Mullarney 68th as Mason Overstreet wins Patriot All-America Invitational
Ronan Mullarney and Jordan Hood, his left wrist strapped after suffering a suspected ligament tear in round one, at the 2017 Patriot All-America Invitational in Arizona
Maynooth University's Ronan Mullarney finished 68th as University of Arkansas sophomore Mason Overstreet won the 2017 Patriot All-America Invitational in Arizona.
Galway native Mullarney added a 73 to previous rounds of 75 and 74 to finish on 12-over par at The Wigwam in Litchfield Park where Overstreet closed with a six-under par 64 to finish at 11-under par 199.
The winner finished six shots ahead of Austin Eckroat of Oklahoma State, Patrick Fishburn of BYU, SM Lee from Dalton State College, George Cunningham from the University of Arizona and overnight leader Garrett May of Baylor University.
Overstreet finished second to Braden Thornberry at the NCAA Individual Golf Championships at Rich Harvest Farms in May.
Thornberry, the 2015 Patriot All-America champion and current world amateur No. 2, finished tied for 15th on level par after a closing 70.
Mason Overstreet, winner of the 2017 Patriot All-America Invitational
Overstreet, who is currently ranked 118th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, played in honour of U.S. Army Sergeant Jesse J.J. Castro who was killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle while on patrol in Hawijah, Iraq.
Each golfer playing in The Patriot All-America honours a fallen or severely injured soldier by carrying a golf bag bearing the name of that soldier.
Before the tournament, participants receive a card with the soldier’s story, so they can be familiar with who that person was, what they represented and how they were killed or wounded in action.
With his Patriot All-America victory, Overstreet receives a sponsor exemption into the Web.com Tour’s 2018 Air Capital Classic played June 21 - 24 at Crestview Country Club in Wichita, Kan.
Overstreet’s -11 under par tied Cory Whitsett of the University of Alabama in 2011 for the lowest winning score in the tournament’s seven-year history.
Past Patriot All-America champions include: Cameron Champ from Texas A&M (2016), Thornberry from the University of Mississippi (2015); Kyle Kochevar from the University of Virginia (2014), Kyle Westmoreland from the Air Force Academy (2013); Sebastian Cappelen from the University of Arkansas (2012); and Cory Whitsett from the University of Alabama (2011).
In its seventh year, The Patriot All-America Invitational featured a field of 84 PING All-America golfers from all three NCAA Divisions, NAIA and NJCAA rankings as well as from U.S. Military Academies and universities outside the United States.
Ronan Mullarney tees off during the 2017 Patriot All-America Invitational
Current PGA TOUR stars who have played in The Patriot All-America during their college careers include 2017 US Open champion Brooks Koepka (2011), 2017 PGA Championship winner and FedEx Cup champion Justin Thomas (2011), Patrick Rodgers (2011), Daniel Berger (2012) and Bryson DeChambeau (2013).
Mullarney's Maynooth University teammate Jordan Hood was forced to withdraw with suspected torn ligaments in his left hand after playing just four holes of the opening round.
Patriot All-America Invitational, The Wigwam (Par 70)
Detailed scores
1 Overstreet, Mason -11 67 68 64 199
T2 Eckroat, Austin -5 68 73 64 205
T2 Fishburn, Patrick -5 67 74 64 205
T2 Lee, S.M. -5 69 66 70 205
T2 Cunningham, George -5 66 69 70 205
T2 May, Garrett -5 65 69 71 205
T7 McCarthy, Joshua -3 70 68 69 207
T7 Walsh, Thomas -3 69 69 69 207
T9 Lee, Walker -2 72 66 70 208
T9 Schniederjans, Luke -2 67 70 71 208
Irish
68 Mullarney, Ronan Maynooth University +12 75 74 73 222
WD Hood, Jordan Maynooth University WD
