2019 Men's Golf - Year In Review
Trey Jones, Head Coach
Robert Duck, Assistant Coach, Dir of Player Development
Jennifer Santiago, Director of Operations
Matt Whall, Assistant Coach
Click here to see individual mug shots
2019 Men's Golf - Year In Review | |
| Coaching Staff Trey Jones, Head Coach Robert Duck, Assistant Coach, Dir of Player Development Jennifer Santiago, Director of Operations Matt Whall, Assistant Coach Click here to see individual mug shots |
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Calvin Sierota, Melbourne
John Pak Named PING! First-Team All-American.
May 28, 2019 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – John Pak’s record-setting season has been capped by being named a PING! First-Team All-American, announced on Tuesday by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
Pak is one of just 10 first-team All-Americans named by the GCAA, putting himself in elite company to help highlight a year in which he set the lowest stroke average by a Seminole at 69.56. “I’m
really happy for John,” FSU head coach Trey Jones said. “Being one of the Top 10 golfers in collegiate golf is a great accomplishment. One that goes to John and the hard work and the dedication that
he has put in. He is one of the top junior players in the country and has used our resources and continued to get better. He has an excellent supporting cast around him with his Mom, Dad and teacher
in Orlando. I look for John to use this and continue to improve and become a better player each year.” Pak is the first Seminole to earn first-team All-America honors since Jack Maguire was named
to the first team by Golfweek. He also joins Daniel Berger (2013), Jonas Blixt (2008), Bobby Cochran (1994) and Nolan Henke (1987) on the list. Pak now owns two of the top three single-year
averages at Florida State, as his 70.49 scoring average as a freshman ranks as the third-lowest. He ended his sophomore campaign with four victories, seven Top-5 finishes and eight Top-10 finishes in
11 events. The Scotch Plains, N.J., native has earned several accolades this year: PING! All-Region, All-ACC First Team, Jack Nicklaus Player of the Year Semifinalist and Haskins Award Watch List
Finalist. He also won the ACC Championship. Pak is the 12th-ranked golfer nationally according to Golfstat, and owns a 12-9 record vs. Top 25 competition. Of his 32 rounds played, 24 were at par or
less and 15 rounds were recorded in the 60s. Pak had a phenomenal stretch where he recorded 10 straight rounds in the 60s.
2019 Roster - By Name
L
T PY
R Name Hgt Cl Ltr Hometown (Prior School)
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* Bennett Baker 6-2 Sr *** Tallahassee (Chiles)
* Corey Carlson 5-7 Sr *** Green Cove Springs (Clay)
* Jake Carter 5-11 Jr ** Aiken, S.C. (South Aiken)
* Jonathan Keppler 6-0 Jr-R ** Marietta, Ga. (Kennesaw Mountain)
* Jamie Li 5-10 Jr * Bath, England (Millfield School)
* Alberto Martinez Fr Weston (American Heritage-Plantation)
* John Pak So * Scotch Plains, N.J. (Scotch Plains-Fanwood)
* Greyson Porter 5-6 Jr * Clearwater (Shorecrest Prep)
Parker Reddig So Minneapolis, Minn. (Shattuck-Saint Mary's)
* Calvin Sierota Fr Melbourne (Viera)
From the FSU Website, seminoles.com.
The Florida State Men’s golfer becomes the sixth first-team All-American in program history.
2019 Conference Awards
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John Pak Atlantic Coast Conference - Champion
Atlantic Coast Conference - All-Conference
All-Conference - 1
2019 All-Americans
Name Organization
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John Pak Golf Coaches Association of America - 1st Team All-American
Golf Week - 1st Team All-American
All-Americans - 1
2019 Schedule and Results
GAME |
SCORE |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rod Myers Invitational September 8-9, 2018, Durham, N.C. |
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| Fighting Illini Invitational September 14-16, 2018, Olympia Fields, Ill. |
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| Georgia Jack Nicklaus Invitational, Dublin, Ohio |
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| Ohio State Jack Nicklaus Invitational, Dublin, Ohio |
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| Golf Club of Ga Championship October 19-21, 2018, Alpharetta, Ga. |
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| Sea Best Invitational February 4-5, 2019, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. |
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| Mobile Sports Authority Inter February 11-12, 2019, Mobile, Ala. |
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| Seminole Intercollegiate February 23-24, 2019 |
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| Querencia Cabo Collegiate March 3-5, 2019, Los Cabos, Mexico |
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| Valspar Collegiate Invite March 17-18, 2019, Palm City, Fla. |
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| Irish Creek Collegiate April 6-7, 2018, Kannapolis, N.C. |
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| ACC Championship April 18-20, 2019, New London, N.C. |
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| Myrtle Beach Regional May 13-15, 2019, Myrtle Beach, S.C. |
EOY StatsRef Overall Home Away Neutral ------------------------------------------------ FSU record is 1- 1 0- 0 0- 0 1- 1
2019 Atlantic Coast Conference Results 1 Georgia Tech 827 2 Virginia 842 3 Wake Forest 845 4t Duke 852 4t Florida State 852 6 North Carolina State 856 7 Clemson 860 8 Louisville 861 9 Virginia Tech 864 10 North Carolina 868 11 Notre Dame 869 12 Boston College 875
2019 EOY Stats
Name Tournaments Rounds Par Low Strokes Wins Top10 Ave ======================================================================== John Pak 11 32 24 62 2,226 4 8 69.56 Jamie Li 11 32 17 65 2,296 0 3 71.75 Calvin Sierota 9 26 11 66 1,898 0 1 73.00 Greyson Porter 4 10 3 68 731 0 0 73.10 Corey Carlson 9 26 11 68 1,901 0 1 73.12 Bennett Baker 8 22 8 66 1,613 0 0 73.32 Jonathan Keppler 3 9 3 68 667 0 0 74.11 Parker Reddig 4 11 2 71 818 0 0 74.36 Alberto Martinez 4 11 2 71 832 0 0 75.64 Jake Carter 2 6 1 70 454 0 0 75.67
Pak Dominates in Season Opener
by Steve Stone
September 8, 2018
DURHAM, N.C. – Sophomore John Pak stole the show through the first two rounds of the Rod Myers Invitational on Saturday. The Scotch Plains, N.J., native carded a tournament record 62 in his opening round and leads the invitational at 13-under (62-69).
Pak, who earned All-America honors last year as a freshman, tied for the second-lowest single-round score in program history with his 10-under 62. The Florida State Men’s Golf sophomore recorded the lowest score by a Seminole since Jack Maguire also shot a 62 on March 4, 2014, in the final round of the USF Invitational.
The program record for the single-lowest round score is 61 by Carl DiCesare at the Buckhaults Golf Tournament on March 17, 1967.
“I have been privileged to see some good rounds and good days, but I can’t think of one any better than John’s today,” FSU head coach Trey Jones said. “To shoot a course record on another university’s home course in tournament conditions is even more special. John kept pressure on the course by putting the ball in the fairway, choosing good lines, laying up on par 5’s and hitting great wedges.”
Pak totaled 14 birdies through his 36 holes played, and added an eagle in the second round on the par-5, 493-yard ninth hole. In his opening round, he recorded six consecutive birdies on holes 4-9 and carded a 29 through the first nine holes.
“A pivotal point was when he went 8-under through 11 and hit his tee ball in the water on the par 3 12th,” Jones added. “He calmly went to the drop area of 120 yards, got the ball up and down for bogey and birdied the next hole. John works hard on his game and I am so happy that he could enjoy a day like today.”
Penn State leads the tournament at 11-under, followed by North Carolina (-10), Duke (-2) and FSU (-1). The rest of the field is shooting over par.
