Jordan Stagg's Perks-like performance at Stadium Course assures Prairie View of PGA WORKS title

The men's Division I team competition in the 34th annual PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship on Wednesday was tight and the final stretch of the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass was beckoning in its usual menacing fashion, accompanied by gusty swirling wind. 

That's when sophomore Jordan Stagg of Prairie View A&M went into full Craig Perks-mode. 

Stagg chipped in for eagle from off the left side of the green at the par-5 16th hole, made a 3-foot birdie putt at No. 17 and then drained a 15-foot par putt at No. 18 to assure the Panthers of the team title by four shots over Alabama State at 57-over par for the 54-hole event. 

Stagg (75) and teammate Lorenzo Elbert Jr. (74), the SWAC individual champion, tied for third individually and Isaiah Wilson (78) tied for eighth. 

The final twosome matches the finish at the SWAC championship, which Prairie View won over Alabama State by 10 shots. As a bonus, the Panthers found out just after the finish that their NCAA destination will be New Mexico. 

Florida A&M finished third at 74 over, led by Mulbe Dillard (75), who birdied Nos. 13, 16 and 18. 

Prairie View coach Kevin Jennings praised his team for its collection effort on the closing holes. The Panthers led most of the day after catching 36-hole leader Howard early in the round but Jennings said that regardless of the level of play, from college to the best pros in the world at The   

Players Championship, any lead is tenacious on the Stadium Course until the final putt drops. 

But the Prairie View's four players who scored negotiated the final three holes at 2-over par, while Alabama State was 4-over. 

"The wind was blustery and getting stronger and stronger, so you can never put it in the books until you get finished," he said. "Kudos to our guys for getting it done and playing those last few holes the way they needed to play it." 

Stagg, who was the only member of the team who had played the Stadium Course before this week, said he was feeling the pressure. 

"I played here with my Dad last year and it's a lot different when you're in competition," he said. "That green on No. 17 shrinks quite a bit." 

Nonetheless, he turned in a closing performance that rivaled Perks when he went eagle-birdie-par to win the 2002 Players.

Howard's Gregory Odom Jr., (74) won the individual title at 4-over 220. 

Texas A&M Corpus Christi won the women's open division by a whopping 28 shots over Delaware State, with Lucy Martinez (74) and Kelli Dugan (79) tying for third to lead all five players on the team in securing top-10 finishes. Baipor Khunsri (74--221) was the individual medalist. 

Miles College (Ala.) won the men's division II title by six shots over Savannah State and Livingstone (N.C.). 

Phu Khine (76) ran away with the women's independent division by six shots over Jess Yuen of Missouri and Khavish Varadan (70) of UAB won the men's independent division by seven shots at 2-under 214 over Timothius Tamardi (77) of Appalachian State.