | +18
T6. Jacksonville State     586 | +18
8. FAU                             587 | +19
T9. Abilene Christian       591 | +23
T9. Seton Hall                 591 | +23
11. Central Arkansas      596 | +28
12. Temple                      618 | +50

North Alabama Golfers - First & Second Round Official 

T6. Andrew Ferworn                  144 | +2
T6. Corey Maher                       144 | +2
T16. Sebastian Bengtsson        145 | +3
T37. Xing Luo                            149 | +7
T63. Chase Kaiser                     155 | +13

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.