Senior Corey Carlson aided the Seminoles by shooting 1-over so far, recording a 74 in the first round and a 71 in the second. Carlson used five birdies to his advantage in the second round, ending the day by going 1-under on the 455-yard 18th hole.
Junior Jamie Li also had a strong ending to his day, shooting a 1-under 71 in the second round after carding a 76 in the opening frame. The England native is tied for 27th at 3-over.
Junior Greyson Porter is tied for 55th at 8-over (75-77) while fellow junior Jake Carter is 73rd at +19. Freshman Alberto Martinez, playing as an individual, finished at 10-over and tied
for 63rd.
by Steve Stone
September 9, 2018
DURHAM, N.C. – Sophomore Florida State Men’s golfer John Pak cruised to a title win at the Rod Myers Invitational on Sunday afternoon at Duke Country Club in Durham, N.C.
Pak won handily, shooting 13-under overall and winning by seven strokes in a dominant tournament performance. The returning All-American shot an even-par 72 in his final round, but was well ahead after carding a tournament record 62 in his opening round, followed by a 69 in his second round.
Pak’s win is the second of his FSU career, as he also won the Seminole Intercollegiate last year as a freshman.
The Seminoles were one of four teams who finished under par for the tournament, shooting a 4-under 860 (287-288-285). Penn State won the Rod Myers Invitational at 12-under, followed by Duke and North Carolina (-10 each) and FSU.
Pak totaled four birdies along with four bogeys in his Sunday round. He led all golfers with 18 birdies and also led the field on par 4 scoring at 6-under.
Senior Corey Carlson tied for 17th at even par, carding a 1-under 71 on Sunday. He had an eventful final round that included six birdies, a bogey and two double bogeys. Carlson’s two double bogeys came in his first two holes played, but he stayed resilient the rest of the way and ended with a good score.
Juniors Jamie Li and Jake Carter each tied for 41st at 8-over, while Greyson Porter also went 8-over. Carter finished strong in the tournament, shooting FSU’s low round of the day with a 2-under 70.
Freshman Alberto Martinez, playing as an individual, finished 10-over but shot an even-par 72 on Sunday.
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== John Pak 1 62 69 72 203 Corey Carlson 17t 74 71 71 216 Jamie Li 41t 76 71 77 224 Greyson Porter 41t 75 77 72 224 Alberto Martinez 47t 80 74 72 226 Jake Carter 62 81 82 70 233
Men’s Golf in 12th at Olympia Fields.
September 14, 2018
by Steve Stone
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – The Florida State Men’s Golf team slugged its way through the first round of the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational on Friday, joining 12 of the 14 teams who shot over par for the day as it sits in 12th place at 13-over.
Olympia Fields, which has hosted numerous prestigious events including U.S. Opens and PGA Championships, reared its ugly head as only California (-7) and Oklahoma State (-7) were able to shoot under par on the afternoon. Senior Corey Carlson and juniors Jamie Li and Jake Carter had respectable performances, all tying for 31st at 3-over.
Sophomore John Pak finished at 4-over and is tied for 49th, while junior Greyson Porter is 5-over and tied for 58th.
Carter started off well on the front nine, shooting an even 35 which included a birdie on the long 472-yard par 4 at the ninth hole. Despite bogeying three of his final four holes, Carter had a good performance.
Carter registered 13 pars, which is tied for the seventh-most among all players.
Li got stronger on the back nine after shooting a front-nine 37. One of the highlights of his round included a birdie on the par-4, 450-yard 14th hole. It was one of two birdies on the day for the England native.
Carlson continued a good start to his fall, leading the Seminoles with four birdies in the first round. After shooting a 38 on the front, he went three strokes lower with an even-par 35 on the back nine.
Carlson’s four birdies are
tied for the sixth-most in the field.
September 15, 2018
by Steve Stone
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – Junior Greyson Porter carded a 2-under 68 on Saturday at Olympia Fields Country Club as the 25th-ranked Florida State Men’s Golf team showed solid improvement at 3-over in the second round of the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational.
The Seminoles moved up to ninth place on the tournament leaderboard, shooting 3-over as a team to improve from their +13 opening round score on Friday. FSU is 16-over for the two rounds.
For Porter, it was his fourth career round in the 60s, with his 67 at last year’s USA Individual Tournament being the only lower score he’s had in his career.
Porter carded four birdies, including three on the front nine where he finished up his round. The Clearwater, Fla., native had back-to-back birdies on the fifth and sixth holes to punctuate a strong performance. Porter is tied for 21st among all players.
Sophomore All-American John Pak came back with a 1-over 71 in the second round. He is 5-over and tied for 34th overall, while junior Jamie Li also shot 1-over and is tied for 31st overall at 4-over.
Junior Jake Carter shot 3-over on Saturday, while senior Corey Carlson went 4-over.
Oklahoma State (-9) and California (-1) remain the only two teams who have shot under par through
the first two rounds at Olympia Fields. FSU’s 3-over performance on Saturday is tied for the third lowest team score of the day.
September 16, 2018
by Steve Stone
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – Scores were higher all across the tournament leaderboard on Sunday at Olympia Fields, as the 25th-ranked Florida State Men’s Golf team finished 10th at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational.
The Seminoles finished 36-over (293-283-300) for the tournament, shooting +20 in the final round. It was a struggle for much of the day, as junior Jamie Li had the team’s low round of the day with a 3-over 74.
“Poor results are always disappointing, and trust me know one feels worse than they do,” FSU head coach Trey Jones said. “We always strive to make our bad rounds competitive. These guys fought to the last putt today and I appreciate their pride in themselves and our team. We are clearly near where this team can be but I am excited about the opportunities ahead.”
Li had the lowest tournament score for the Seminoles, shooting 7-over. He managed to birdie two of his final four holes played in the final round.
Junior Greyson Porter shot 9-over at the tournament, ending his final round with a 6-over 76. Sophomore John Pak went 11-over over his three rounds played, finishing with a 6-over 76 on Sunday.
Junior Jake Carter also went 11-over for the tournament, while senior Corey Carlson shot 15-over.
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Jamie Li 25t 73 71 73 217 Greyson Porter 31t 75 68 76 219 Jake Carter 42t 73 73 75 221 John Pak 42t 74 71 76 221 Corey Carlson 53t 73 74 78 225
Seminoles to Resume Jack Nicklaus Invitational on Tuesday.
Florida State fell to Georgia, 4-2, in the first round of match play, but is all square
with Ohio State in the second round.
DUBLIN, Ohio – The Florida State Men’s Golf team dropped its first round of match play on Monday at the Jack Nicklaus Invitational, falling to Georgia 4-2. The Seminoles will resume their second-round match against Ohio State on Tuesday morning after ending the day all square with the Buckeyes.
The match-play event that features some of the nation’s best teams is taking place at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Sophomore John Pak won his match 2&1 vs. Georgia, while junior Jamie Li was the other Seminole to win his match against Georgia by finishing 4&2.
The Seminoles’ current match against Ohio State is nearly halfway through, with senior Corey Carlson up 1 through nine holes against the Buckeyes’ Daniel Wetterich. Freshman Calvin Sierota carries a two-hole lead through six holes against Grant Engle.
Freshman Alberto Martinez is all square through nine holes, battling back from a two-hole deficit. Li is also all square with Ohio State’s Kevin Stone through seven holes.
Lightning in the area forced play to end at approximately 6:45 p.m. The second round resumes at 9 a.m. with a shot-gun start on Tuesday. There will not be a third round played.
Men’s Golf Defeats Ohio State at Jack Nicklaus Invitational.
