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Tate storms to New Year's Invitational victory
Kyler Tate (UCF Athletics/Twitter photo)
Kyler Tate (UCF Athletics/Twitter photo)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Jan. 6, 2018) – The lead changed hands after every round of the New Year’s Invitational, but in the end UCF senior Kyler Tate went home with the title.

Tate’s win is a product of a mad final-round birdie run that vaulted him from T-6 after 54 holes to first after 72 holes. He started with a bogey at No. 2, then went 4 under from Nos. 5-9. He also had three birdies in his final four holes to reach 5-under 67 at St. Petersburg Country Club.

Tate was T-26 at the Orlando International Amateur at the end of December. Last spring, he finished T-3 at the NCAA Southeast Regional.

At 5 under for the week, Tate clipped runner-up Sampson-yunhe Zheng by two shots. William Wann, a Mississippi State commit, was third another shot back.

Third-round leader Gordan Brixi, who entered the final round with a three-shot lead, tied for fourth with Greyson Porter, last year’s runner-up. Brixi, 16, fell to 77 on Sunday while Porter, a Florida State junior, rallied with a 71 to rise from sixth to his T-4 position.

Graysen Huff and Jordan Batchelor tied for sixth at even par.

Joe Lyons won the mid-amateur division with rounds of 73-73-69-78. Lyons was six shots ahead of Joe Alfieri.

In the senior division, Robert Bechtol won by a two-shot margin over Dennis Monahan.

Results:
1FLKyler TateWinter Garden, FL50072-69-75-67=283
2ChinaSampson ZhengChina40070-69-74-72=285
3ALWilliam WannBirmingham, AL30068-75-73-70=286
T4FLGreyson PorterClearwater, FL30070-69-77-71=287
T4MDGordan BrixiPotomac, MD30070-72-68-77=287

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ABOUT THE

Historic invitational golf tournament that originated on the Lakewood golf course in 1927. This same amateur invitational tournament -- which attracts top Florida amateurs and a strong group of out-of- state players as well -- continues, unbroken, each year although the club name was later changed to St. Petersburg Country Club. The 2025 New Year's Invitational Champion will earn an exemption into the LECOM Suncoast Classic, a Korn Ferry Tour event.

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