Samford wins
Hummingbird Intercollegiate
SAPPHIRE, N.C. – The
Samford University men’s golf team closed out its 2012 fall season in dominant
fashion Sunday as the Bulldogs cruised to a 12-stroke championship victory at
The Hummingbird Intercollegiate hosted by Western Carolina University at the
Country Club of Sapphire Valley.
Samford’s Casey O’Toole also won Individual medalist honors
Sunday as he posted a three-stroke margin over Gardner-Webb’s duo of Daniel Kim
and Daley Byles. Gardner-Webb’s pair finished tied for second place at
1-under-par 141. Samford’s O’Toole finished the two-round competition with a
4-under-par 138 (69-69).
The Bulldogs led wire-to-wire to win the 2012 Hummingbird
Intercollegiate, which was played at the par-71, 6,767-yard Country Club of
Sapphire Valley. Samford placed three golfers inside the final top 10
finishers, cruising to a two-day total of 570.
Western Carolina rallied from sixth place after Saturday’s
opening round by carding the lowest team round on Sunday, finishing tied for
the runner-up spot with Belmont at 582. Western Carolina trimmed 14 strokes off
its opening round to make its run to near the top of the leader board, while
the Bruins were 10 strokes off their opening round 286, shooting 296 on Sunday.
It is the second straight year – and the fourth time in
tournament history – that a team from the Southern Conference has won the
tournament team championship, as Appalachian State claimed the 2011 honors.
Samford’s O’Toole played the front nine at 2-under par
before coasting into the clubhouse with an even-par along the back nine to
shoot his second straight score of 69, finishing the event at 4-under-par 138.
Western Carolina’s Tyler Lail advanced five spots in the final standings to
post a career-best finish, tied with Samford’s Zach Hughes (69-73=142) and
Ashton Van Horne from Belmont for fourth place.
The Bulldogs’ Drew Aimone tallied the team’s third top-10
finish of the tournament as he posted a 36-hole score of 144 (70-74). Rounding
out Samford’s championship-winning performance Sunday were seniors Bill Nabors
(74-72=146) and Gabe Hyde (74-79=153).
Sunday’s championship titles at The Hummingbird
Intercollegiate marked Samford’s final competition of the 2012 fall season. The
Bulldogs’ men’s golf team will next be in action Feb. 18-19, as they will begin
their spring schedule at the Wexford Intercollegiate, hosted by Francis Marion
at the Wexford Plantation at Hilton Head, S.C.
Western Carolina finishes
tied for second at own Hummingbird Intercollegiate
SAPPHIRE, N.C. – Paced
by the event’s individual medalist, senior Casey O’Toole, Samford led
wire-to-wire to win the 2012 Hummingbird Intercollegiate, hosted by Western
Carolina at the par-71, 6,767-yard Country Club of Sapphire Valley. The
Bulldogs placed three golfers inside the final top 10 finishers, cruising to a
12-stroke victory with a two-day total of 570.
The host Catamounts rallied from sixth place after
Saturday’s opening round by carding the lowest team round on Sunday, finishing
tied for the runner-up spot with Belmont at 582. WCU trimmed 14 strokes off its
opening round to make its run to near the top of the leader board, while the
Bruins were 10 strokes off their opening round 286, shooting 296 on Sunday.
Western Carolina’s Tyler Lail advanced five spots in the
final standings to post a career-best finish, tied with Samford’s Zac Hughes
and Ashton Van Horne from Belmont for fourth place.
Lail, a true freshman from Conover, N.C., paced the
Catamount side by twice shooting his career-low round of 71. In just his third
collegiate event, Lail recorded a team and career-best fourth-place showing.
Kyle Wilson matched Lail’s final round even-par, advancing
nine spots in the finishing order into a five-way tie for 14th for the
tournament. Sophomore J.T. Poston carded the team’s lowest round of the two-day
event on Sunday, shooting a 2-under 69 to match the lowest individual round of
the final day. Poston moved up 18 spots, finishing tied for 19th overall.
Rounding out the Catamount side was senior Steven Smith,
tied for 36th at 151, and junior Jack Walsh in a tie for 51st at 154. Smith was
five-strokes better on Sunday, shooting 2-over 73, countering six bogeys with
four birdies.
Playing unattached as individuals for WCU, redshirt
sophomore Collin Witiak moved up 28 spots in the final standings into a tie for
22nd by shooting 2-under 69 on Sunday. Junior Greg Bunner shot 79 on Sunday to
finish tied for 63rd (156), while Matthew Turner was tied for 66th (157).
Senior Trey White finished tied for 76th overall with a two-day total of 165.
