LARGO, Fla. – After 54-holes of golf, Saint Leo men's golf, ranked 13^th in the nation, concluded play at the 2021 Sunshine State Conference Championship at Bayou Golf Club in Largo, Fla. in third place after shooting a final round 292 (+4) to finish at 18-over for the tournament, 882.
 
Francois Cilliers was the top golfer for the Green and Gold while he posted a top-10 finish at the tournament with a 54-hole score of 218 (+2). The Strand, Cape Town, South Africa native carded a final round 72 on the par-72 7,009-yard course. He used four birdies to equal out his one double bogey and his triple bogey on the day while draining 12 pars. For the tournament, Cilliers finished with 12 birdies, which was second individually in the field.
 
All five Saint Leo golfers finished inside the top half of the 50-player field where Oliver Lilliedahl took 18^th place at 223 (+7) following a 77 (+5) round Tuesday.
 
Jake Nash (21^st, 225), Colin Kresl (T22, 226), and Alberto Castagnara (T22, 226) rounded out the Lions in the field as Nash fired off a low round of the day of 71 (-1). Kresl added an even-par 72 while Castagnara capped off the championship with a 78.
 
As a team, the Lions sank 44 birdies, which was the second most at the tournament led by Cilliers' 12. Kresl carded 10 birdies over 54-holes with Castagnara at nine, Lilliedahl with seven and Nash with six. 
 
No. 3 Lynn took home the 2021 Championship as a team after posting a final round 289 (+1) for a three-round score of 827 (+8). The Fighting Knights were tied for the lead after round one, and in the front after two rounds while holding steady throughout the third and final. Saint Leo and Nova Southeastern got within five strokes down the stretch but Lynn pulled it back to a seven-stroke advantage.
 
The Fighting Knights' Agustin Errazuriz soared to the top after posting a two-under 70 Tuesday for a tournament score of 212 (-2) to take home the medalist honors. The two-round leader, Aadam Syed (Tampa) carded a two-over Tuesday for a second-place finish at 214 (+2).
 
Saint Leo Scores
3^rd – Saint Leo – 297-293-292 – 882 (+18)
T9 – Francois Cilliers – 75-71-72 – 218 (+2)
T19 – Oliver Lilliedahl – 73-73-77 – 223 (+7)
21 – Jake Nash – 79-75-71 – 225 (+9)
T22 – Colin Kresl – 75-79-72 – 226 (+10)
T22 – Alberto Castagnara – 74-74-78 – 226 (+10)
 
Up Next 
Saint Leo will await the committee review and rankings for the NCAA Regional which will be announced Friday, April 23 at 6 p.m. on ncaa.com.
 
For more information on the Saint Leo men's golf program, 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.

Keeping Our Lions Healthy & Safe
Saint Leo University Athletics is keeping our student-athletes healthy and safe by following a number of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes having student-athletes tested or screened on a regular basis, traveling in smaller groups, limiting the number of fans in attendance, avoiding overnight trips, and wearing masks when not competing. These safety standards meet those set by the NCAA Division II and the Sunshine State Conference President's Council. At Saint Leo University, the COVID-19 Incident Command Team also reviews the teams' safety protocol and monitors adherence on a regular basis.