Junior Jamie Li clinched the match-play victory by taking down the Buckeye’s Kevin
Stone, going 1UP in the final match.
DUBLIN, Ohio – It all came down to junior Jamie Li. And with each pressure-filled swing, the native of England did not disappoint.
Li and Ohio State’s Kevin Stone were the final match remaining with Florida State and Ohio State tied 2-2-1 at the Jack Nicklaus Invitational held at Muirfield Village Golf Club. But Li, who also won his match on Monday against Georgia’s Will Chandler, calmly sank a par putt on the par-4, 412-yard ninth hole to win 1UP in the match.
Li was the only Seminole to win both his matches against Georgia and Ohio State, going 2-0 at the Jack Nicklaus Invitational. He went 2UP in the match with five holes remaining, then gave back a point when he bogeyed the par-5 seventh hole. However, he recorded par on each of the last two holes, including a par-3 eighth hole, to give the Seminoles the crucial point.
Also winning matches for the Seminoles on Tuesday were senior Corey Carlson (2&1) and freshman Calvin Sierota (6&5). On the seventh hole, Carlson recorded a par while Ohio State’s Daniel Wetterich had a bogey to go up by two with two holes left. A closing par putt on the eighth closed out the match.
Sierota dominated his match against Grant Engle, winning with five holes remaining when he recorded a par on the par-3, 200-yard fourth hole.
Freshman Alberto Martinez also played a big role in helping Florida State win the match. After being down one hole with two remaining, Martinez birded the eighth hole to send the match to all square. He then put together a par putt on his final hole to match opponent Caleb Ramirez.
Jamie Li Leads the Seminoles in Georgia.
The junior from Bath, England, carded a season-low 67 to lead Florida State Men’s Golf in the first round
of the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational.
by Steve Stone
October 19, 2018
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Junior Jamie Li continued his torrid play for Florida State Men’s Golf on Friday, recording a 5-under 67 in the first round of the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational held at the Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta.
Playing against a loaded field that includes seven teams in the Golfstat Top 25, Li held his own against some of the nation’s best golfers by carding seven birdies. Li started his round with three consecutive birdies to highlight a front-nine 33, then ended his round with three straight birdies to put the exclamation point on a fantastic day.
“Jamie might have played one of his best rounds of golf in college,” FSU assistant coach Robert Duck said. “He showed maturity and patience. His attitude allowed his round to evolve and allowed himself to execute at a high level.”
The talented junior’s 67 is his lowest round of the fall season, and comes on the heels of him being the only Seminole to win both matches against Georgia and Ohio State at the Jack Nicklaus Invitational in Muirfield Village.
Li’s round injected some life into Florida State’s day, which ended with a team score of 2-under (286). Upon completion of the round, the Seminoles were in sixth at the tournament.
“To get the round under par was important and has given us a platform to grow as the week goes on,” Duck added.
Li dominated the par 4 holes in his first round, going 3-under on the nine par 4s on the course.
Junior Bennett Baker impressed in his first round of the fall, shooting a 1-under 71 which included four birdies. Baker and Li were the two Seminoles to finish under par on Friday.
Sophomore John Pak recorded a 1-over 73, while
freshman Calvin Sierota is the team’s final counting score with a 3-over 75. Fellow freshman Alberto Martinez shot a 4-over 76.
by Steve Stone
October 20, 2018
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The Florida State Men’s Golf team fell back a few spots on Saturday, shooting 6-over on the day and sitting in 11th (4-over) through two rounds at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational in Alpharetta.
Sophomore John Pak moved up to a tie for 21st after shooting 2-under on Saturday. He is currently 1-under and the only Seminole under par. Pak mustered four birdies in the second round, shooting a front-nine 34 to get his day going.
Junior Jamie Li is tied for 28th at even-par, but fell back due to a 5-over 77 fired in the second round. The Bath, England, native totaled four birdies in the round.
Freshman Calvin Sierota had a productive day by shooting an even-par 72 on a tough course. He is tied for 47th at 3-over, aided by two front-nine birdies.
Senior Bennett Baker is tied for 40th at 2-over, while freshman Alberto Martinez is tied for 68th at 9-over.
October 21, 2018
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The Florida State Men’s Golf Team improved in the final round of the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational, shooting 4-over on Sunday to finish 8-over and place 11th at the tournament.
Senior Bennett Baker and sophomore Jamie Li aided the Seminoles by shooting even-par rounds. Baker carded five birdies, which included four on the front nine. Li finished at even-par overall in the tournament.
“We had moments when we showed our potential, but too many mistakes halted any real momentum in rounds two and three,” FSU assistant coach Robert Duck said. “I know the boys will work extremely hard in the off season and will be ready to make an impact in the spring.”
Sophomore John Pak carded a 1-over 73 on Sunday and matched Li by finishing even overall. Pak had the hole of the day for FSU when he eagled on the par-5, 542-yard first hole. Pak and Li finished tied for 21st.
Freshman Calvin Sierota shot a 3-over 75 on Sunday and finished 6-over for the tournament, while fellow freshman Alberto Martinez ended at 18-over.
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Jamie Li 21t 67 77 72 216 John Pak 21t 73 70 73 216 Bennett Baker 34t 71 75 72 218 Calvin Sierota 51t 75 72 75 222 Alberto Martinez 71 76 77 81 234
Seminole Men’s Golf in Fifth at Sea Best Invitational.
Sophomore John Pak leads the way for Florida State, sitting tied for 11th at even
par.
February 4, 2019
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Sophomore John Pak and senior Corey Carlson led the way for Florida State Men’s Golf in its season-opening spring tournament at the Sea Best Invitational held at Dye’s Valley Course in TPC Sawgrass.
While the Seminoles are in fifth at 9-over (287-282), Pak remains in contention as he is tied for 11th at even par (70-70). Carlson is tied for 17th at 2-over (72-70), finishing with a lower second round that included 16 pars, one birdie and one bogey.
Dye’s Valley Course has just two par 5s on the first and 16th holes, with par being 70 for the 6,858-yard course.
“I thought we were really rusty early but regrouped and played OK in the afternoon,” FSU head coach Trey Jones said. “I really like how we are pitching the ball and overall around the greens. We need to get a few rounds under par to compete tomorrow.”
Ahead of the Seminoles are tournament leader Florida (-1), UNF (+1), NC State (+4) and Liberty (+8).
Florida State did improve in its second round by five strokes, as Carlson, Pak and junior Jamie Li all finished with even-par scores. Pak registered five birdies in his second round, including back-to-back ones on holes 5-6 and 15-16.
Playing as an individual, sophomore Parker Reddig has held his own on a difficult course. The Minneapolis, Minn., native is tied for 31st at 2-over, shooting an eventful 2-over 72 in the opening round but following with a steadier 72 in the second round that included 15 pars, a birdie and a double bogey.
Freshman Calvin Sierota is tied for 39th
at 6-over, while senior Bennett Baker is tied for 36th at 5-over. Li is tied for 47th at 8-over.
February 5, 2019
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Florida State Men’s Golf went low on Tuesday – low enough to complete a 10-stroke comeback from the start of the day and win the Sea Best Invitational held at Dye’s Valley Course in TPC Sawgrass.
The Seminoles entered their final round in fourth place at 9-over and trailed tournament leader and rival school Florida (-1) by 10 strokes. But from the start of the day, momentum was in the favor of Florida State as it received four under-par performances from sophomore John Pak, freshman Calvin Sierota, junior Jamie Li and senior Bennett Baker to shoot a 9-under 271 on Tuesday. FSU finished at even-par for the tournament.
