Chattanooga Earns Semifinals Berth at Collegiate Match Play Presented by Callaway
Chris Robb and Benni Weilguni win twice to propel Mocs past USF and Oklahoma State

BRADENTON, Fla. --- The Chattanooga Mocs earned a semifinal berth at the Collegiate Match Play presented by Callaway beating USF and 22nd-ranked Oklahoma State. Chris Robb (Aberdeenshire, Scotland) and Benni Weilguni (Langenlois, Austria) each won twice on the day to key the charge to the semis.

The Mocs started the day with a 4-1 win over the host Bulls. Liam Johnston (Dumfries, Scotland) posted an easy 7&5 win over Rick Kittelstad to set the tone for the match. Steven Fox (Hendersonville, Tenn.) and Robb each claimed 4&3 wins, while Weilguni won four of six holes to grab a 3&1 win over Devin Hernandez.

The quarterfinal match with Oklahoma State was a nail-biter. Weilguni gave Chattanooga a 1-0 lead with a 5&3 win over Brad Gehl. Sean Einhaus got the Cowboys on the board with a 3&1 win over Fox. Patrick Winther made it 2-1 OSU with a 2&1 topping of Johnston.

Robb evened the slate with a birdie on the seventh hole, his 17th of the day. It gave him a 3&1 win over Tanner Kesterdon. Stephan Jaeger (Munich, Germany) halved his match with Talor Gooch coming back from a three-hole deficit.

A birdie at 13 got the Ben Hogan Award candidate back to down two. He won with a par at 18 and then evened the match with a birdie on one. A bogey on three left him one down with a hole to play. Jaeger parred the 237-yard par three fourth to even the match and send it to the tiebreaker. UTC won the most holes in the match thus was awarded the victory.

The Mocs return to Concession Golf Club in the morning to take on Arkansas in the semifinals. Defending champion Duke and Cal square off in the other half of the bracket. The Razorbacks topped East Carolina 4-1, while the Blue Devils beat Indiana 4-1. The Golden Bears cruised past Tennessee 4-0-1 in the quarters.

It's an 8:30 a.m., shotgun start Monday with the four semifinalists playing together starting on holes 1-4. Live scoring can be accessed on GoMocs.com via the men's golf schedule page.

First Round
No. 5 Chattanooga def. No. 12 USF 4-1
Trey Valentine (USF) def. Stephan Jaeger (UTC) 5&4
Steven Fox (UTC) def. Branden Collins (USF) 4&3
Benni Weilguni (UTC) def. Devin Hernandez (USF) 3&1
Liam Johnston (UTC) def. Rick Kittelstad (USF) 7&5
Chris Robb (UTC) def. Bodi Karsono (USF) 4&3

Quarterfinals
No. 5 Chattanooga def. No. 4 Oklahoma State 3-2
Stephan Jaeger (UTC) tied Talor Gooch (OSU) - Tiebreaker UTC won most holes
Sean Einhaus (OSU) def. Steven Fox (UTC) 3&1
Benni Weilguni (UTC) def. Brad Gehl (OSU) 5&3
Patrick Winther (OSU) def. Liam Johnston (UTC) 2&1
Chris Robb (UTC) def. Tanner Kesterdon (OSU) 3&1

 

Wofford Rallies to Finish in Third at Furman Intercollegiate

GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Wofford men's golf team shot a 282 in the third round to finish the Furman Intercollegiate in a tie for third place with a team score of 860 at the par-72, 6,994-yard Furman University Golf Club over the weekend.

The 860 was the lowest 54-hole score since September 21-22, 2007 at the Sea Trail Intercollegiate.

Clemson took the top spot in the standings with an 838 and Virginia Tech finished second with an 853. Coastal Carolina tied with the Terriers with an 860. Wofford finished above five other SoCon teams, Samford (868), Furman (885), Elon (894) and Western Carolina (904)

Mark Joye led the Terriers with a 71-70-69-210 good enough for sixth place, and Chandler Brazeal followed with a 71-73-71--215 in 2oth. Branna Hudson carded a 75-70-73-218. Cory Taylor shot a 71-77-72--220, and Brent Whitehead shot a 75-77-70--222.

Sebastian Soderberg of Coastal Carolina took the top individual spot with a three rounds of 68 for a 204.

Wofford will tee off again on March 25 at the The Hootie at Bullsbay in Charleston, S.C. for its next tournament.

 

SAMFORD MEN'S GOLF CHARGES BACK TO TAKE EIGHTH PLACE AT FURMAN INTERCOLLEGIATE
--- The Bulldogs turn in the tournament's third best score of the day Sunday to improve four positions ---

GREENVILLE, S.C. --- The Samford University men's golf team turned in its best round of the week Sunday as the Bulldogs jumped four positions to earn an eighth-place finish at the talent-laden 2012 Furman Intercollegiate being held at the par-72, 6,994-yard Furman University Golf Club.

