Mocs Golf Finishes Third at SunTrust Gator Invitational
Chattanooga seniors Derek Rende (T13) and J.T. Clendenin (T19) end up in top 20
GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga started the Spring portion of its schedule with a strong third-place finish at the SunTrust Gator Invitational with a final round 298 (+18) on Sunday at the Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida. The final round was delayed due to frost as the Mocs and the 14-team field battled tough conditions both days.
“I would have liked a better result today,” said Mocs head coach Mark Guhne. “But honestly I am pleased at the overall result. We finished third in tough weather conditions and answered questions from the Fall when we struggled mightily in tough weather.
“There is still work to do,” added Guhne. “But I like the way we are starting, and we need to build on this performance.”
Seniors Derek Rende and J.T. Clendenin led the Mocs in the 54-hole event. Rende finished tied for 13th at 215 (+5), while Clendenin had his best finish of the season tying for 19th at 218 (+8).
No. 4 Florida captured its seventh straight title in its home event shooting 279 (-1) in the final round to end up at 841, one-over par. No. 8 Florida State came in second at 859 (+19), while Lamar ended up one shot behind UTC at 870 (+30).
Ole Miss’ Jonathan Randolph captured medalist honors at even-par 210. LSU’s Andrew Loupe was one shot back at 211 (+1), while a trio of Gators ? Tyson Alexander, Andres Echavarria and Tim McKenney ? tied for third at 212 (+2).
Stephan Jaeger’s 74 today placed him tied for 23rd overall at 219 (+9). Fredrik Qvicker shot 78 in the final 18 for a total of 222 (+12), while Steven Fox ended tied for 45th at 224 (+14).
The Mocs are now off until March 8-9 when they travel to Aiken, S.C., for the Cleveland Golf/Palmetto Intercollegiate at the Palmetto Golf Club. UTC won the event in 2008 in its last visit to Palmetto.
LEADERBOARD
|
1) No. 4 Florida |
283-279-279 |
841 (+1) |
|
2) No. 8 Florida State |
283-291-285 |
859 (+19) |
|
3) Chattanooga |
282-289-298 |
869 (+29) |
|
4) Lamar |
295-294-281 |
870 (+30) |
|
T5) Duke |
300-288-284 |
872 (+32) |
|
T5) LSU |
297-297-278 |
872 (+32) |
|
7) North Florida |
296-291-286 |
873 (+33) |
|
8) UCF |
296-292-291 |
879 (+39) |
|
9) Georgia Southern |
301-291-291 |
883 (+43) |
|
10) Ole Miss |
299-289-298 |
886 (+46) |
|
11) UAB |
297-294-299 |
890 (+50) |
|
12) Coastal Carolina |
300-304-294 |
989 (+58) |
|
13) Mississippi State |
302-303-295 |
900 (+60) |
|
14) Georgia State |
300-304-297 |
901 (+61) |
|
Mocs: |
|
|
|
T13) Derek Rende |
68-74-73 |
215 (+5) |
|
T19) J.T. Clendenin |
72-72-74 |
218 (+8) |
|
T23) Stephan Jaeger |
76-69-74 |
219 (+9) |
|
T36) Fredrik Qvicker |
70-74-78 |
222 (+12) |
|
T45) Steven Fox |
72-75-77 |
224 (+14) |
Eagles Move Into Ninth on Final Day of Gator Invitational
Ryan Zabroske finishes with a 2-under par final round 68.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. ? Senior Ryan Zabroske was one of three people to card a 2-under par 68 ? the day’s third lowest round ? and one of nine players to shoot under-par on the final 18 of the SunTrust Gator Invitational (Feb. 14). Zabroske moved from a 44th-place tie into a share of 19th with his final round on the par 70, 6,701 yard Mark Bostick Golf Course. Georgia Southern opened on the back nine, climbing one spot on the leaderboard matching its second round 291 (+11) for a three-round total 883.
“We played better today after a rough start in round one,” said head coach Larry Mays. “Ryan Zabroske bounced back and posted a solid final round.
“But we sort of dug ourselves a hole with our opening round and we can’t do that in order to compete with the caliber of teams we are facing. We still have some work to do, but we will work harder and build on this experience.”
Zabroske sandwiched birdies around a 13th hole bogey and capped the front nine with a birdie on 18 to take the turn at 2-under 33. The Alpharetta, Ga., native launched another two birdies on the back nine, but leveled his scorecard with two bogeys to finalize a team-low 68 to mark his first sub-par round of the spring campaign. Zabroske led the Eagles, finishing tied for 19th at 218 (+8), while fellow senior Spence Fulford (Rocky Mount, N.C.) finished two strokes behind Zabroske with a 220 (+10). Fulford fired pars on 12 of the final 18 holes to card a 4-over 74 to tie for 29th.
Matt Deal (Statesboro, Ga.) and Joe Monte (Chantilly, Va.) closed out the tournament within one stroke of each other shooting a 75 and 76, respectively. Deal concluded the tournament tied for 42nd with a 223, while Monte closed the 54-hole event in a tie for 45th at 224.
Rounding out the Eagles’ lineup, Florian Sander (Bregenz, Austria) carded his lowest round of the event on the final day with a 74. Sander highlighted the final 18 with a birdie on hole seven to close out the tournament at 226 in 57th place.
Florida recorded its seventh straight team championship with a 1-over 841. No. 16 Florida State passed Chattanooga to claim second-place with an 859 (+19) with Chattanooga taking third 10 strokes behind at 869. Lamar secured fourth (870), while Duke and LSU rounded out the top 5 tied with 872s.
Jonathan Randolph of Mississippi took individualist honors with an even-par 210, carding the day’s second lowest round with a 67. Andrew Loupe (LSU) finished one shot back, while three players tied for third with matching 212s.
Georgia Southern will take a one week break before heading back into action at the John Hayt Invitational, Feb. 28-March 2 in Ponte Vedra, Fla.
Final Results
1. Florida (283-279-279=841) +1
2. Florida State (283-281-285=859) +19
3. Chattanooga (282-289-298=869) +29
4. Lamar (295-294-281=870) +30
T5. Duke (300-288-284=872) +32
T5. LSU (297-297-278=872) +32
7. North Florida (296-291-286=873) +33
8. Central Florida (296-292-291=879) +39
9. Georgia Southern (301-291-291=883) +43
10. Mississippi (299-289-298=886) +46
11. UAB (297-294-299=890) +50
12. Coastal Carolina (300-304-294=898) +58
13. Mississippi State (302-303-295=900) +60
14. Georgia State (300-304-297=901) +61
Georgia Southern Results
T19. Ryan Zabroske (76-74-68=218) +8
T29. Spence Fulford (73-73-74=220) +10
T42. Matt Deal (75-73-75=223) +13
T45. Joe Monte (77-71-76=224) +14
57. Florian Sander (77-75-74=226) +16