To add to Florida State’s memorable day, Pak won a three-way playoff on the first sudden-death hole when he tapped in a par, defeating UF’s Gordon Neale and Jacksonville’s Eduardo Carrete. Pak’s tournament win is his third in less than two full years as a Seminole, and his second in the 2018-19 season.
Pak finished the tournament shooting 4-under (70-70-66), carding six birdies in his final round to help force the playoff. He began the day seven shots behind Carrete, but a strong back-nine 32 that included consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th holes and 14th and 15th holes gave him a shot in the sudden-death format.
“I was super nervous during the playoff,” Pak said afterward. “But Coach Duck just told me to play my game and I did just that. For us to win after being 10 back showed that we are a team that can come back from anything. I couldn’t be prouder of this team.”
Pak alone couldn’t just bring the Seminoles back. Sierota showed little freshman nerves as he added an impressive 3-under 67 on Tuesday, and finished at 3-over to tie for 15th. The Melbourne, Fla., native added five birdies of his own, and made par on the final three holes.
Baker and Li each carded final rounds at 1-under 69 to highlight FSU’s four scores in the 60s on Tuesday. Baker tied for 21st at 4-over, while Li tied for 31st at 7-over. Li’s round was enormous after shooting an opening-round 78 on Monday and greatly improving as the tournament went on.
Florida State’s final-round score of 271 (9-under) marked the lowest round by any team in the tournament, besting NC State’s 6-under 274 in the second round on Monday.
Rounding out the FSU scores was a 9-over by senior Corey Carlson. Playing as an individual, Parker Reddig finished at 8-over and tied for 35th.
UNF (+3) finished second at the Sea Best Invitational, followed by third-place Florida (+8), Liberty (+11) and NC State (+14) in the Top five.
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== John Pak 1 70 70 66 206 Calvin Sierota 15t 72 74 67 213 Bennett Baker 21t 73 72 69 214 Jamie Li 31t 78 70 69 217 Parker Reddig 35t 72 72 74 218 Corey Carlson 40t 72 70 77 219
Pak, Seminoles Lead Through Two Rounds in Mobile.
Florida State Men’s Golf (-23) is ahead by five strokes at the Mobile Sports Authority
Intercollegiate while John Pak leads at 11-under.
February 11, 2019
MOBILE, Ala. – The Florida State Men’s Golf team caught fire once again, this time getting off to a fast start through two rounds at the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate. FSU is 23-under through two rounds of play, leading second-place Louisville by five strokes.
Sophomore John Pak capped his day by recording a 9-under 63 in the second round, scorching the course with nine birdies. In his first round, he shot a 2-under 70 as he enters Tuesday with a four-shot lead at 11-under.
“It was another great effort by our golf team today,” FSU head coach Trey Jones said. “Playing the back nine without a single bogey from the counting scores shows a testament to their shorts games, course management and execution. Shooting 17-under (in the second round) is something we’ll certainly enjoy.”
Pak’s 63 in the second round is tied for the fourth-lowest single-round score in program history. His 62 in the opening round of this past fall’s Rod Myers Invitational is tied for the second lowest, only surpassed by a 61 by golf alum Carl DiCesare in the final round of the Buckhaults Golf Tournament on March 17, 1967.
“I chipped in on the first hole for birdie and kind of road that wave,” Pak said of his big second round. “I made a few long putts and took advantage of my wedges today.”
The 17-under 271 by the Seminoles in the second round ties for the seventh-lowest team single-round score in program history, as they also recorded a 271 in the final round of last week’s Sea Best Invitational.
Freshman Calvin Sierota impressed once again on Monday, and is tied for sixth at 5-under (70-69). Senior Corey Carlson (4-under) rounds out three Seminoles in the Top 10 as he is tied for ninth.
Junior Jamie Li is tied for 30th at even par, while Parker Reddig (2-over as an individual), Bennett Baker (5-over) and Alberto Martinez (6-over) round out the rest of the Seminoles.
Through two rounds of action, Florida State leads the field in par 3 scoring (2.90) and par 5 scoring (4.70). FSU’s 41 collective birdies also lead all teams.
After Florida State and Louisville, the rest of the Top five includes Western Kentucky in third (13-under), South Alabama in fourth (10-under) and Texas State in fifth (3-under).
“We’re going to have a good day of golf tomorrow
against a very good Louisville team,” Jones added. “It’s supposed to be a lot of rain and a muddy golf course, so we can’t get too excited about a great round. But it sure is fun to see their
execution and being rewarded for what they’re doing.”
February 12, 2019
MOBILE, Ala. – With inclement weather causing conditions to be unplayable early in the final round, the Florida State Men’s Golf team won its second consecutive tournament as it took home the trophy at the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate held at Magnolia Grove Crossings Golf Course.
The Seminoles held a five-stroke advantage over second-place Louisville entering the day, using their tremendous 17-under second round to break into the lead. Along with their repeat title in Mobile as well as their second straight tournament won, sophomore John Pak won his fourth tournament after shooting 11-under (70-63) in the first two rounds.
FSU finished at 23-under (282-271). Freshman Calvin Sierota tied for sixth at 5-under, followed by Corey Carlson (tied for ninth; 4-under), Jamie Li (tied for 27th; even par), Parker Reddig (tied for 42nd; 2-over), Bennett Baker (tied for 52nd; 5-over) and Alberto Martinez (tied for 64th; 8-over).
“I’m proud of the guys for a great round yesterday and in the afternoon,” FSU head coach Trey Jones said. “Unfortunately, we’re disappointed we weren’t able to play all 54 holes, and we didn’t get to play in some weather. Either way, that’s the hand we were dealt, but I’m glad we’ve gotten off to a good start in the spring.”
Pak and the Seminoles will now get a chance to defend another tournament title as they host the Seminole Intercollegiate held Feb. 23-24 at Golden Eagle Country Club in Tallahassee. The 14-team tournament will also include Jacksonville, James Madison, Louisville, Illinois State, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Princeton, West Virginia, Wake Forest, Kentucky, Nicholls State, Troy and Morehead State.
“John Pak winning his second straight golf tournament heading into our home tournament is a new thing for John’s growth,” Jones added. “We’re looking forward to seeing how he prepares for and handles the next event. We hope to get a good crowd and get a lot of people to come out to our only home tournament of the year at Golden Eagle Country Club.”
Last year, Florida State won its home tournament after shooting 20-under and winning by nine strokes. Pak won his first title at Golden Eagle as well, shooting an 8-under 208 (72-66-70). It is the second straight spring season in which FSU has begun with consecutive tournament wins.
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ===== John Pak 1 70 63 133 Calvin Sierota 6t 70 69 139 Corey Carlson 9t 69 71 140 Jamie Li 30t 76 68 144 Parker Reddig * 39t 73 73 146 Bennett Baker 55t 73 76 149 Alberto Martinez * 65t 74 78 152
Noles in Sixth at Seminole Intercollegiate.
Florida State Men’s Golf improves in the second round and is one of six teams shooting under par (-1)
at Golden Eagle Country Club.
February 23, 2019
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida State Men’s Golf team ended the first day of the Seminole Intercollegiate with optimism, shaving seven strokes off its first-round total to finish the second round at 1-under and in sixth place at Golden Eagle Country Club.
The Seminoles shot a 4-under 284 in the second round of the day and are one of six teams currently under par in their home tournament. Jacksonville (-12) had a strong showing and is in first place, followed by West Virginia and Louisville (-7 each), Wake Forest (-6), Kansas State (-3) and FSU (-1).
Sophomore John Pak is tied for sixth overall at 6-under, ending his day emphatically with an eagle on the par-5, 532-yard 18th hole. Pak shot a 3-under 69 in the second round, nailing three birdies in addition to his day-ending eagle.
