LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL – CHAMPIONS!!! The Iona College men's golf program has won its third straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship! The Gaels overcame a three-stroke deficit in a weather-shortened third round at Disney's Magnolia Golf Course to earn their seventh league championship in program history.
 
Due to over a two-hour weather delay, the final round of the 2021 MAAC Championship was shortened to just nine holes. Playing the back nine, Iona pushed the gas early and got themselves in the driver's seat as the final holes unfolded. Oisin Devereux, walking along side head coach Sean Burke, closed out the championship for the Maroon & Gold and secured a third straight trophy raising campaign.

ROUND RECAP

William Fleck was the first out on the course for Iona and the sophomore set the tone shooting a two-under 34 (-2). He had birdies on the 11^th, 13^th and 15^th hole before bogeying the par four, 420-yard 18^th. Fleck saved his best nine-hole stretch for the final round of the MAAC Championship; his previous lows were a pair of 38 (+4)  scores on day one.
 
Kritsarin Oukosavanna shot even through the first four holes on Sunday but a triple-bogey on the 585-yard, par five 14^th hole derailed a steady round. He finished his final four holes in plus-two for a third-round total of 41 (+5).
 
Justin Burkhamer ensured himself another All-MAAC honor with a smooth nine holes. The two-time MAAC Player of the Week this year had one bogey and eight pars over the back nine at Magnolia Golf Course.
 
Garrett Giles teed off in the penultimate spot for the Maroon & Gold. After shooting even par though his first two days, Giles shot a 40 (+4) on Sunday with two bogeys and a double bogey. The rookie eased his nerves and shot even par over the final four holes.
 
For the second straight MAAC Championship, Devereux finished second on the individual leaderboard and was the anchor for the Maroon & Gold lineup. He shot a bogey free 33 (-3) to close out the tournament, registering a birdie on the 12^th, 14^th and 16^th holes.

TEAM STANDINGS

 
*The third round was reduced to only nine holes due to a weather delay.

The Maroon & Gold had to overcome a three-stroke deficit to take retake first place from Fairfield. While chasing down the Stags, the Gaels also had to keep an eye in the rearview window for Rider. At one point through the final round, the Broncs held sole possession of first place.
 
In the end the Gaels earned gold, the Broncs picked up the silver and the Stags fell to bronze.

IONA INDIVIDUALS

 
*The third round was reduced to only nine holes due to a weather delay.

MAAC CHAMPIONSHIP TOP-10

 
Austin Devereux won the individual crown for Rider shooting 71 (-1), 69 (-3) and 34 (-2). He did not have a bogey over the last 20 holes he completed.
While Iona has won three straight league titles, it has also secured three straight years with a Gael as the individual runner-up. Burkhamer did so in his freshman campaign in 2018, and Devereux made it two times in a row for himself with his finish this season.

AWARDS

• Burkahmer and Devereux earn All-MAAC honors. Burkhamer is a three-time All-MAAC performer at the MAAC Championship. He finished second in 2018 as a freshman and tied for fifth at the 2019 championship. Devereux is a two-time All-MAAC performer, placing second in 2019 and 2021.
• Giles is the 2021 MAAC Rookie of the Year.  He finished this year's championship tied for 12th with a total score of 184 (+4). Giles is Iona's first Rookie of the Year since Burkhamer in 2018. GIles is the third Gael to earn MAAC Rookie in the Year; previous to Burkhamer was Paolo Matti in 2016.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• Iona ranked first among the competing teams with 45 total birdies and an average scoring of 4.13 on the par four holes.
• The Gaels ranked third in the championship in scoring on the par threes at plus-six as a team. They finished sixth in scoring on the par fives, closing out with a 4.98 stroke average. Iona was also middle of the pack with 126 team pars. It did not have an eagle of the course of the championship.
• Devereux tied with seven players for the best scoring on the par threes: all finished shooting one below par. He was tied for third in scoring on the par fours shooting one-under.
• Burkhamer tied with five others for best scoring on the par fives, scoring on a 4.60 stroke average and finish at minus-four overall.
• Devereux was number one in the championship with 12 total birdies. Oukosavanna was tied for third with 10.
• The hardest hole on Sunday was the 11^th. The par four, 399-yard challenge saw only one score below par and a 4.56 stroke average.  The easiest hole of the day, and the only one with a negative stroke average compared to par, was the 17^th. On the par-four, 420-yard hole, there were only three scores above par.

UP NEXT

The NCAA Men's Golf Championship Selection Show will take place on Wednesday, May 5 at 2 PM. The selection show will air live on the GOLF Channel.
 
Regional play for the 2021 Division I Men's Golf Championships will be held May 17-19.
 
The Sagamore Club in Noblesville, Ind., hosted by Ball State
Seminole Legacy Golf Club in Tallahassee, Fla., hosted by Florida State
Championship Course at UNM in Albuquerque, N.M., hosted by New Mexico;
Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla., hosted by Oklahoma State
Golf Club of Tennessee in Kingston Springs, Tenn., hosted by Vanderbilt
Tumble Creek Golf & Country Club in Cle Elum, Wash., hosted by Washington
 
Three of the six regional sites will have 13 teams and 10 individuals competing, while three will have 14 teams and five individuals. The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual not on an advancing team from each regional site (six individuals total) will advance to the national championships at Grayhawk.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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