Junior placed second among a strong field in Augusta

SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Chattanooga junior Derek Rende has been named the Southern Conference men’s golfer of the week for all competition from April 1-7.

Rende finished second against a strong field at the Administaff Augusta State Invitational with a 10-under-par 206, topping 11 Top 100 players along the way. Rende shot his low round of the year with a 66 (-6) on the first day, and all three rounds were under par for the event. The Soddy Daisy, Tenn., native led the event in Par 4 Scoring (3.77), shooting seven-under par on those holes, and he posted 13 birdies against just three bogeys as he was par or better on 51 of 54 holes.

The golfer of the week is selected by a vote of the league’s men’s golf sports information directors.

Other top golfers this week were Furman’s Daniel Bowden, College of Charleston’s Tim Tang, Wofford’s Brian Whitehead, Appalachian State’s Jacob Eggers and Davidson’s Jackson Taylor.

2009 Men’s Golfer of the Week

Feb. 25       Joe Monte, Georgia Southern

March 4      Tanner Briele, Western Carolina

March 11     Casey Johnson, Appalachian State

March 18     Logan Blondell, Georgia Southern

March 25     Drew Lethem, Georgia Southern

April 1         Austin Reeves, Furman

April 8         Derek Rende, Chattanooga