Pak is six strokes behind tournament leader Austin Squires of Cincinnati, who carded an opening-round 66 to help him shoot 9-under through the first two rounds.
Junior Jamie Li posted a good second round as well, matching Pak with a 3-under 69 over the final 18 holes of the day. He rebounded from an opening-round 75 with three birdies and no bogeys on the back nine. Li is tied for 23rd at even par.
Florida State’s two individuals who do not count as part of the team scores were Jonathan Keppler (-1) and Parker Reddig (-1). Both golfers are tied for 17th overall and join Pak as the Seminoles shooting under par through the first two rounds.
Senior Corey Carlson (+1) and freshman Calvin Sierota (+1) are each tied for 27th.
They both recorded opening-round 72s and followed with 1-over 73s in the second round.
February 24, 2019
By Blake Von Cannon
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Battling inclement weather that led to an early hour-long rain delay, the No. 30 Florida State Men’s Golf team battled back to finish second in the Seminole Intercollegiate at the Golden Eagle Golf Club in Tallahassee, Florida.
After entering the final round in sixth place and at one-under par, the Seminoles shot an 11-under 277 to catapult themselves into a second place finish, just one stroke behind No. 5 Wake Forest.
Florida State was led by the duo of sophomore John Pak and junior Jamie Li, who finished fifth and tied for sixth, respectively.
Pak led the way for the Noles as he shot a five-under par 211 throughout the two-day event. On the final day of competition, Pak finished with three birdies on the front nine, elevating him from a tie for sixth to a fifth place finish as competition came to a close.
After Li shot a three-over 75 in the first round, he would battle back to shoot consecutive three-under 69’s in the final two rounds to jump from a tie for 23rd to a tie for sixth place finish. On the final day, he shot a tournament-best five birdies, including four on the front nine.
Li finished with a three-under 213, good enough for a tie for sixth place.
Corey Carlson placed in a tie for 12th (-2, 214), Parker Redding earned a tie for 22nd finish as he shot as an individual (E, 216), Calvin Sierota finished in a tie for 27th place (+1, 217), Jonathan Keppler tied for 27th as an individual (+1, 217) and Bennett Baker finished tied for 53rd (+9, 225).
Florida State has begun spring competition in fine fashion. After winning the Sea Best Invitational (840, E; Feb.4-5) and the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate (553, -23; Feb. 11-12), the 2nd place finish in the Seminole Intercollegiate gives the Noles their third top-two finish in as many spring events.
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== John Pak 5 72 69 70 211 Jamie Li 6t 75 69 69 213 Corey Carlson 12t 72 73 69 214 Parker Reddig * 22t 71 72 73 216 Jonathan Keppler * 27t 69 74 74 217 Calvin Sierota 27t 72 73 72 217 Bennett Baker 53t 77 79 69 225
Men’s Golf Tied for 10th in Cabo.
No. 27 Florida State shoots 13-over in its first day at the challenging Cabo Collegiate at Querencia.
March 3, 2019
LOS CABOS, Mexico – The No. 27 Florida State Men’s Golf team finished its first day at the Cabo Collegiate at Querencia tied for 10th, shooting a 13-over 297 in its opening round.
Sophomore John Pak was the lone Seminole under par, scoring a 1-under 70 which included an eagle on the par-5, 595-yard ninth hole. Pak tallied two birdies on the back nine, shooting 35s on the front and back halves, to tie for 17th.
Junior Jamie Li held steady as well, shooting a 2-over 73. Li added three birdies and only had his double bogey on the par-5, 552-yard fourth hole be his only major blemish. He is tied for sixth overall on par 4 scoring with a 3.82 scoring average in the first round.
Arizona State is the current leader at 15-under, followed by Oklahoma State (-7), Baylor (-6), Ole Miss (-3) and Vanderbilt (+1) in the Top five.
Seniors Corey Carlson and Bennett Baker each shot six-over and are tied for 58th. Freshman Calvin Sierota is tied for 65th at nine-over and individual Parker Reddig is 73rd at 15-over.
FSU ranks second in the 14-team field so far with 59 total pars.
March 4, 2019
LOS CABOS, Mexico – Senior Bennett Baker got things heated up for No. 27 Florida State Men’s Golf on Monday, firing a 5-under 66 in the second round of the Cabo Collegiate at Querencia.
The Tallahassee native and Chiles High School product helped elevate the Seminoles’ play at the difficult course in Mexico, with FSU shooting a 10-under 274 on Monday. FSU has moved up to fifth at 3-over, while top-ranked Oklahoma State leads the field at 22-under.
The Seminoles shot 23 strokes less than their first-round performance of 297. For Baker, his 5-under 66 tied his lowest single round in college, which also occurred with a 66 at Olympia Fields in 2015 as well as at the Gary Kochs Invitational in 2018.
Baker recorded five birdies, 13 pars and no bogeys. He is now tied for 26th at 1-over and moved up 30 spots in the leaderboard, the biggest mover of any of the 74 golfers competing.
Two other Seminoles ended their second rounds in the 60s, as junior Jamie Li recorded a 2-under 69 while senior Corey Carlson also added a 69. Li battled back from a double bogey on the par-5 fourth hole to finish with two birdies in his last three holes played. Li is tied for 22nd at even par.
Carlson began the round on the 12th hole, and despite some up and down showings on the back nine, he caught fire with a 32 on the front nine that included four birdies.
Sophomore John Pak continues to be the FSU leader in the clubhouse at 2-under overall, tied for 14th and one of just 21 golfers shooting under par overall. Pak shot a 1-under 70 on Monday.
Outside of the four counting scores, freshman Calvin Sierota collected a 4-over 75, while
individual player Parker Reddig improved with a 5-over 76.
March 5, 2019
LOS CABOS, Mexico – The 27th-ranked Florida State Men’s Golf team finished in eighth place after Tuesday’s final round at the Cabo Collegiate at Querencia.
The Seminoles shot 16-over for the tournament (297-274-297), unable to capitalize off their tremendous showing in Monday’s second round. Sophomore John Pak was able to finish well, tying for seventh at 4-under overall as he ended his tournament stay with a 2-under 69 on Tuesday.
Pak recorded four birdies in the final round, including consecutive birdies on the 14th and 15th holes that were a par 3 and 5, respectively.
Junior Jamie Li shot an even-par 71 on Tuesday and tied for 18th at the tournament at even par. Li led the Seminoles with five birdies in the final round.
Senior Bennett Baker, coming off an outstanding 5-under 66 on Monday, tied for 36th overall at 8-over. The Tallahassee native shot a 7-over 78 on Tuesday.
Senior Corey Carlson (+12), freshman Calvin Sierota (+21) and sophomore individual Parker Reddig (+25) rounded out the scores for the Seminoles.
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== John Pak 7t 70 70 69 209 Jamie Li 18t 73 69 71 213 Bennett Baker 36t 77 66 78 221 Corey Carlson 50 77 69 79 225 Calvin Sierota 61t 80 75 79 234 Parker Reddig * 66 86 76 76 238
Men’s Golf Off to Good Start at The Valspar.
The Seminoles are tied for the opening-round lead at 6-under in one of collegiate golf’s most
competitive fields.
PALM CITY, Fla. (Seminoles.com) – The Florida State Men’s Golf team is off to a solid start at the Valspar Collegiate Invitational, tying for the lead at 6-under through the first round held at Floridian National Golf Club.
Sophomore John Pak has led the way once again, tied for second overall at 5-under after shooting a first-round 66. The Scotch Plains, N.J., native and Haskins Award Watch List member registered seven birdies in his opening round, tying for the second-most birdies in the field.
