CHOUDRANT, La. – The Louisiana Tech men's golf team once again turned in an outstanding showing in its 2019-20 season-opening tournament, as the squad shot a combined -4 on Tuesday's final day of competition, solidifying a 3^rd place team finish for the team in the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate.
 
Tech finished the three-day competition at six strokes under par – one of just three teams on the weekend to post a score in the red on the weekend. The Bulldogs needed every bit to hold off a pair of hard-charging squads in Middle Tennessee and UAB, who rose four and three spots, respectively to end the 72-hole tournament.
 
On the individual side, Tech newcomer Mac Murphy paced the squad with a combined score of 211 (-5) for the tournament. Murphy shot a pair of one-under 71's around his best score of 69 on Monday. The junior finished the weekend with 14 birdies and just eight holes over par on the tournament.
 
Meanwhile, another Bulldog impressed in his first tournament of the 2019-20 season as last season's Conference USA Freshman of the Year in James Swash finished his three rounds at -3 – good for 8^th place among the 84 player field.
 
Sam Murphy joined his brother Mac among the top-20 and posted a +1 for the tournament to finish in a tie for 18^th place.
 
Georgia posted the best team round of the day at six under, finishing the tournament at -17 overall and taking home the team championship trophy. Texas State carded a combined -11 to finish in second place, followed by Tech at six under, UAB at +1 and Middle Tennessee at +2.
 
Georgia's Davis Thompson collected individual championship accolades, as his final round 68 propelled him to a -7 for the tournament – two strokes ahead of a three-way tie for second between Tech's Mac Murphy, Middle Tennessee's Ilari Saulo and Troy's Brent Hamm.
 
The Bulldogs return to the fall portion of the 2019-20 slate in two weeks, traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio for the Bearcat Invitational, running Sept. 30-Oct. 1.
 
Be sure to follow @LATechGolf on all social media platforms and stay plugged into Golfstat.com and LATechSports.com for all information, news and live scores for the 2019-20 Bulldog Golf team.