Peaper leads Hoosiers to Wexford Plantation crown

The IU men’s golf team left Hilton Head, S.C., and the Wexford Plantation Golf Course on Tuesday with more hardware than the team has won all season.

Led by sophomore Brant Peaper, the team ended with a three-round total of 877, as the Hoosiers won by 12 shots against runner-up William & Mary.

The team managed to continue its streak of three stroke-play tournament wins, and Peaper took home medalist honors as well, the first Hoosier to do so this year.

IU entered the final round Tuesday just two strokes behind then-tournament leader William & Mary (587). The Hoosiers started off strong Monday with a team total of 289 in the first 18 holes but failed to keep their momentum going in the afternoon play, shooting 300 as a team and 589 for the day.

“We got off to a really good start yesterday and had a little bit of a letdown in the afternoon, but it’s great to come out today and get the job done,” IU coach Mike Mayer said in a press release.

But every Hoosier finished strong in the final round Tuesday, posting all five individual scores under 75, led by Peaper, who shot a 2-under 70 in his final round to take the individual title. He finished the tournament with 13 birdies, a tournament high, en route to a seven-shot victory which was his first individual title as a Hoosier.

Junior Chase Wright followed Peaper, tying for fourth with a final round of 73 and a three-round total of 221.  Junior David Erdy also cracked the top 10, finishing with an even-par round of 72 to end up in eighth place with 223.

Freshman David Mills rebounded after a second round-80 to finish with a 73 Tuesday to tie him for 14th.

The No. 34 Hoosiers, according to Golfstat.com, will now take a month off from competition until the National Invitational Tournament in Tucson, Ariz, March 21-22.