KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C.--The two-time defending NCAA Division II Men’s Golf National Champions opened up the 2005-06 season right where they left off last year, winning tournaments. Top-ranked USC Aiken posted a two-day total of 15-over-par 591 to capture the second annual Kiawah Island Invitational. The Pacers hosted the 36-hole event. Senior All-American Dane Burkhart finished at seven-under-par to claim medalist honors.

The win is the sixth-straight for the Pacers, one shy of their own Peach Belt Conference record set last year. It is also the team’s 12th win in their last 14 tournaments. The 2005 Hall of Fame Invitational in mid-March was the last time USCA entered a tournament and did not end up at the top of the leaderboard.

The two-day event was contested at the 6,887 yard, par 72 Cougar Point Golf Course. Designed by Gary Player, the course was rated “4.5 stars” by Golf Digest in 2004.

Windy conditions created by Hurricane Ophelia made the difficult course play even harder, as Catawba’s Todd Janssen was the only golfer in the 85-player field to post a sub-70 round on Tuesday. Burkhart along with fellow senior All-American Scott Brown fired one-under-par 71’s.

With the victory, Burkhart claims his sixth career title, one short of Jamie Stanley’s (1993-97) school and conference record. Fresh off an impressive summer of amateur play that saw the Aiken native advance to the match play round of 16 at the 106th United States Amateur in late August, the reigning NCAA individual champion and Division II Player of the Year was four strokes in front of Tyler Lane of Carson-Newman.

Brown surged up the leaderboard during Tuesday’s final round. With his 71, he went from a tie for 19th into a tie for third with Janssen and Clayton State’s Neil McBride. With the finish, the North Augusta product turned in sixth-consecutive top 10 finish dating back to last season.

Freshman Matt Giftos carded a seven-over-par 79 to finish at 11-over-par for the tournament and tie for 29th. Junior Clint Smith shot a 78 and placed tied for 37th at 13-over-par while sophomore Casey Thompson finished with an 82, also tying for 37th.

Coker College made a run at USC Aiken with a final round total of 297, making up two strokes on the Pacers, but still finishing four shots back. USC Upstate, a new program in 2005-06, finished a distance third along with Armstrong Atlantic State, 17 shots back. Tusculum rounded out the top five at 40-over-par.

USC Aiken will next compete in the Raines Group Intercollegiate on September 19-20. The event is hosted by Francis Marion in Florence, S.C.

KIAWAH ISLAND INVITATIONAL
COUGAR POINT G.C. KIAWAH ISLAND, SC
PAR: 72 YARDAGE: 6,887 DATES: SEPTEMBER 12-13

TEAM RESULTS
1 USC Aiken........................................292 299 591 +15
2 Coker..................................................297 297 594 +18
3 USC Upstate.......................................311 297 608 +32
Armstrong Atl. State.............................300 308 608 +32
5 Tusculum...........................................306 310 616 +40
6 Clayton State.....................................307 311 618 +42
7 Carson-Newman...............................305 314 619 +43
8 Pfeiffer..............................................297 323 620 +44
9 Catawba...........................................314 308 622 +46
Newberry.............................................303 319 622 +46
11 Georgia College & State..................313 311 624 +48
Lander..................................................310 314 624 +48
Lenoir-Rhyne.......................................307 317 624 +48
14 Presbyterian...................................301 325 626 +50
15 UNC Pembroke................................318 315 633 +57
16 North Greenville..............................313 327 640 +64
17 Barton.............................................319 324 643 +67

USCA INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (+15) (1st)
Dane Burkhart...........................66 71 137 -7 (1st)
Scott Brown.............................75 71 146 +2 (T-3rd)
Matt Giftos................................76 79 155 +11 (T-29th)
Clint Smith.................................79 78 157 +13 (T-37th)
Casey Thompson.....................75 82 157 +13 (T-37th)

INDIVIDUAL WINNER
Dane Burkhart, USC Aiken...........66 71 137 -7 (1st)