Butler posted the second-best round of the day to move into third place as the 2024 GOLFWEEK National Golf Invitational Championship concluded Sunday.
 
As the 54-hole event finished, Leo Zurovac set a new Butler program-record with his 11-under total of 205. Zurovac closed the event with a two-under 70 after earlier rounds of 68 and 67 on the 7,323-yard Ak-Chin Southern Dunes course. He finished the championship tied for third.
 
Butler's Sunday performance featured their best team round of the three-day event as the Bulldogs posted a 10-under total of 278 in the final round. That followed consecutive rounds of four-under 284 over the first two days of the tournament. Butler stood in fifth after each of the first two rounds before their Sunday move.
 
Damon Dickey had the best Sunday round for the Bulldogs, carding a five-under 67 to move up 14 spots on the leaderboard and into a tie for 11^th. Dickey's only blemish came on the first hole, but he followed that initial bogey with six birdies the rest of the way. He finished the event at four-under 212.
 
It was Dickey's school record that Zurovac overtook. Dickey posted a 10-under total of 203 at the Tom Tontimonia Invitational in Ohio in October. Zurovac's new program mark is relative to par as Dickey's 10-under 203 came on a par-71 course.
 
Zurovac started Sunday on fire as he was four-under on his round through his first three holes. That included an eagle on the par-5, 575-yard third hole. The sophomore shot 31 (-5) on the front nine and ended his round with a two-under 70 on his scorecard.
 
Valparaiso's Anthony Delisanti, who used a 10-under round of 62 Saturday to climb into the lead, shot 68 Sunday to finish at 201 (-15) and take medalist honors. He was one shot better than Washington State's Sam Renner, who shot 64 Sunday. Zurovac and Jack Beauchamp of TCU, who was the first-round leader, tied for third.  
 
Washington State trailed TCU by a single stroke entering Sunday's final round. WSU was 20 shots better than TCU Sunday, taking the NGI title at 41-under 823 after carding the best round of the tournament at 22-under 266. TCU held on for second (842), which was four shots better than Butler (846). The Bulldogs passed both Richmond and Wyoming Sunday.
 
Zurovac's Sunday 70 was matched by Derek Tabor, while Will Horne was also in red numbers with a one-under 71. Horne finished in a tie for 15^th, the third Bulldog among the Top 15, at three-under 213. Zurovac, Tabor and Horne each had a pair of eagles over the course of the weekend.
 
THE BULLDOGS:  
T3) Leo Zurovac, 68-67-70—205 (-11)
T11) Damon Dickey, 71-74-67--212 (-4)
T15) Will Horne, 70-72-71--213 (-3)
T23) Derek Tabor, 75-71-70--216 (E)
38) Daniel Tanaka, 75-74-73--222 (+6)
 
The 54-hole NGI, being contested in Maricopa, Ariz., gives teams on the outside of the NCAA postseason a chance to have a season-ending championship of their own.
 
The NGI caps the 2023-24 season for the Bulldogs. Coach Colby Huffman and the Bulldogs will be back in action in September as the team returns most of its talented nucleus that will be supplemented by a group of impressive newcomers.