It appears as if the winter break did nothing to cool off Ben James, the heralded freshman out of Milford, Conn. All he did in the University of Virginia’s first tournament of the spring semester was shoot 69-68-67 – 204 to finish joint fourth in the Dorado Beach Collegiate in Puerto Rico.
The Cavaliers finished fifth in the 14-team tournament, but James continues to be a very bright light. He’s got two individual victories and four top 10s in Virginia’s five tournaments. With nine rounds in the 60s, his scoring average is a robust 69.06 to easily lead the team.
In a tournament that featured four of the top 10 teams in the nation, the University of Oklahoma placed fifth in the Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas. Patrick Welch, the fifth-year senior who spent several of his formative years in Providence, shot 69-67-73 – 209 to finish T-9 and lead the Sooners.