The Seminoles are tied with South Carolina and fellow ACC school Wake Forest for the team lead. Oklahoma State (-5) and Auburn (-3) are in the top five, with all five schools being the only programs under par.
Freshman Calvin Sierota continues to provide big rounds for Florida State, shooting a 2-under 69 to tie for 13th. It is Sierota’s third career round in the 60s, bolstered by his seventh-hole eagle on the par-5, 575-yarder. Sierota added three additional birdies to highlight a key round for the Seminoles.
Senior Corey Carlson is tied for 23rd at even par, shooting a 71 that included three consecutive birdies from the fifth to seventh holes. He tacked on another birdie on the par-4, 455-yard 14th hole.
Junior Jamie Li added a 1-over 72 to tie for 30th, while individual Jonathan Keppler shot a 3-over 74. Alberto Martinez shot a
4-over 75.
PALM CITY, Fla. – Sophomore John Pak garnered another Top-2 finish, placing second at the Valspar Collegiate Invitational while Florida State Men’s Golf tied for ninth on Monday at Floridian National Golf Club.
Pak opened the day with a second-round 69, but followed with a final-round 65 that included seven more birdies. The Scotch Plains, N.J., native led the field with 20 birdies over his three rounds, and was at his best on par 3 holes as he recorded a scoring average of 2.87.
The second and third rounds were squeezed into Monday due to the threat of inclement weather on Tuesday. For Pak, he has now finished second or first in four of his eight tournaments played this year.
The Seminoles ended the Valspar Collegiate Invitational shooting 4-under (278-280-290), which included a 6-over 290 in the final round. Wake Forest (-25) won the tournament, while Oklahoma State’s Matthew Wolff finished first at 14-under.
Freshman Calvin Sierota tied for 31st at even-par, carding a second-round 66 but following with a final-round 78. In his tremendous second round, he had two instances where he recorded three consecutive birdies and a shot 32 on the back nine.
Freshman Alberto Martinez came back strong on Monday, tying for 55th at 7-over. He shot an even 71 in the second round before finishing with a 3-over 74 in the final round.
Jamie Li tied for 61st at 8-over, while Corey Carlson shot 9-over and Jonathan Keppler finished 14-over.
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== John Pak 2 66 69 65 200 Calvin Sierota 31t 69 66 78 213 Alberto Martinez 55t 75 71 74 220 Jamie Li 61t 72 74 75 221 Corey Carlson 63t 71 75 76 222 Jonathan Keppler 76 74 71 82 227
Seminoles in Second at Irish Creek.
Sophomore John Pak (-6) and junior Jamie Li (-4) lead Florida State Men’s Golf through the first two rounds in
Kannapolis, N.C.
April 6, 2019
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – It was a good first day for the Florida State Men’s Golf Team at the Irish Creek Intercollegiate. The Seminoles are one stroke off the lead in second place after shooting 10-under through the first two rounds (276-282).
Sophomore John Pak carded a pair of 3-under 68s on the par-71 golf course, sitting in second place among the 96 competing golfers at 6-under. UNC Greensboro’s Bryce Hendrix leads the field after shooting 11-under with a first-round 66 and a second-round 65.
Junior Jamie Li also had a strong couple of rounds, shooting an opening-round 68 followed by a second-round 70 to tie for third at 4-under. Li’s 68 is tied for his lowest in the spring season, when he also shot a 68 at the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate.
In Pak’s opening round, he had a back-nine stretch where he recorded four consecutive birdies on holes 11-14. In the second round, he nearly duplicated that feat by recording three straight birdies on holes 11-13 before ending the streak with a par on the par-5, 584-yard 14th hole.
Pak’s 12 birdies through the first two rounds tie Hendrix for the most among all golfers.
UNCG leads Florida State by one stroke at 11-under. The top 5 also include East Carolina in third (-7), Davidson in fourth (-5) and Ohio State (-1) in the fifth.
Li tacked on eight birdies on Saturday, including five in the first round. If he can continue his momentum on Sunday, there’s a chance he and Pak could give FSU its first tournament with two Top-5 finishers this year.
Freshman Calvin Sierota had a respectable first two rounds, carding a 1-over (72-71) to tie for 29th. Individual Bennett Baker is tied for 37th at 2-over (73-71), while junior Greyson Porter is tied for 49th at 3-over (72-73).
Redshirt junior Jonathan Keppler is tied for 65th at 6-over.
April 7, 2019
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – The Florida State Men’s Golf team ended its final regular-season tournament in fourth place, shooting a final-round 288 to finish at 6-under overall on Sunday at The Irish Creek Intercollegiate.
The Seminoles shot six strokes higher than their second-round showing on Saturday, beginning the day in second place. UNC Greensboro ran away with the tournament, finishing 18-under, followed by Ohio State (-10), Kansas (-9), FSU and Davidson (-4).
It is Florida State’s fifth Top 5 finish this year, and its first since coming in second at the Seminole Intercollegiate on Feb. 24 at Golden Eagle Country Club.
John Pak finished as the tournament runner-up, shooting his third consecutive 68 to end at 9-under at Irish Creek. After carding one birdie on the front nine, the beginning of the back nine was kind to him once again as he birdied holes 10 and 11 as well as 13 and 14. His only blemish was finishing with bogeys on holes 17 and 18.
Pak’s second-place showing is his fifth Top-2 finish this year, including his second straight. In FSU’s previous tournament at the Valspar Collegiate Invitational, Pak shot 13-under for second place.
Jamie Li recorded his second Top-10 finish of the season, tying for 10th at 3-under. He ended the tournament with a 1-over 72 in the final round, which included three birdies on Sunday. Li’s best finish this season is tying for sixth at the Seminole Intercollegiate.
Bennett Baker, who played as an individual, tied for 34th at 2-over. He shot an even-par 71 in the final round, including a 1-under 35 on the back nine with a birdie on the par-5 13th hole.
Freshman Calvin Sierota tied for 45th at 4-over, while Greyson Porter tied for 55th (+6) and Jonathan Keppler (+10) placed 73rd.
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== John Pak 2 68 68 68 204 Jamie Li 10t 68 70 72 210 Bennett Baker * 34t 73 71 71 215 Calvin Sierota 45t 72 71 74 217 Greyson Porter 55t 72 73 74 219 Jonathan Keppler 73 68 80 75 223
Seminoles Shine Through First Two Rounds at ACC Championship.
John Pak and Jamie Li help put Florida State Men’s Golf into a tie for second place
with one round remaining on Saturday.
April 18, 2019
NEW LONDON, N.C. (Seminoles.com) – The 25th-ranked Florida State Men’s Golf team strung together two solid rounds to put itself in contention at one of the most competitive conference tournaments in the country in the ACC Championship.
The Seminoles shot 13-under (278-285) to sit tied in second place at Old North State Club in New London, N.C. Tournament leader and eighth-ranked Georgia Tech (-30) leads by 17 strokes entering Saturday’s final round.
Florida State is tied with No. 9 Duke and Virginia for second place.
The updated ACC Championship schedule includes no play on Friday due to forecasted inclement weather in the New London area. Saturday’s final round will begin at 8:30 a.m.
“I’m really proud of the guys for the way we came out today and competed,” FSU head coach Trey Jones said. “We talked about doing the small things – getting the ball up and down, recovering from bad shots, and they did exactly that. All day long, they gave us everything they had.
“John (Pak) and Jamie (Li) had great days, but it was truly a team effort today. Looking forward to Saturday to see if we can get ourselves back into the tournament.”
Pak carded a pair of 67s in each round and is second overall at 10-under. He has the second-most birdies in the field with 13, and is tied for the lowest par 3 scoring average at -3 (2.63) among all players.
