Rutgers University
The Johnnie-O at Sea Island
Men's Golf Finishes 7th as Host of Johnnie-O at Sea Island
Mar 10 | Men's Golf
Rutgers Hosts 4th Annual Successful Event with Alumni, Donors and Fan Support
SEA ISLAND, Ga. – Rutgers men's golf hosted the Johnnie-O at Sea Island for the fourth consecutive year and finished tied for seventh place at 23-under-par, matching Cincinnati in a strong 15-team field at Sea Island Golf Club.
Georgia Southern and FGCU shared the team title at 42-under, while Minnesota and Kansas tied for third at 39-under. NC State placed fifth at 37-under and Notre Dame finished sixth at 35-under, just ahead of the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers posted a 23-under team total across three rounds in one of the program's premier home-hosted events, continuing its tradition of bringing a nationally competitive field to Sea Island each spring.
"It's starting to become a little bit like our own tradition," head coach Rob Shutte said. "It's not quite like going to Georgia for the Masters, but in some small way it has some similarities. Rutgers alumni, our team and supporters all head down to Georgia in the spring and we get the chance to host this great tournament. It's a great field and an unbelievable venue at Sea Island, so it's a great brand for us to be associated with."
Rutgers enjoyed strong support throughout the week with alumni, donors and fans traveling to Georgia to support the Scarlet Knights.
"It's special to see familiar faces down there," Shutte added. "Rutgers supporters coming out, Rutgers gear everywhere. It's pretty special for our program to be able to host an event like that."
Luke Koenig paced Rutgers individually, finishing tied for 12th at 9-under-par after three consistent rounds to lead the Scarlet Knights.
"Luke has just been extremely consistent all year," Shutte said. "He's very familiar with that golf course and those Bermuda greens can be tricky, but he's really good at reading them and understanding the grain. Honestly, I'm not surprised. He's such a steady player and I expect him to keep doing that the rest of the spring."
Koenig said his strong performance was fueled by confidence off the tee and an early start to the tournament.
"I hit my driver really well, and when you do that out here it really opens up the golf course," Koenig said. "The greens were perfect and I was able to make some putts. Getting off to a good start with a 5-under round was big for me because that's something I've been trying to improve."
Koenig also credited the team's response in the final round as the Scarlet Knights looked to climb the leaderboard.
"I think everybody shot even or better today, which is really hard to do with eight guys out there, especially with the wind," Koenig said. "Yesterday we didn't play as well as we wanted results-wise, but today we knew we had to put together a really good round as a team and move up the leaderboard."
Originally from Georgia, Koenig said playing in the event was especially meaningful while representing Rutgers close to home.
"It was really cool being back home in Georgia while also having Rutgers supporters and alumni out there," Koenig said. "Coach Shutte puts a ton of work into hosting this tournament, and having the whole team together earlier in the week for practice rounds helped us build confidence."
Argyle Downes followed with a strong showing, tying for 21st at 7-under, while Lucas Politano finished tied for 27th at 6-under.
Bennett Espensade carded a 1-under tournament to place tied for 49th, and Max Jackson along with Daniel Martinez-Regal rounded out the Rutgers lineup, each finishing tied for 54th at even-par.
Max Jackson also turned in a strong individual performance during the event, including a 66 in the second round. Jackson said his putting helped carry his round.
"I didn't hit it my best, but I putted really well and made some birdies when I had the chances," Jackson said. "If you can keep it in play out here and give yourself some looks, you can put together a good score."
Jackson added that the opportunity to compete in a tournament hosted by Rutgers is something the team looks forward to each year.
"We look forward to this week every year," Jackson said. "Staying together as a team, seeing donors and alumni come out and support us, it's a great experience and a really fun week for everyone."
Looking ahead, the Scarlet Knights remain focused on their postseason goals as the spring schedule continues.
"This whole spring we feel like we control our own destiny," Shutte said. "We know we're right on the bubble, but we're a very capable team. If we stay consistent and put together a couple strong performances over the next few events, we'll give ourselves a great chance to move on to the postseason."
"I think everyone on the team believes we can compete and reach regionals," Jackson said. "We push each other every day whether we're in the lineup or not, and if we keep practicing hard and holding each other accountable, we have the talent to get there."
The Scarlet Knights return to action Friday, March 20, when they travel to Macon, Georgia, for the Linger Longer Invitational, hosted by Mercer University.
Players Mentioned
