FURMAN INVITATIONAL

 

Furman

 

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman’s Austin Reeves (79-66=145) established a new course record with a final round 66 and drained a 15-foot birdie putt on the fourth hole of a sudden death playoff against teammate Daniel Bowden to clam individual medalist honors at the 40th Annual Furman Intercollegiate on Sunday afternoon.  East Carolina (298-297=595) took the team title at the par-72 Furman University Golf Course.

 

Bowden (69-76=145) and Reeves, who tied for first at one-over 145, began the sudden death playoff at No. 1 with both golfers making par.  Reeves left an eagle chip on No. 2 on the lip of the cup as the pair halved the hole with a birdie.  After both recorded a par at the par-4 No. 3, Reeves buried his 15-foot par putt on the par-3 No. 4 and Bowden missed a four-foot effort that would have halved the hole.

 

Reeves shot a 33 on the front nine and made up for his only bogey of the day on the back nine with three consecutive birdies at 14, 15 and 16 to finish three-under for the final nine holes.  The Greenville, S.C., native and Eastside High School product’s 66 established a new course record for the 6,944-yard Furman University Golf Course which was remodeled and lengthened this past summer.

 

East Carolina carded a team score of 297 on Sunday to hold off Furman (301-295=596) and Virginia Tech (297-299=596) for team honors.  Markus Leandersson (75-72=147) paced the Pirates with an even-par 72 on Sunday to help his team to the one-stroke victory.  The University of North Florida (296-307=603) and Old Dominion (306-303=609) rounded out the top five.

 

Furman returns to action next weekend when it travels to Greenville, N.C., to take part in the Ironwood Pirate Intercollegiate hosted by East Carolina.

 

 

Appalachian State

 

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Jacob Eggers tied for 20th place of 114 golfers to lead Appalachian State University men's golf to an 11th-place finish at the Furman Intercollegiate tournament over the weekend.

 

Eggers carded a 74 in the first round and posted a 78 on Sunday to finish at 152 (+8). The team shot 303-318-621 (+45) to finish in 11th place, just one stroke behind Francis Marion and four strokes away from seventh place. Eggers scored 24 pars over 36 holes.

 

East Carolina won the event with a 298-297-595 (+19) while Furman's Austin Reeves defeated teammate Daniel Bowden in a playoff for the individual win. Reeves scored 79-66-145 (+1) in the win.

 

ASU's Taylor Hines shot 76-81-157 (+13) and tied with Casey Johnson for 53rd as Johnson posted an 82-75-157 over two rounds.

 

Dustin Hudson placed 66th with a 74-84-158 (+14) and Lance Wheeler scored a 79-84-163 (+19) for a tie for 101st.

 

Host Furman tied for second and SoCon rival Wofford finished sixth. However, the Apps placed ahead of league opponents Samford, Western Carolina, Davidson and Elon.

 

The Mountaineers return to the course on Saturday, April 4 for the University Cup in Morganton, N.C.

 

 

Samford

 

GREENVILLE, S.C. --- The Samford men’s golf team turned in its best performance of the weekend Sunday at the 40th-annual Furman Intercollegiate held at the Furman University Golf Course (par 72, 6,944 yards). The Bulldogs carded a team-best score of 305 to jump five positions to 12th place on the final day of the 36-hole competition.

 

Samford, which entered Sunday’s competition as the 17th-place team in the tournament, improved 12 strokes in the final round of play to climb to the 12th position. All five Bulldogs improved during the final day of competition and the team was again paced by senior Andrew Villarreal.

 

Villarreal, Samford’s highly-touted native of Decatur, Ala., fired a second-round score of 73 Sunday to finish the tournament with a 36-hole total of 149. His 73 was the Bulldogs’ best round of the weekend as he earned an 11th-place finish in the individual standings.

