LUTZ, Fla. – Erasing an eight-shot deficit, winning the first tournament of the year and winning your tournament is exactly what the No. 9 Saint Leo men's golf team had in store when the Lions stormed back to overtake No. 6 Nova Southeastern over the final 18 holes of the Griffin Invitational.
 
Saint Leo shot a 286 (+2) , the best team round of the tournament, to go on for the two-stroke win over the Sharks where the Lions finished at 885 (+33), just ahead of Nova Southeastern at 887 (+35). The win for the Lions is the first title since the 2016 National Championship when the Green and Gold defeated Chico State for the national title. The last tournament title outside of the NCAA Championships, was that same year when the Lions won the Matlock Collegiate and the Guy Harvey Shark Invitational. 

"It's always nice to start the year with a win," Head Coach Chris Greenwood mentioned after the win. "It means a lot to all of us to honor Griffin by hosting the tournament. It is even more special to win the trophy bearing his name."
 
Alberto Castagnara paced the Green and Gold with a third place finish at 217 (+4), but it was Simon Knutsson who made the headway for the Lions climbing 17 spots after ripping off a five-under 66 to sit in sixth at 219 (+6).
 
Dave Longhini turned in a two-over 73 for the final 18 where he finished with a 225 (+12) good enough for 19th place. Oliver Lilliedahl carded a three-over 74 Tuesday for a three round total of 226 (+13) to tie for 20th where Nilo Sanchez rounded out the starting five in 37th at 236 (+23)
 
Bas Vermeulen tied for 14th as an individual at 10-over for the tournament, 223, where Shane Reynolds tied Sanchez at 236 (+23). Alex Bond closed out the Lions' players tied for 41st at 237 (+24).
 
Juan Jose Guerra, of Nova Southeastern, won the medalist honors after carding a six-under 65 Tuesday to finish at one-under 212 for the tournament.
 
Saint Leo returns to action on Oct. 8-9 when the Green and Gold travel to Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. to take on the field at PGA National at the GolfRank Invitational, hosted by Nova Southeastern.
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo men's golf team, visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
  About Griffin Clark (1995-2016)
On July 4th, 2016, Griffin Clark passed away in a car accident just miles away from his home in Virginia. He was 21-years-old and at what seemed to be the peak of his life, only to have it cut short. Clark was a redshirt sophomore on the men's golf team where he helped the Lions win the first ever-national championship by a team in school history in Denver, Colo., accomplishing his stated career goal of winning a national champion. Clark's winning matchup against Chico State's Kelley Sullivan sealed the victory for the Green and Gold, handing the team and University its first national title in any sport.