Online only: Golf team wins first tourney since 1997

By Paul Fitzgerald     9/24/09 7:00pm

The golf team got the season off to a hot start this Monday and Tuesday at the UTA Waterchase Invitational, scorching the field of 19 while notching their first tournament win since Head Coach Drew Scott (Wiess '98) was in school. The Owls took the invitational by two strokes over the host school, the University of Texas at Arlington, shooting a final round 286 (-2). Rice's cumulative score was 858, putting them six strokes under par for the three-round tournament.

Senior Michael Buttacavoli completed his successful return from knee surgery by finishing in second place with a score of six-under-par, two strokes behind Wichita State University's Dustin Garza. In the last tournament in which Buttacavoli competed, last November's Pacific Invitational, he finished in second place. In fact, Buttavacoli's effort was enough to earn him Conference USA Player of the Week honors.

Also critical to Rice's victory was freshman Jade Scott, for whom the tournament marked his first collegiate event. Scott's three-round score of one-over placed him in a tie for 10th, and his final-round 70 was the second-lowest score of Tuesday's action.

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Junior Michael Whitehead finished in a tie for fifth, the highest finish of his career, by shooting one-under par. Senior Chris Brown also competed well for Rice, shooting a 69 in the second round and tallying a one-under over the final five holes of the third round.

The Owls' victory gives them momentum heading into their next tournament, the Squire Creek Invitational on Oct. 5 and 6. Scott believes this week's victory gives the team an advantage looking ahead.

"We played really well, and the win gives us motivation and momentum for Squire Creek," Scott said. "We want to have a good week and a half of practice to improve and get better as we move forward.

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