WEST PALM BEACH — Every golfer has a pre-round routine. NaShawn Tyson added a step to his prior to Wednesday’s final round of the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship presented by Chase and Kohler Co.
The Florida Atlantic University junior and North Palm Beach resident chose to wear a specific shirt as he tried to protect his three-shot lead in the Men’s Individual Division lead in the event devoted to promoting minorities in golf.
It had to be the same shirt he wore the last time he played The Park – last summer when he won the Palm Beach Kennel Club County Amateur.
Golfers, like most athletes, can be superstitious.
“I had to wear it,” a smiling Tyson said.
His attire was working as he was 3-under through 11 holes, increasing his lead to five strokes over Arsit Areephun of the University of Delaware. But a birdie by Areephum and a Tyson bogey at the 12th shrunk the lead to three.
An eagle by Areephum at the drivable par-4 16th, his 3-wood landing a foot from the hole, made it a one-shot margin.
Tyson fought back with a birdie at the par-3 17th, giving him a two-shot advantage heading to the par-5 18th. But Areephun hit another stellar shot, his ball landing 12 feet away from a possible tying eagle.
Tyson’s second shot flared way right, onto the first fairway, raising the possibility of another two-shot swing. Tyson hit a nice recovery shot to 10 feet, and held his breath while Areephun missed his eagle. Tyson made his birdie to win by two after a 4-under 67 moved him to 10-under 203.
“My head is spinning right now,” Tyson said afterward. “It was a very fun finish there. I finally made some few putts trying to close the door, but it was really fun.”
Not as much for Areephun. “I threw everything I had at him,” he said.
Florida A&M wins team title behind 6-6 Sascha Robinson
Tyson tossed it back. His 54-hole score was just two behind the Division I champion Sascha Robinson, who led Florida A&M to its third team title in the PWCC. The 6-foot-6 Robinson was the only player to shoot all three rounds in the 60s (67, 69 and 65), and he used his length to play the par-5s in 7-under.
“We all know how good Sascha is,” Rattlers coach Mike Rice said. “Now the rest of the world knows. And he’s been playing all season with a bad back” and an aching right knee during his three days at The Park.
Other winners: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won its fifth consecutive PWCC Women’s Overall title; Western New Mexico University won its first Division II title (led by medalist Jacob Alcorta); Texas Southern University sophomore Thaiz Amezcua won Women’s Team Medalist honors; and University of North Carolina Wilmington freshman Alexis Faieta won the Women’s Individual title.
Locally, Hope Hall of Boca Raton finished seventh in the Women’s Individual, her sister Alana finished T10, Sophia Sindersberger of Keiser University was eighth. Nathan Wong of Palm Beach State College was ninth in the Men’s Individual.
The Park also was a winner, showing no effects from Monday’s deluge of rain that caused a 2½-hour delay.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FAU golfer, FAMU men’s team win titles at PGA WORKS Collegiate tourney
Reporting by Craig Dolch, Special to The Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
