WAYNESVILLE, NC - Francis Marion University sophomore Josh Dugard carded a final-round even-par 70 to help lead the Patriots to a 13th-place showing at the season-opening JT Poston Invitational Golf Tournament on Tuesday (Sept. 17).

The three-day 54-hole event was hosted by Western Carolina University and played on the par-70, 6,720-yard Waynesville Inn & Golf Club course.
 
Francis Marion tallied a final-round 291 team score and finished with a three-day total of 873, only four strokes outside the Top 10.  Lipscomb University earned the team title finishing eight strokes ahead of second-place Kennesaw State University.
 
Dugard's final round included five birdies and he finished in 21st position in the players' standings with a 212 total.  He finished tied for eighth among all participants with 12 birdies and tied for seventh in playing the par-3 holes with a 3.11 average.
 
Patriot junior Landen Seiffert, a product of Florence Christian School, shot a final-round 74 and tied for 32nd place with a 215 total.  His 215 score was a career-best 54-hole total.
 
Other Francis Marion golfers include fifth-year senior Xavier Schwarz (73-76-73=222) tying for 65th position, freshman Leander Neuhaus (73-77-75=225) tying for 73rd, and sophomore Ryan Bozard (75-80-74=229) tying for 82nd. 
 
FMU sophomore Simon DiMaggio played as an individual and placed 88th with a 234 score after shooting an 84 on Tuesday.  
 
Lipscomb's Alejandro Rodriguez fired a final-round 69 to earn medalist honors by four strokes with a 10-under 200 total.
 
Francis Marion will return to action this weekend at the Temple University Invitational Tournament, Saturday and Sunday, at The 1912 Club in Plymouth Meeting, Pa.