Bulldogs Close Out Fall as Pichaikool Posts Another Strong Finish

Tuesday, October 24

Vero Beach, Fla. (Quail Valley GC)

All Day

Mississippi State

Quail Valley Collegiate

Bulldogs Close Out Fall as Pichaikool Posts Another Strong Finish

October 24, 2017 | Men's Golf

VERO BEACH, Fla. – Peng Pichaikool collected his second Top-5 finish and third Top-10 finish of the season, shooting 12-under par to tie for third at the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational on Tuesday.

Pichaikool shot 3-under Tuesday after a 9-under showing in the first two rounds on Monday. His 204 total is his second-best finish of the season behind his 202 in MSU's season opener at the Bearcat Invitational.

"Peng finished the fall strong with another solid final round," head coach Dusty Smith said. "He's been a guy that we can always depend on."

As a team, Mississippi State fired an 11-under 277 on Tuesday, tying for the fifth-best third round in program history. The Bulldogs posted a 21-under 843 for the two days to take sixth place.

"I'm really pleased with our fight today," head coach Dusty Smith said. "We talked about grabbing some momentum heading into the off season and I feel like we were able to do that."

Sophomore Garrett Johnson shot a career-best 68 to lead MSU, while Pichaikool and junior Austin Rose each contributed a 3-under 69.

"I'm really proud of Garrett and his round today when we really needed it," Smith said. "Everyone stepped up in a big way today.

"Today was a total team effort," Smith said. "Five guys in the dirt, battling it out for the team."

Johnson finished 4-under and tied for 30th after shooting even par in the first two rounds.

Senior Taylor Bibbs shot 1-over Tuesday to finish his first tournament of the season in a tie for 42nd with a 1-under 215. Fellow senior Taylor Grant redeemed a first round 74 with a pair of 1-under 71s to end the event even-par and in 49th.

Rose's final-round 69 brought his tournament total to a 3-over-par that tied him for 55th.

South Florida took first place by a wide margin, firing a 44-under for the event.

With the fall slate complete, State begins a four-month offseason. The Bulldogs will return to action Feb. 17 at the Suntrust Gator Invitational at Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla.

For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateMG.

Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational?
1. South Florida (279+273+268=820, -44)
2. Michigan State (282+281+276=839, -25)
3. Louisville (277+285+278=840, -24)
T4. Notre Dame (277+281+284=842, -22)
T4. Maryland (280+281+281=842, -22)
6. Mississippi State (283+283+277=843, -21)
T7. Middle Tennessee State (280+288+276=844, -20)
T7. McNeese State (282+286+276=844, -20)
T9. ULM (286+277+284=847, -17)
T9. Memphis (281+281+285=847, -17)
11. Jacksonville (292+276+280=848, -16)
12. Cincinnati (286+283+285=854, -10)
13. Louisiana Tech (288+279+293=860, -4)
14. Nebraska (285+291+289=865, +1)
15. Southern Miss (292+285+289=866, +2)

MSU Players
T3. Peng Pichaikool (67+68+69=204, -12)
T30. Garrett Johnson (72+72+68=212, -4)
T42. Taylor Bibbs (70+72+73=215, -1)
49. Taylor Grant (74+71+71=216, E)
T55. Austin Rose (75+75+69=219, +3)

Head coach Dusty Smith on the upcoming offseason…

"This off season will be big for us. We are nowhere close to where we need to be but these next few months will tell a lot about our direction heading into the spring. We have to focus on our process ability to do the little things well. The small details will always add up over the course of a season. Teams that can focus on the little things and do them well are usually the teams with the most success. Our goal has and will always be to get a little bit better each and every day, to be better today than you were yesterday and to be better tomorrow than you were today."