Piot, Spartans Dominate Hoosier Invite; Johnson Gets First Top 10

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Michigan State senior James Piot birdied the 582-yard, par-5 first hole to start the Hoosier Collegiate Invitational on Saturday. He didn't birdie another par-5 the rest of the weekend -- and he won the tournament. 

That's an indication of how difficult the University of Indiana Pfau Course was. Piot, a former Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a two-time All-Big Ten selection, limited the bogeys he made to nine in three rounds, and he didn't make any doubles. The result was a 54-hole total of 215 (72-70-73) and a five-stroke victory.

While he was at it, he helped Michigan State win the team championship.

Oskar Ambrosius and Phuripon Namkang, both of whom play for Memphis, tied for second at 220. Ambrosius had the best progression. He started with an 81, followed it with a 73 and closed with a 66. No one else broke 70 during the tournament.

The Spartans' winning team total was 885. Indiana was second, seven behind at 892, and Nebraska was third in the nine-team field with 897. 

Minnesota finished sixth at 904, one behind fifth-place Cincinnati and three behind fourth-place Memphis. The Gophers were fifth after a first-round 304. They shot the same score in the second round, but didn't beat any other team and slipped back to seventh, one shot ahead of eighth. They rallied with a final-round 296. Only Memphis, with a 294, and the host team from Indiana, with a 295, did better.

Lincoln Johnson, a junior from Chaska, led the comeback with a valedictory 71. That moved him up 12 places into a tie for seventh at 223, three shots out of second. It was his best result in a college tournament. His previous high finish was a tie for 11th, which he's done three times. 

Freshman Ben Warian got better with each round -- 78, 76, 73 -- and tied for 21st at 227. Angus Flanagan, a senior from Woking, England, who was named last week to the Great Britain & Ireland team for this year's Walker Cup Matches (May 8-9 at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla.), improved by one each round (77-76-75), and his aggregate of 228 put him in a tie for 26th.   

MEN'S COLLEGE GOLF

Spartan Colllegiate Invitational 

At University of Indiana Pfau Course

Par 71, 7,432 yards

Bloomington, Ind. 

April 3-4

Final results

1. Michigan State                 298-289-298--885

2. Indiana                             301-296-295--892

3. Nebraska                         296-303-298--897

4. Memphis                          307-300-294--901

5. Cincinnati                         312-295-296--903

6. Minnesota                         304-304-296--904

7. Michigan                           302-303-300--905

8. Eastern Michigan             309-300-302--911

9. Ball State                         313-298-312--923

Individual results

1. James Piot, Michigan State          72-70-73--215

T2. Oskar Ambrosius, Memphis        81-73-66--220

T2. Phuripon Namkang, Memphis    73-73-74--220

T7. Lincoln Johnson, Minnesota   76-76-71--223

T21. Ben Warian, Minnesota          78-76-73--227

T26. Angus Flanagan, Minnesota  77-76-75--228

T34. Harrison Arnold, Minnesota   74-76-81--231

T48. Connor Glynn, Minnesota      77-82-77--236