 

Samford’s Ian Cutting carded a 76 Sunday to earn a two-round score of 156. The Bulldogs’ Bobby Baird followed closely with a 157 (79-78), while Martin Bunt and Jeremy Cox both rounded out the team’s scoring with identical 36-hole scores of 162.

 

Cox, Samford’s senior from Knoxville, Tenn., fired a second-round tally of 78 on Sunday, while Bunt finished with an 80. Cox made the Bulldogs’ biggest improvement of the weekend as he bettered in first-round score by six strokes.

 

East Carolina posted a one-stroke victory over the homestanding Furman Paladins to win the 40th-annual Furman Intercollegiate on Sunday. East Carolina finished the 36-hole event with a total team score of 595.

 

Furman finished the tournament with the top two competitors in the field. Austin Reeves (79-66?145) defeated fellow-Paladin Daniel Bowden on the fourth sudden-death playoff hole to claim individual medalist honors. Reeves' second-round score of 66 established a new course record on the Furman University Golf Course's new layout.

 

The Samford men’s golf team will next be in action Friday-Sunday at the 2009 Ironwood Pirate Intercollegiate hosted by East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C.

 

 

Davidson

 

GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Davidson men’s golf team used a first-round team score of 309 to tie for 15th place at the 40th Annual Furman Invitational, held at the Furman University Golf Club over the weekend.

Inclement weather forced the delay of the first round on Friday evening. The tournament, originally scheduled for 54 holes, was shortened to 36 holes after heavy rains continued to soak the course throughout Saturday and forced the cancellation of the scheduled second round. 

Senior Michael Saari was the Wildcats’ top finisher in the tournament, shooting a two-round total of 154 to tie for 35th place. Freshman Jackson Taylor finished in a tie for 39th with an 11-over 155, including a 75 in the first round, the lowest Davidson round of the weekend.

Rounding out the Davidson contingent was Bobby Urso, who carded a first-round 77 on his way to a 158 and a tie for 66th place, David Fowler (160/T-84th) and Adam Lewicki (169/111th).

East Carolina (298-297=595) claimed the team title.  Furman's Austin Reeves (79-66=145) defeated fellow Paladin Daniel Bowden on the fourth sudden death playoff hole for individual medalist honors.  Reeves' 66 established a new course record on the Furman University Golf Course's new layout.

Up next for the ?Cats will be a trip to Huntington, W. Va. on April 3-4 to take part in the Marshall Invitational.

 

 

Western Carolina

 

Greenville, S.C. - Western Carolina men's golf slipped two positions in the final standings, finishing tied for 13th at the rain-shortened Furman Intercollegiate on Sunday afternoon from the par 72, 6,994-yard Furman University Golf Club. WCU posted rounds of 303 and 320 to collectively card 623, 28-strokes off the pace.

 

Senior Andres Cuenca and freshman Martin Summer each finished with two-day totals of 155 to lead the Catamounts individually in a tie for 39th overall.

 

East Carolina edged host Furman and Virginia Tech by a stroke, 595-to-596, to claim the team championship honors. First-round leader, North Florida (603), slipped to fourth with Old Dominion rounding out the top five teams with a two-day score of 609.

 

Furman's Austin Reeves beat-out teammate Daniel Bowden in a playoff to claim individual medalists honors after the two Paladin teammates finished 36 holes tied with one-over scores of 145. Wofford's Garrett Medeiros and Chris Kennedy from North Florida were tied for third, one shot back at 146.

 

Cuenca carded rounds of 77 and 78 to shoot 155, while Summer posted a low-round of 73 on Saturday before shooting 82 on Sunday to post 155. Cuenca led the tournament with 26 pars through the event which was shortened to two rounds after rain on Saturday cancelled the second round.

 

Senior Dustin Furnari finished tied for 53rd, two strokes behind his teammates with 157, while junior Tanner Briele posted consecutive 79's to card a 158, tied for 66th. Rounding out WCU's scorers was junior Ricky Stout with rounds of 77 and 82 for a 73rd-place finish at 159.

