KEVIN PHELAN TOP BRITISH/IRISH PLAYER IN GATOR INVITATIONAL

Local knowledge paid off for University of Florida students Philip Choi and Andres Echevarria in the Sun Trust Gator Invitational over 54 holes at their home Mark Bostick course (par 70, 6701yd) at Gainesville today.
Choi and Echevarrie finished in a triple tie for first place with Florida State University player, Drew Kittleson, who would also be familiar with the lay-out.
Choi scored 72, 69 and 69 for level par 210, a total matched by Echevarria with rounds of 69, 70 and 71 and Kittleson's scores of 72, 69 and 69.
Not surprisingly, Florida (844) won the team title by nine shots from Auburn (853) with Louisiana State (862) third and North Florida (866) fourth in a field of 14 teams. 

Ireland's Kevin Phelan (North Florida) from Waterford was the highest placed British and Irish student in joint 29th place with scores of 74, 72 and 73 for a total of nine-over-par 219.
Jason Shufflebotham (University of Alabama-Birmingham) from Prestatyn, Wales finished joint 34th on 220 with rounds of 72, 74 and 74.
Thomas Sharkey (Georgia Southern), pictured right, from Helensburgh and Gavin Frost (Jacksonville) finished joint 55th on 229. Sharkey scored 76, 76 and 77, whiel Frost had rounds of 78, 74 and 77.
Phelan's effort helped North Florida to make the top four but UAB (Shufflebotham) came 10th with 899 , Jacksonville (11th with 901) and Georgia Southern (909), 13th of 14.