NC State’s Choi Wins in Puerto Rico; Wolfpack place 9th

RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO Feb. 19, 2013 – NC State’s Albin Choi, the No. 18-ranked Amateur in the world, won for the third time in six events this season by firing a collegiate-low 7-under 65 during Tuesday’s final round of the Puerto Rico Classic. The Wolfpack finished ninth after recording the second lowest team score at Rio Mar Country Club.

Albin Choi

Choi erased a two-shot deficit leading into Tuesday with an eagle at the par-4 12th, his opening hole of the day. The Toronto, Ontario, native then took the lead at the next hole with the first of seven birdies at the par-4 13th.

Choi threatened the school record with four-straight birdies between holes 3-7, and then added a fifth birdie in a six-hole stretch at No. 8 to get to -8, but a bogey at the ninth left him at 65, one shot from Kelly Mitchum’s school-record 64 set in 1992.

His 54-hole score of 12-under 204 included rounds of 70-69-65 to win by two strokes over Will Kropp (Oklahoma), Ollie Schneiderjans (Georgia Tech) and Cory Whitsett (Alabama). Schniederjans birdied No. 1 to tie Choi at -12, but double bogeyed the par-4 second hole and could not get any closer, allowing Choi to earn his seventh collegiate victory.

The Wolfpack team shot a 7-under 281 on Tuesday, tying Oklahoma for the second-lowest score of the final round, to finish ninth at 11-over 875. Alabama ran away with the team title at 33-under 831. The Sooners were second at -26.

Senior Mitch Sutton shot a 2-under 70 on Tuesday to finish tied for 53rd at 9-over 225. His final round featured four birdies.

Junior Logan Harrell had a 74 today to place tied for 45th at 6-over 222 in his first tournament at NC State.

Freshman Carter Page finished T59 at 13-over 229 after an even-par 72 on Tuesday. Senior Hunter Howell tied for 70th at 17-over 233.

NC State is next in action at the USF Invitational March 3-5 at Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club in Dade City, Fla.

NC State Team Scorers
1. Albin Choi 70-69-65=204 (-12)
T45. Logan Harrell 76-72-74=222 (+6)
T53. Mitch Sutton 78-77-70=225 (+9)
T59. Carter Page 81-76-72=229 (+13)
T70. Hunter Howell 79-74-80=233 (+16)