 

Playing as individuals, junior Drew Miller finished tied for 46th with two rounds of 81 and 75 (156), while freshman Kyle Wilson posted 81 and 79 for a two-day total of 160 amidst a tie for 80th overall.

 

Western Carolina returns to the links April 6-7 at the Cowboy Classic, hosted by the Univ. of Wyoming at the Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.

 

 

Wofford

 

GREENVILLE, S.C. ? Junior Garrett Medeiros led the Wofford men’s golf team to a sixth place team finish at the 40th annual Furman Intercollegiate by claiming a third place individually after two rounds.

Medeiros shot a second-round 75 on the par-72 course, which, added to his one-under par 71 in the first round, gave him a final score of 146. Medeiros tied for third with Chris Kennedy of North Florida and notched the fourth top-ten finish of his career.

The Terriers totaled 614 over 36 holes, finishing ahead of Southern Conference opponents Appalachian State, Samford, Western Carolina, Davidson and Elon.

Terriers Drew Perry, Neil O’Briain and Brent Whitehead each carded a 79 on day two of the tournament, while John Gault rounded out the team of five with a score of 84. Wofford individuals Ben Wright and Kirk Whitehead recorded scores of 81 and 82, respectively, in the second round.

East Carolina (595) took the team title at the par-72 Furman University Golf Course. Furman teammates Austin Reeves and Daniel Bowden claimed first and second place, respectively, with Reeves setting a new course record, carding a 66 in the second round and claiming the championship with a birdie on the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff.

Wofford returns to action next weekend when it travels to Greenville, N.C., to take part in the Ironwood Pirate Intercollegiate hosted by East Carolina.

 

 

Elon

 

GREENVILLE, S.C. ? Elon ended up in a tie for 17th place at the 40th Annual Furman Intercollegiate men’s golf tournament after firing a 311 in the event’s final round played Sunday afternoon on the 6,994-yard Furman University Golf Course.

 

Originally scheduled for 54 holes, the event was shortened to 36 holes after heavy rains continued to soak the course throughout both Friday and Saturday and forced the cancellation of the scheduled second round of the three-day, three-round tournament.

 

East Carolina (595) captured the team title, followed by host Furman (596), Virginia Tech (596), North Florida (603), Old Dominion (609), Wofford (614), Temple (617), Winthrop (617), Troy (618), Francis Marion (620), Appalachian State (621), Samford (622), Western Carolina (623), Marshall (623), Rhode Island (626), Davidson (626), Elon (632), Presbyterian (632) and Charleston Southern (649).

 

The Phoenix received scorecards from Jayson Judy (tied-73rd place/159), Phil Bartholomew (tied-73rd place/159), Stephen Dressel (tied-84th place/160), Scott Hockemeyer (tied-84th place/160) and Mike Fekete (tied-101st place/163) in the 114-player field. Furman’s Austin Reeves (145) outdueled teammate Daniel Bowden (145) in a playoff for medalist honors.

 

 

HOOTIE AT BULLS BAY

 

Chattanooga

 

AWENDAW, S.C.---The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s golf team opened play Sunday afternoon at the Hootie at Bulls Bay with an eight-over par 292 to stand in seventh at Bulls Bay Golf Club in Awendaw, S.C.  The Mocs are just one shot out of a tied for fifth with No. 14 South Carolina and No. 18 UCF on the par 71, 7,261-yard tract.

 

Augusta State leads the event at two-over par 286.  Virginia is second at four-over par, 288, while No. 16 North Carolina State and LSU are tied for third another shot back at 289.

 

The Mocs got off to a good start making the turn at two-under par.  UTC started on No. 10 and claimed 10 birdies on the way out led by Fredrik Qvicker and Stephan Jaeger.

 

Qvicker played his first nine holes at a team-best two-under par.  Jaeger’s opened with a rollercoaster round as his three birdies were offset with four bogeys.

