MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - - The Wilmington University golf team finished the Battle at the Shores with a 311 in the third and final round on Tuesday, placing 12th overall with a two-day, three-round score of 928 (+76). The tournament was played at the Normandy Shores Golf Club and hosted by Barry University.
The host Buccaneers, and top team in NCAA Division II, won the tournament by 14 strokes, finishing with a three-round score of 838 (-14). No. 2 Lynn finished second with an 852 (E) while No. 46 Central Oklahoma rounded out the top three with an 866 (+14).
Senior Ryan Rucinski led the Wildcats this week, closing out the tournament with a 76 (+5) to close out the two days in a tie for 15th overall. He had rounds of 72-70-76 for a 218 (+5). Starting on the back nine on Tuesday, Rucinski fell to five-over with three bogeys and a double bogey. He bounced back with a birdie on the par four fourth, and after seven straight pars, he bogeyed the par nine ninth to finish his round at +5. Rucinski finished 13th in the tournament with 10 birdies in the two days.
Enrique Valverde was the second on the leaderboard in a tie for 45th overall, shooting a round of 77 (+6) on Tuesday. He finished the two-day tournament with rounds of 75-75-77 for a three-round score of 227 (+14). He birdied the par four 12th on Tuesday, making the turn at two-over for the day.
Arvy Shongwe also posted a third round score of 77, improving his round by nine strokes from yesterday. He finished in 81st overall for the tournament with rounds of 86-86-77 for a 249 (+36).
Jack Dixon was the third Wildcat on the leaderboard for the tournament, shooting an 81 on Tuesday to close out his tournament with a 235 (+22). He shot rounds of 77-77-81 and in a tie for 67th overall. After starting his day with a triple-bogey on the par four 11th, he hit birdies on the par five 16th and par four first to get back to three-over halfway through his round.
Braden McKay was the final Wildcat on the course, improving by six strokes from round two. He finished his tournament with rounds of 85-87-81 for a 254 (+40) and in 84th place.
The top ranked player in Division II, Jorge Garcia, won the tournament on his home course, shooting rounds of 70-67-71 for a 208 (-5). Flagler's Mauro Baez and Lynn's Agustin Errazuruz finished in a tie for second overall with identical scores of 210 (-3).
The Wildcats return north for their final two tournaments of the regular season, as they head to New Hampshire on Friday, April 19 to compete in the Penmen Spring Invitational hosted by Southern New Hampshire.