SMU freshman golfer James Kwon finished first individually in the Baylor Intercollegiate Tournament, which concluded Tuesday at Royal Oaks Country Club.

Kwon started Tuesday in fourth place and earned the victory by posting back-to-back scores of 69. He finished with a three-round total of 212, just one stroke ahead of the second-place finisher.

SMU finished in seventh place after shooting a three-round total of 885. The Mustangs finished behind the winner, Texas A&M, by just 15 strokes.

The team was able to solidify its seventh-place spot with Kwon’s combined six birdies on the back nine in the last two rounds. The Mustangs held off eighth-place finisher Brigham Young, which finished just four strokes behind.

It was his clutch finish that also gave Kwon the individual win, as he birdied three holes on the back nine Tuesday.

This week’s tournament was the closest thing to a home match the team has had this season, as the Mustangs teed off just ten minutes from campus.

Junior Ben Tewes, the next Mustang on the leaderboard, finished tied for 25th, shooting a 223. Other notable Mustangs were Draegen Majors at 35th with 226 and Max Buckley at 42nd with 228.

This week’s tournament was the final competition for the squad until it resumes play in February, when weather is more apt for golf.

Blustery conditions proved to be a factor, as wintery winds caused inconsistencies in many players’ scores.

One player who may have been feeling the effects of the weather was sophomore Kelly Kraft. Kraft was named Conference USA Freshman of the Year in 2007 and was named the conference’s Player of the Week earlier this month. He has generally been one of the team’s lowest scorers, but uncharacteristically finished 42nd with a 228.

Home course advantage may have not given the Mustangs the boost they were hoping for, but the seventh-place finish will be a building block. The Mustangs will take the next few months to rest before starting the spring schedule in February.