Li is tied for 17th overall at 2-under (72-70), Florida State’s other golfer shooting under par. His second-round 70 included three consecutive birdies to begin the round on holes 10-12, and he finished his back-nine by shooting an even-par 36.
Florida State’s final hole of the day, the par-4, 452-yard ninth hole, gave it problems. Four of the five Seminoles bogeyed the final hole, losing a little momentum after Pak and Li birdied the previous eighth hole in the second round.
“Unfortunately, we had a couple big misses that cost us coming down the stretch,” Jones added. “But all in all, I’m really proud of them for coming out and competing in this ACC Championship against great teams. It shows how much better we are now than we were earlier in the year, and it shows the potential we have in front of us.”
Senior Bennett Baker had a good performance too. His second-round 73 was needed when FSU’s counting scores began to tail off on the back end. Baker nailed an eagle on a par 5 on hole 4 to help push FSU up the leaderboard. Baker is tied for 25th overall at even par, carding a 1-under 71 in the first round.
Carlson proved to be instrumental in helping Florida State get off to a good start in the opening round. He shot a 4-under 68 through the first 18 holes, starting out with a 33 on the back nine that included three birdies. Carlson had just one bogey in the round and was a crucial counting score to help the Seminoles stay atop the leaderboard early.
Pak sat in second place through the first round, leading FSU early with a 5-under 67, which was his 13th round in the 60s this year. Pak registered six birdies in his opening round, including consecutive ones on holes 7 and 8 to help end his round in style.
Freshman Calvin Sierota finished his two rounds at 6-over, currently tied for 53rd.
April 20, 2019
NEW LONDON, N.C. (Seminoles.com) – John Pak has achieved yet another monumental feat.
Going through arguably the great single year by an FSU golfer ever, he added to his lore by winning an ACC title after shooting 13-under overall (67-67-69) at the ACC Championship held at Old North State Club in New London, N.C.
Pak sunk about a two-foot putt on the par-5 18th hole to seal his individual championship, becoming the second Seminole to win an ACC title. He joins FSU Golf Alum Jonas Blixt in the esteemed category, as Blixt was the individual champion of the conference in 2007.
“We told him to play the golf course, because there’s so many good players in this field,” FSU head coach Trey Jones told the ACC Network Extra crew afterward. “All he could do was control where he was, and he went out and hit every fairway and every green.”
As a team, the Seminoles tied for fourth at 12-under (278-285-289), playing on a very windy day which made for a difficult course to attack. But the day belonged to Pak, who entered Saturday’s final round in second place behind tournament leader Andy Ogletree of Georgia Tech.
But Ogletree wound up shooting a 1-over 73, while Pak capitalized with a 3-under 69. The native of Scotch Plains, N.J., now has 10 consecutive rounds in the 60s. Over half of his 29 rounds (15 of 29) have been shot in the 60s.
“He plays to win and he attacks all day long,” Jones added. “He’s not timid or cautious at all. There wasn’t any ‘Can I miss it right? Can I miss it left?’ He’s on a run right now where he’s playing good every tournament that he’s in.”
Pak edged Ogletree (-12) by one stroke, followed by Bryson Nimmer of Clemson (-11), David Morgan of Virginia (-10) and Thomas Walsh of Virginia (-9). Georgia Tech would go on to win the team title handily at 37-under.
Pak only had one bogey in his final round, and it came on 434-yard par 4 hole on the 15th. Clinging to just a one-shot lead, he turned around and birdied the 16th hole – a par 4, 427-yarder, which proved to be his biggest hole of the tournament.
Pak would then par each of the remaining two holes to close out the ACC Championship. Despite internalizing his excitement after sinking his short putt, his teammates chose to go the celebratory route with several hugs and high fives as he walked off the hole.
Junior Jamie Li shot a final-round 74 and tied for 27th at even-par for the championship. Seniors Bennett Baker (T29, +1) and Corey Carlson (T47, +7) closed out their final appearances at the ACC Championship. Freshman Calvin Sierota shot 7-over and tied for 47th.
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== John Pak 1 67 67 69 203 Jamie Li 27t 72 70 74 216 Bennett Baker 29t 71 73 73 217 Calvin Sierota 47t 75 75 73 223 Corey Carlson 47t 68 78 77 223
Experience Pays Off in NCAA First Round.
Senior Corey Carlson (-2) and junior Jamie Li (-2) help Mens Golf to a tie for third.
May 13, 2019
by Steve Stone
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Two of Florida State Men’s Golf’s most experienced student-athletes in Corey Carlson and Jamie Li helped weather the storm that was the first round of the NCAA Myrtle Beach Regional held at TPC Myrtle Beach.
Carlson, a senior, shot a 2-under 70 to help the Seminoles tie for third place through the first day of NCAA Regional play. Li, now in his junior season, also stepped up with a 2-under 70 as both golfers are tied for eighth overall.
Fifth-seeded Florida State shot a 2-under 286 on the day and is tied with top-seeded Wake Forest for third place. Both teams sit seven strokes behind fourth-seeded Illinois (-9) for first, and are just two strokes behind eighth-seeded Ohio State (-4).
“I’m really proud of the way the guys came out and competed early today,” FSU head coach Trey Jones said. “That’s always a concern when you get to a regional and you haven’t played in a competitive situation in close to a month.”
With Haskins Award Finalist John Pak breaking his streak of 10 consecutive rounds in the 60s, the performances by Carlson and Li were especially important.
“For Corey, being a senior, to go out and get 2-under – even 3-under late in the round – he’s in a good spot right now,” Jones said. “Jamie Li had it at 4-under for much of the day but bogeyed the last two holes. He’s still playing well and getting better and better.”
Li led the way for much of the day, firing a back-nine 34 to begin his day before finishing with 36 on the front nine. The England native finished with consecutive bogeys on the eighth and ninth holes, but his daylong effort was not dampened, as he was a critical part of FSU climbing atop the leaderboard.
Carlson used four birdies to his advantage on Monday and had just two bogeys. He had identical scores of 34 and 36 on the back nine and front nine compared to Li, respectively. The ninth hole, which is a tricky par-4, 472-yarder, resulted in four bogeys by FSU’s five golfers (only Bennett Baker recorded a par on the hole).
Carlson shot 3-under collectively on the course’s four par-5 holes, which is tied for the second lowest par 5 scoring in the field.
The bounce-back effort by freshman Calvin Sierota was one of the most important turning points of the day. Teeing off the 10th hole, Sierota was 2-under through his first eight holes until a quadruple bogey on the par-5, 538-yard 18th hole could have derailed his round. However, he followed with a 34 on the front nine which included four birdies on his remaining nine holes played.
“I was playing great but had one bad swing,” Sierota said. “I just had to keep doing what I was doing and stay in the moment. I didn’t have to react to making that score because I knew good holes were going to come.”
Sierota is tied for 20th after shooting an even-par 72. He was 2-under in his par 4 scoring, tied for the second-lowest among all the golfers.
Pak shot a 2-over 74 on Monday, which tied for his second-highest round of the year and his highest in the spring. The Top 10 golfer registered two birdies on the day and had a clean back nine, shooting a 35 to begin the round. Senior Bennett Baker matched Pak’s score with a 2-over 74.
Only 19 of the 75 competing golfers shot under par at TPC Myrtle Beach, with Illinois’ Adrien Dumont de Chassart leading the field at 5-under.
“We’re
in a good spot, but in this situation we know that we’re going to have to play two really good team rounds of golf,” Jones added. “We need five scores in it each day, and it’s going to take really
good golf moving forward.”
