USF Athletics

USF Opens 2021 Spring Season at Timaquana Collegiate

January 24, 2021

TAMPA (Jan. 24, 2021) – It's been a long time coming but, finally, the University of South Florida men's golf team returns to its happy place to begin its 2021 spring season.
 
The Bulls will hit the fairway on Monday, Jan. 25, and Tuesday, Jan. 26 for the season-opening Timaquana Collegiate at the Timaquana Country Club (Par 72, 6,859 yards) in Jacksonville. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing the cancellation of their 2020 spring schedule, USF hasn't played in a competitive event since winning The Challenge at Concession, at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, March 9-10.   
 
The Timaquana Collegiate marks the first of back-to-back events for the Bulls to open 2021, as USF will head to the Thomas Sharkey Georgia Southern Individual Collegiate next weekend.
 
TOURNAMENT DETAILS
Event: Timaquana Collegiate
Dates: Monday, Jan. 25 (36 holes) – Tuesday, Tuesday 26 (18 holes)
Schedule: 7:45 a.m. shotgun start on Monday, 8:05 a.m. on Tuesday
Location: Timaquana Country Club, Jacksonville, Fla.
Course Information: Par 72, 6,859 yards
Follow: Live scoring | Twitter: @USFMGolf
 
THE FIELD
In addition to the Bulls, the field features USF, UCF, Florida, Florida State, Virginia, Liberty, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame and Purdue, along with hosts North Florida and Jacksonville.
 
THE LINEUP

• Sam Nicholson (Atlantic Beach, Fla.) – During the 2019-20 campaign, Nicholson registered a 74.48 season scoring average through 21 rounds ... Collected two top-25 finishes, opening the spring with a tie for 16th place at the Georgia Southern Individual Collegiate (Feb. 3) and tying for 19th at the Fort Lauderdale Intercollegiate (March 3) ... Was in the lineup for three events, including co-host USF's 13-shot, wire-to-wire win at The Challenge at Concession to wrap up the spring on March 10. 
   
• Luke Gifford (Boca Raton, Fla.) – Was tabbed a Division I PING All-Southeast Region Team selection at the conclusion of the spring 2020 season ... Finished the season as the team leader in scoring average (71.04), rounds of par or better (15), top-10 finishes (6) and tied for the lead with seven top-25 performances in eight events ... Placed inside the top five four times overall and wrapped up the shortened spring season with consecutive third-place showings at the Fort Lauderdale Intercollegiate (March 3) and The Challenge at Concession (March 10) ... His performance at The Challenge at Concession helped USF post a 13-shot, wire-to-wire in in its final event of the spring ... Carded eight rounds in the 60s, including three in nine spring rounds.
   
• Albin Bergstrom (Ljunghusen, Sweden) – Was a Division I PING All-Southeast Region Team selection following the spring 2020 campaign ... Finished the season ranking second on the team in season scoring average (71.58), rounds of par or better (12), and top-10 finishes (5) ... Tied for the team lead with seven top-25 performances in eight-team events ... Earned runner-up honors at The Challenge at Concession with a 4-under 220 to help USF post a 13-shot, wire-to-wire win ... Started the spring with a tie for 24th place at the Florida Gators Invitational (Feb. 16) and tied for eighth at the Fort Lauderdale Intercollegiate (March 3)... Was in the lineup for all 24 of the team's rounds last spring.
   
• Massimo Mbetse (Bradenton, Fla.) – Ranked fifth on the team in season scoring average (74.29) and tied for third in rounds of par or better (8) ... Posted one top-10 finish and put together four top-25 performances ... Best finish of the spring was a tie for 13th place at the Georgia Southern Individual Collegiate (Feb. 3) ... Wrapped up the spring season with consecutive top-25 finishes, tying for 19th at the Fort Lauderdale Intercollegiate (March 3) and tying for 21st at The Challenge at Concession (March 10) ... One of three Bulls to compete in 24 total rounds last spring.
   
• Kyle Flexsenhar (Lake Mary, Fla.) – Finished the spring 2020 season ranking third on the team in scoring average (73.05, tied with Run Youprayong), top-10 finishes (2), and top-25 performances (4) ... Opened the spring with a tie for 25th place at the Georgia Southern Individual Collegiate (Feb. 3) ... Tied for ninth at The Challenge at The Concession (March 10) to help co-host USF finish the spring with a 13-shot, wire-to-wire win ... Qualified for the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada.

INDIVIDUALS

• Luc Breuer (Aachen, Germany) – The Timaquana Collegiate marks his first collegiate tournament ... Two-time German championship winner in his age group (2016-17) ... Nominated to represent Team Europe at the Asia-Pacific Junior Championship in Hong Kong ... Placed third at the European Young Masters in Norway in 2018 after carding the lowest round at the event (7-under) ... Placed second at the Austrian Junior International Championship (U21) in 2019.
   
• Runchanapong Youprayong (Bangkok, Thailand) – Tied for third on the team with a 73.05 season scoring average while competing in 21 total rounds during the spring of 2020 ... Tied for second on the squad with eight rounds of par or better ... Collected three top-25 finishes ... Placed in the top 25 in two of three team spring events, tying for 18th at the Florida Gators Invitational (Feb. 16) and tying for 24th at The Challenge at Concession (March 10) to help co-host USF finish the spring with a 13-shot, wire-to-wire win.

QUOTABLE
Head coach Steve Bradley's thoughts heading into the Bulls' spring opener …
"We are thankful to be competing again. We appreciate the hard work of our sports medicine staff and administration to make this happen. Obviously, we are excited to kick off the season.  I'm looking forward to watching us compete against a very good field."
 
UP NEXT FOR USF
Following the Timaquana Collegiate, USF will hit the course again at the Thomas Sharkey Georgia Southern Individual Collegiate, at the Georgia Southern University Golf Course in Statesboro, Ga., Sunday, Jan 31-Monday, February 1.
 
About USF Men's Golf
USF men's golf captured four consecutive American Athletic Conference Championship titles in wire-to-wire fashion prior to 2019 and has earned seven straight trips to NCAA Regionals. The program is led by Steve Bradley, who has been named American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year four times. Follow @USFMGolf on Twitter for the latest information concerning the program.