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AVON, Ind. - The IUPUI men's golf team shot a final round, 4-over 292 to rally from a 14-shot deficit to win the Butler Spring Invitational at the par-72 Prestwick Country Club on Tuesday (Mar. 27). The Jaguars trailed tournament leader Dayton by 14 shots and was nestled in fifth on the leaderboard heading into Tuesday's final round. Head coach John Andrews' squad rallied to claim it's fifth tournament title of the year, tying the school record.

"These boys are just unbelievably relentless," Andrews said. "That's the attitude of this team. 

"All I did was remind them all that they were 14 (shots) behind Dayton. They knew what they had to do and that's what a mature team like this does."

Even as IUPUI was on the comeback trail, Andrews thought any hopes of a title went out the window when both Michael Davan and Santiago Ruiz went out of bounds on the par-5 No. 2 late in the round.

"I was really upset with that," Davan said. "Last year I had a similar situation. Today I was three under and all I could think about was getting to four (under). I wanted to get up by the green in two and then leave myself a short birdie putt."

Davan took a double bogey on two before finishing with a par on three to close his tournament at 146 (75-71), tying for third overall. Freshman Santiago Ruiz had a similar fate, going out of bounds on No. 2 before rallying with back-to-back birdies to finish his tournament at 150 (80-70).

Oddly enough, he and Davan were the only two players among the 69-player field to break par on Tuesday.

"Today, it wasn't our play," Davan said when asked about the comeback. "We didn't play our best at all. All the guys would tell you we left a lot of shots out there today."

The comeback effort also included solid play from senior Ben Engle as well. The fifth-year senior finished fifth overall at 147 (73-74).

"Those three seniors - Davan, Engle and Powell - are just relentless," Andrews said. "They're as different as different can be, but together they're tough to beat."

Sophomore Jose Pablo Segurola closed at 152 (75-77) and senior Michael Powell capped the lineup at 161 (84-77).

"Michael Powell didn't play well at all and we won the tournament," Andrews said. "I couldn't say that same thing last year."

Super sophomore Rob van de Vin led IUPUI's three individual entries, carding a 146 (73-73) to tie Davan for third overall. He and Ruiz have been in a constant battle for the lineup's No. 5 spot since the Netherlands-native joined the roster at midterm.

"He's a good player," Andrews said. "The writing is on the wall that the head coach needs to get him in the lineup. I just have too many exemptions and not enough places to put them all.

"(Rob) told me yesterday he was the man to beat in this tournament and he wasn't being cocky about it. He was just saying that he needed to win the tournament to show me he belonged in the lineup."

Dayton's Sean Keating earned medalist honors at 142 (66-76) while Detroit's Lucas Kim was second at 143 (71-72). Dayton finished second overall at 598 and Cleveland State was third at 606.

IUPUI remained undefeated this spring including an earlier win at the Don Benbow Invitational during Spring Break. The Jaguars will return to action on Apr. 2 when they compete in the 36-hole Quaker Invitational in Pine Hill, N.J..

Team Standings
1. IUPUI - 303-292=595 (+19)
2. Dayton - 289-309=598 (+22)
3. Cleveland State - 300-306=606 (+30)
4. Valparaiso - 301-310=611 (+35)
t-5. Detroit - 306-306=612 (+36)
t-5. Loyola - 305-307=612 (+36)
7. Butler - 299-314=613 (+37)
8. Evansville - 309-306=615 (+39)
9. Robert Morris (Pa.) - 320-320=640 (+44)
10. South Dakota - 321-320=641 (+45)

Individual Standings
t-3. Michael Davan - 75-71=146 (+2)
5. Ben Engle - 73-74=147 (+3)
t-10. Santiago Ruiz - 80-70=150 (+6)
19. Jose Pablo Segurola - 75-77=152 (+8)
t-47. Michael Powell - 84-77=161 (+17)
*t-3. Rob van de Vin - 73-73=146 (+2)
*t-51. Matt Bruce - 81-81=162 (+18)
*t-59. Philip Wirkkala - 79-84=163 (+19)
     *played as an individual