May 14, 2019
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Junior Jamie Li is playing some of the best golf of his career this NCAA post-season. His 2-under 70 showing on Tuesday and his 4-under (70-70) performance through two rounds at the NCAA Myrtle Beach Regional has been sorely needed by Florida State Men’s Golf.
The fifth-seeded Seminoles dropped back five spots in Tuesday’s second round, shooting a 4-over 292 after carding a score of 2-under (286) on Monday. Florida State is in eighth place in the regional, but sits just four shots out of a coveted Top 5 spot needed to advance to next week’s NCAA Championship in Fayetteville, Ark.
Ohio State leads at 11-under, followed by Wake Forest (-9) and Illinois (-9), UNLV (-4) and California (-2) in the Top five. Just outside is sixth-place Texas Tech (+1) and Oregon (+1) and Florida State (+2).
“We had a really rough start to the day with playing the first hole at seven over par,” FSU head coach Trey Jones said. “We got hit in the face right out of the gate. Simple par 4, downhill, downwind with the lake in front of the green and the air was actually pushing the ball down. We had a couple balls that the players thought were hit pretty well that just did not turn out so well for them. Outside of that, we played an OK round of golf.”
Li’s crucial round has him tied for seventh overall. Teeing off from the 10th hole once again, which he parred, he had two early birdies on the back nine but finished with a bogey on the par-5, 538-yard 18th hole.
Li would add three more birdies on the front nine. Over his final five holes, he recorded his three birdies with a couple bogeys sandwiched in. Of his four par 3 holes played, he recorded two birdies and went 1-under on the course’s short holes – tied for the third lowest par 3 scoring in the field.
“Jamie Li is playing as good as he has all year,” Jones added. “Corey (Carlson) has played solid. Calvin, for being four over par after one and shooting four over, showed a lot of guts. But we just have to do a little better than that.”
Carlson has been the other steady presence for the Seminoles, carding a 1-over 73 in the second round. He is 16th in the field at 1-under (70-73), totaling three birdies on the day. Another strong round will be needed from the senior on Wednesday if Florida State hopes to advance.
Sophomore John Pak shaved a stroke off his score from Monday, shooting a 1-over 73. He is looking to gain some momentum heading into Wednesday’s final round after making birdie on the difficult ninth hole that is a long par 4 at 472 yards. Pak was one of three Seminoles who struggled a bit on the opening 10th hole with a double bogey, but responded with a good round.
Freshman Calvin Sierota carded a 4-over 76. Once again, he came back from an early quadruple bogey on the 10th hole and wound up shooting even-par the rest of the way.
Senior Bennett Baker totaled an 8-over 80 on Tuesday.
“The important thing is we still have a chance to do what one of our goals is, and that’s to qualify for the finals,” Jones said. “This team has fought all year along. They have come from behind to win golf tournaments. They have come from behind after bad rounds and bounced back.
“I’m confident they will go to the tee in the morning believing they will play a good round of golf. A really good
round of golf will advance us, but anything other than that and we will struggle. I look forward to going to the tee with these guys in the morning.”
May 15, 2019
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Led by junior Jamie Li’s marksmanship on Wednesday, the fifth-seeded Florida State Men’s Golf team put together a tremendous performance by shooting 9-under in the final round of the Myrtle Beach Regional at TPC Myrtle Beach.
However, Florida State’s 7-under overall score (286-292-279) fell one stroke shy of being in the Top five needed to advance to next week’s NCAA Championship. Valiant until the very end, it marks the second straight year that the Seminoles have missed the NCAA Championship by one stroke.
“All Seminoles should be proud of this golf team,” FSU head coach Trey Jones said afterward. “The way we carried ourselves, the work ethic, the culture we have is something to be proud of as a coach, as well as all of us associated with the program. To come up close to reaching the finals definitely hurts, but knowing what these guys did and the sacrifices they made… Some challenges they had this year and overcoming them, and not making excuses about anything we didn’t have, was a tribute to this entire golf team.”
“I’m really honored to be their coach, and to be someone who had an opportunity to coach them.”
Junior Jamie Li strung together the best round of his Seminole career, shooting a 7-under 65 and finishing third overall at 11-under (70-70-65). Li’s 65 is the lowest by a Seminole in NCAA post-season play since Michael Hebert shot a 64 in the final round of the 2010 Central Regional. It ties for the second-lowest round in FSU NCAA post-season history.
In many circumstances, Li’s third-place finish would have qualified him as an individual for the NCAA Championship. In the men’s golf game, only the top player from each regional whose team did not qualify advances to the final. Oregon’s Edwin Yi, who placed second at 14-under, qualified for the final because his team finished outside the Top-5 threshold in seventh place.
The Bath, England, native carried the Seminoles all week and caught fire in Wednesday’s final round. After shooting 35 on the front nine (holes 1-9 on Wednesday), Li registered six birdies over his final nine holes to mark a 30 on the back nine. He began the stretch with three consecutive birdies on holes 10-12, and finished the tournament with a birdie on the par-5 18th.
“Hats off to Jamie Li for playing a great tournament – a final-round 65 to give us an opportunity,” Jones added. “Greyson Porter had a horrific hole on his third hole of the day and coming in as a substitute, and to make six birdies after that is a huge testimony to who he is as a person and the fighter and competitor that he is.”
Li led all golfers in par 4 scoring over his three rounds played, with an average score of 3.77. He shot 7-under collectively on the par 4 holes.
But as Li wrapped up his final hole to solidify FSU’s final score, fifth-place UNLV sealed its Top 5 finish. Illinois won the regional at 25-under, followed by Ohio State (-20), Wake Forest (-15) and California (-14).
Li’s previous low this year was a 67 he shot at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invite from Oct. 19-21. His 65 ties for the second-lowest round by a Seminole this spring season.
Junior Greyson Porter ended his season on a high note, shooting a 3-under 69 in a fill-in role on Wednesday. His lone blemish was a quadruple bogey at the third hole, but his strong finish, which included seven birdies in the round helped give the Seminoles a fighting chance.
Senior Corey Carlson ended his career by tying for 27th at 1-over, shooting a final-round 74. Freshman Calvin Sierota tied for 35th and shot an even-par 72 on Wednesday, nabbing two birdies in the final four holes to keep FSU within striking distance of UNLV to the very end.
“Calvin learned a lot this year, and he’ll take what he learned into summer,” Jones said. “The player that Calvin was when he arrived in August to who he is now is not even close.”
Sophomore John Pak shot 4-over for the tournament to tie for 35th. He finished the final round with three straight birdies to aid FSU’s close finish. Pak’s season-ending scoring average of 69.56 is the lowest in FSU Men’s Golf single-season history, punctuating arguably the greatest year by a Seminole.
“John didn’t have a great week but he had arguably the best season of anyone we coached. This is team golf and we have to pick each other up and look out for each other, and John did not play like he wanted to play this week and he’ll learn from that as well,” Jones added.
Wednesday’s finish also concludes the careers of seniors Bennett Baker and Carlson. Both student-athletes were part of big moments over their four years that have helped Florida State Men’s Golf stay among the premier programs in the country.
“Our seniors were phenomenal all season, from being the first ones to practice to always wanting to know how they could help the team,” Jones said. “They’re great Seminoles and we know they’ll do well, and we look forward to watching their success.”
Name Place Rnd1 Rnd2 Rnd3 Total ========================= ===== ==== ==== ==== ===== Jamie Li 3 70 70 65 205 Corey Carlson 27t 70 73 74 217 Calvin Sierota 35t 72 76 72 220 John Pak 35t 74 73 73 220 Greyson Porter -- 69 69 Bennett Baker -- 74 80 154