James Byrne slips from first

to 4th on last day at Sawgrass

Banchory's James Byrne let the chance of a first victory on the United States college circuit slide away from him over the final round of the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational at Sawgrass Country Club, Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida today.
Byrne, 20, led with a first-round 68, shared the lead after a second round 73 and dropped down to a final placing of fourth in a field of 84 with a disappointing last-day effort of five-over-par 77 over the 6955yd, par-72 course for a total of two-over 218.
Byrne never really recovered from a morale-sapping double bogey 6 at the second even though he did birdie the long fourth. Bogeys followed at the sixth and seventh before he gained his second and final birdie of the day, at the long eighth, to be out in two-over 38.
On the inward half, Byrne could not get a single birdie and had bogeys at the 11th, 12th and 14th for 39 home.
The Scot finished four shots behind the winner John Peterson (Louisiana State) who had the best final round of 70 for 214.
Although in the end it was a disappointing finish for James Byrne he was still the leading Arizona State player and he still finished three shots ahed of Newcastle's Chris Paisley (Tennessee) who is in the GB&I Walker Cup squad.
Louisiana State not only provided the individual winner they also won the team title by the commannding margin of 28 shots from runners-up Arizona State with Georgia Southern third and Georgia State foufrth. Tennessee were fifth.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 216 (3 x 72)

214 John Peterson (Louisiana State) 71 73 70.
216 Zack Byrd (Coastal Carolina) 71 70 75, Hunter Hamrick (Alabama) 72 72 72, Andrew Loupe (Louisiana State) 73 70 73.
218 James Byrne (Arizona State) 68 73 77.
Selected scores:

221 Chris Paisley (Tennessee) 73 77 71 (jt 9th).
225 Darren Renwick (Tennessee) 75 76 74, Tom Sherreard (Georgia State) 75 77 73 ( (jt 13th).
232 Cathal O'Malley (Alabama) 78 79 75 (jt 48th).
Field of 84 players.
LEADING TEAM TOTALS

865 Louisiana State. 893 Arizona State. 895 Georgia Southern. 900 Georgia State. 901 Tennessee. 905 Alabama. 15 teams took part.