 

Qvicker could not keep the roll going on his back nine.  Bogeys on the two par fives, No. 2 and 6, dropped the junior back to even par.  He scored pars on the final three holes to finish at even par, 71.

 

Jaeger was three-over par through six holes after a bogey on No. 15.  From there, he ran off three birdies in seven holes to get back to even par.  After a double bogey on seven and a bogey on eight, Jaeger completed his round with a birdie on the par-four ninth hole to shoot 73 (+2).

 

Jonathan Hodge opened his day with a birdie on the par five 10th hole.  A birdie on 16 and bogey on 13, also a par five, had Hodge turn at one-under par.  The front nine did not yield much to Hodge.  A bogey on three dropped him back to even and a bogey on eight gave the senior a one-over par 72.

 

Birdies on 10 and 11 provided a strong start for Derek Rende.  Bogeys at 13, 18 and one moved the junior back to one-over par.  Rende’s round hit a snag with a triple bogey on No. 6 before a bogey on nine ended his day with a 76 (+5).

 

It was a difficult day for senior Ben Rickett.  It started off right with a birdie on 10, but bogeys on 13, 14 and 16 gave Rickett a two-over par start to his day heading into the back nine.  Four bogeys, four pars and a triple bogey led to a nine-over par 80.

 

It was an uncharacteristic day on the par fives for the Mocs.  Chattanooga ranks 37th nationally in par five scoring averaging 4.82 strokes per hole, but it was seven-over par on the day.  That includes starting off four-under par on the par five 10th hole.

 

Augusta State’s Janne Kaske leads the tournament following a four-over par 67.  LSU’s John Peterson is one shot back at 68, while the trio of George Bryan IV (South Carolina), Will Collins (Virginia) and Travis Wadkins (Wake Forest) are two shots off the pace at 69.

 

The Mocs return to the course Monday morning teeing off on No. 1 with No. 24 Wake Forest (293) and No. 5 Clemson (294) at 9 a.m.  Rickett will lead off followed by Rende, Jaeger, Hodge and Qvicker.

 

 

College of Charleston

 

AWENDAW, S.C. -- Augusta State fired a 286 to lead by two strokes over Virginia after the first round of the Hootie at Bulls Bay Men’s Golf Tournament being held Mar. 29-31 at Bulls Bay Golf Club in Awendaw, S.C.  The College of Charleston shot a 307 in 18 holes and is tied for 14th with USC Aiken.

 

Augusta State’s Janne Kaske leads for individual medalist honors with a one-day total of 67.

 

Tim Tang leads the Cougars with a 74.  He sits tied for 24th, while Harrison Moore is tied for 37th with a 75.  Cabe Prieskorn is tied for 53rd with a 77 and tied for 72nd is Ross Tooley with an 81.  Rounding out the Cougar effort is Ben Pounds, who is 75th with an 87.

 

Charleston tees off beginning at 9:50 a.m. from hole 10 in second round action Monday, Mar. 30.

 

 

TOWSON INVITE

 

UNC Greensboro

 

GRASONVILLE, MD ? With Will Bowman and Drew Younts both recording Top 20 finishes, UNC Greensboro finished fifth at the Towson Invite men’s golf tournament on Sunday.

 

Teams had to finish their second rounds early Sunday morning before playing the final round. Play had been halted Saturday due to darkness.

 

Bowman carded a second round 71 and closed out with a 74 to finish tied for 12th at 221. After an opening round 72, Younts finished a round of 76 on Sunday morning before a 74 in the final round for a 54-hole score of 222.

 

Kent State’s John Hahn won the individual title with a score of 211, carding a final round 70 to hold off teammates Mackenzie Hughes and Nick Latimer by two shots.

 

The Golden Flashes, with four players in the Top 5, ran away with the team title by 25 shots. Kent State had a score of 853, while William and Mary was second at 878. UNCG finished fifth at 891.

 

The Spartans return to action April 6 in Madison, MS at the Bank of America Intercollegiate.