With the conclusion of the Hummingbird Intercollegiate, so
comes the close of the fall portion of Western Carolina’s 2012-13 schedule. The
Catamount men finished inside the top 10 in all five events of the fall, thrice
placing inside the top five, including Sunday’s seasonal-best runner-up finish.
The squad finished the fall with an average team round score of 292.36.
WCU returns to the links in February 2013 at the Wexford
Intercollegiate, hosted by Francis Marion at the Wexford Plantation at Hilton
Head, S.C.
Wofford ties for
fifth at Hummingbird Intercollegiate
SAPPHIRE, N.C. – –
The Wofford men’s golf team slipped to finish in fifth place at the Hummingbird
Intercollegiate at the par-71 Country Club of Sapphire Valley after a final
round score of 297 on Sunday.
Wofford finished with a 292-297=589 to finish tied for fifth
with Francis Marion (295-294=589). Samford took the top team spot with a
282-288=570, while Western Carolina, 298-284=582, and Belmont, 286-296=582,
finish tied for second. Gardner-Webb took fourth after a 295-290=585.
Individually, Cory Taylor, 68-76=144, and Chandler Brazeal,
70-74=144, finished tied for eighth to lead the Terriers. Brent McKenzie carded
a 77-71-148 to finish tied for 25th, while Charles Moore signed his scorecard
after a two rounds of 77 for a 154 and a tie for 51st. George Perkovich was the
final Wofford golfer as he finished in a tie for 56th with a 79-76=155.
Wofford wrapped up its fall season and will return to the
course on Feb. 3 with the Sea Best Invitational in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Elon finishes seventh
at Hummingbird Intercollegiate
SAPPHIRE, N.C. – Competing
in its final tournament of the fall, the Elon men's golf team earned a
seventh-place finish at The Hummingbird Intercollegiate hosted by Western
Carolina on Sunday. The Phoenix put up a two-round score of 592 (298-294).
Leading the way for the Maroon and Gold was Stuart Kaufman,
who finished in a tie for 14th out of 82 participants. Kaufman followed up
Saturday's round of 71 with a mark of 74 on Sunday to total a 145. He notched
eight birdies and 21 pars over his 36 holes.
He was followed by Will DiIanni, who posted a two-round
score of 149 (74-75) to tie for 29th. DiIanni's 25 pars tied for the most in
the field. Jack Adkins earned a tie for 32nd following a tournament mark of 150
(81-69). Adkins recorded Elon's lone eagle of the tournament.
John Somers' score of 153 (72-81) placed him in a tie for 45th,
while Raphael Higuet placed 71st with a final tally of 160 (84-76).
Three Elon players were also competing as individuals - Troy
Beaver, Blayze Dipasquale and Matthew Brady. Beaver, who had 21 pars, finished
tied for 40th with a two-day score of 152 (73-79), while Dipasquale's 155
(78-77) had him in a tie for 56th. Dipasquale had eight birdies. Brady placed
79th with a score of 167 (80-87).
Samford's Casey O'Toole finished with a 4-under 138 (69-69)
to win individual medalist honors.
O'Toole's performance helped the Bulldogs also claim the
team title with a 570 (282-288). In a tie for second with 582s were host
Western Carolina (298-284) and Belmont (286-296), while Gardner-Webb (295-290=585)
earned fourth place. In a tie for fifth at 589 were Francis Marion (295-294)
and Wofford (292-297).
Appalachian State finishes
eighth at Hummingbird Intercollegiate
SAPPHIRE, N.C. – Appalachian
State’s men's golf team concluded the Hummingbird Intercollegiate on Sunday
with an eighth-place finish.
Casey Komline led the Mountaineers as he shot a 73-71=142
(+2) in the two-round event, tying for eighth overall, while Josh Nichols and
Daniel Walsh tied for 29th overall. Nichols carded a 74-75=149 (+7) and Walsh
scored a 73-76=149 (+7) through two rounds of golf.
Jay Brown capped off the afternoon with a fourth-place
finish for Appalachian State and tied for 56th overall, shooting a 80-75=155
(+13), and Drew Harris rounded out the scoring shooting a 86-79=165 (+23).
Appalachian State finished eighth overall with a 597 (+29)
for the tournament, while Samford took home the first-place finish with a 570
(+2), which ties for the ninth best score in tournament history.
The Hummingbird Intercollegiate concludes the Mountaineers’
2012 fall schedule. Appalachian State will start up its spring season on
Monday, Feb. 25, when it travels to Kannapolis, N.C., for the Pfeiffer
Intercollegiate.