HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC – Led by junior Mitchell Vance's final-round 3-under-par 69, Francis Marion University rallied over the final few holes to win the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate Men's Golf Tournament, Tuesday (Feb. 22) on Hilton Head Island.
 
The final few holes of the second round were completed early Tuesday morning on the 6,913-yard, par 72 Wexford Plantation course before the 17 squads teed off for the final round.

FINAL RESULTS
 
FMU led after the opening 18 holes, but slipped back to third after 36 holes were completed.  The Patriots fired a 5-under 283 team score over the final 18 holes to catch and pass Mercer University and Furman University for the win with an 866 score for 54 holes.  The final round tally equaled the second-lowest team score posted by the Patriots in the past 24 seasons.
 
FMU's 866 total was the lowest for a tournament winner since TCU posted an 853 tally in 2018.
 
Furman finished second in the team standings at 867, while Augusta University (870), East Carolina University (871) and Mercer (871) rounded out the Top 5.
 
Vance, a native of Hartsville, finished tied for third in the players' standings with a 2-under 214 scorecard.  His first two rounds were 71 and 74.  Vance finished tied for second among all participants with 14 birdies during the 54 holes.
 
Senior McClure Thompson shot an even-par 72 during the final round and finished tied for 15th position with a 219 total.  He posted rounds of 73 and 74 on Monday.
 
Fifth-year senior Michael Rials, a product of Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School, shot a career-low 70 over Tuesday's round and was one of three Patriots to finish in a tie for 21st place at 220.  He was joined by senior Grant Sellers (73-75-72=220) and junior Casper Kennedy (72-71-77=220).
 
Sellers finished the tournament with 12 birdies, while Thompson, Rials, and Kennedy all recorded 11.
 
"I am really proud of the guys, it was a total team effort," said FMU head coach Mark Gaynor.  "Michael and McClure each birdied their final hole and that helped us clinch the win.  It is not easy to win in collegiate golf, but if you play well you will have a chance, and we played very well over the final nine holes today.
 
"I hope that this result will propel us forward as we tackle the rest of the 2022 spring schedule.  The win is recognition of all the hard work we have put in, and is a sign that we have been improving.
 
"Mitchell had an impressive day.  He triple-bogied his second hole and then got hot and played the next 14 holes at six under.
 
"I want to thank the Wexford folks for their work in helping us host a first-class event."
 
Tobias Jonsson of Mercer earned medalist honors as he finished at 71-71-70=212, one stroke ahead of his teammate Martin Plukka.
 
Three Patriots competed as individuals: senior Grainger Howle (73-80-73=226) finished tied for 48th, redshirt freshman Marcus Skjelstad (78-72-78=228) tied for 57th, and senior Pierre De Caevel (77-74-79=230) tied for 60th position.   Skjelstad also registered 11 birdies during the two-day event.
 
Francis Marion will return to action March 7-8 at USC Aiken's Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate Tournament.