MOBILE, Ala. – Tyler Saunders finished as the co-medalist of the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate, giving him the first win of his collegiate career, Tuesday afternoon in Mobile. Saunders shot a 1-over-par 73, finishing at 5-under for the tournament.

"It meant a lot," Saunders said. "I felt like I've been working pretty hard and hadn't been getting the results I've wanted, so it's nice to have that reward for how hard I feel like I've been trying to improve."

Saunders' win is the first by a Bobcat since Stuart Smallwood won the Sun Belt Conference individual championship last season, also held in Alabama. Tyler totaled 211 for the three rounds, putting him inside the top-10 in Texas State history for lowest 54 hole score. His 5-under par ranks as the fifth lowest score in school history. Justin Newby established new records in both categories earlier this year with a 16-under-par 211 at the Price Give Em Five Invite.

"Tyler's performance was exceptional this week," head coach Shane Howell said. "The weather was not very good at all. We had very cold temperatures, heavy wind and a spattering of rain both days and he came out and played some spectacular golf both days, especially the second round 66. That's one of the better rounds I've witnessed in my coaching career."

During Tuesday's round, Saunders had three birdies, finishing the event with 16 birdies, tops in the field. He birdies two of his final three holes on the back nine along with No. 11. His 73 was the second best score of the day on the team next to Torbjorn Johansen's 1-under-par 71.

As a team, Texas State finished in seventh place, with their best round of the event, a 5-over-par 293. The Bobcats finished ahead of Middle Tennesse State, Mississippi State, Kentucky and Southern Miss among others.

The Bobcats will now have six days off before returning to action on Monday in Lafayette, La., to take part in the Louisiana Classics.