Samford carded a stellar third-round score of 282 as the Bulldogs turned in the third best mark of the day. The only two teams with better rounds to close out the tournament were No. 14-ranked Clemson (272) and Virginia Tech (281).

Heading into Sunday's competition, Samford was tied for 12th place in the highly-competitive, 21-team field consisting of Furman, Charleston Southern, No. 14 Clemson, Coastal Carolina, East Tennessee State, Elon, Francis Marion, Gardner-Webb, No. 21 Georgia, Georgia State, Marshall, Michigan, Presbyterian, No. 43 Purdue, Temple, Troy, Virginia Tech, Western Carolina, Winthrop and Wofford.

The Bulldogs' brilliant third-round performance allowed them to jump from 12th place to eighth place on the final day of competition at the 2012 Furman Intercollegiate. Samford finished second out of five Southern Conference teams in the field and place nine strokes better than No. 43-ranked Purdue.

No. 14-ranked Clemson claimed its third-consecutive Furman Intercollegiate title Sunday with a 54-hole tournament record 26-under-par 838. The Tigers' final-round 272 matched their own Furman Intercollegiate record, set in last year's final round.

Coastal Carolina's Sebastian Soderberg (68-68-68=204) claimed Individual Medalist honors at 12-under.

Samford finished the weekend with three players ranked among the top 30. In a field comprised of 126 competitors, the Bulldogs' Bill Nabors placed 16th in the final individual standings with a three-round total of 2-under-par 214 (71-72-71). Nabors' 2-under-par performance matches his best outing of the 2011-12 campaign.

Junior Drew Aimone paced Samford's rally Sunday as he posted the team's best score of the tournament, a 4-under-par 68. The Bulldogs' talented native of Savannah, Ga., used his stellar third-round performance to finish tied for 21st place in the Furman Intercollegiate. Aimone concluded the weekend with a 54-hole mark of even-par 216 (76-72-68).

Samford's Casey O'Toole, just a week after cruising to the championship title of the 2012 Samford Intercollegiate, turned in another solid score Sunday as he finished the tournament tied for 29th place and registered a three-round tally of 218 (73-73-72).

Rounding out the Bulldogs' scores at the 2012 Furman Intercollegiate were Zach Hughes (77-75-71=223) and Gabe Hyde (74-76-79=229).

The Samford University men's golf team will next be in action April 9-10 as the Bulldogs return to South Carolina for the 2012 Wofford Invitational to be held at the Country Club of Spartanburg in Spartanburg, S.C.

 

Clemson Rides Record Setting Day To Furman Intercollegiate Title

Greenville, S.C. - Clemson established a new 54-hole tournament record at 26-under par en route to its third consecutive Furman Intercollegiate title at the par-72, 6,994-yard Furman University Golf Club on Sunday. Coastal Carolina's Sebastian Soderberg (-12) carded his third straight 68 to capture individual medalist honors.

The Tigers, who matched their course record of 16-under 272, set in last year's final round, cruised to a 15-stroke victory over second place Virginia Tech (-11) and 22-stroke margin over third place finishers Wofford (-4) and Coastal Carolina (-4). Corbin Mills (-8) paced the Tigers with a final round 65 to claim third place while Thomas Bradshaw (-7) and Crawford Reeves (-7) shared fourth place after each posted a three-under 69 on Sunday.

The title marked the sixth Furman Intercollegiate crown for Clemson. The Tigers became just the second school (Virginia Tech, 2001-03) to claim the tournament title in three straight years.

Soderberg, in second place entering the final round, slipped by second round leader Matt Thompson (-10) of Michigan who placed second after a third round 71. The Chanticleer's top finisher birdied his first three holes and notched seven birdies for the day.

Senior Austin Reeves (-3) led the host Paladins by shooting even par on Sunday to claim a share of 11th place at three-under par. Junior Matt Brown (+2) used a 73 on Sunday to finish in a tie for 29th as Furman (+21) settled for 13th place in the 21-team field.

Furman freshman Josh Chay, playing as an individual, carded a final round 72.

Fans can log on to www.furmanpaladins.com or www.golfstatresults.com for complete results of this weekend's tournament.

Furman Results
13 Furman 296 290 299 885
T11 Austin Reeves 69 72 72 213
T29 Matt Brown 75 70 73 218
T52 J.B. Murphy 76 71 75 222
114 Matt Broome 76 80 79 235
T115 Sean Hassell 78 77 81 236

*T57 Josh Chay 75 76 72 223
*T93 Greg Carrier 72 82 75 229
*T93 Michael Borton 74 80 75 229
*119 Johnny Kyger 78 80 80 238

* - playing as individuals

 

Elon Men Conclude Furman Intercollegiate Golf Tournament

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Elon men's golf team finished its three rounds of play at the Furman Intercollegiate with a tournament score of 894 (303-291-300) to place in a tie for 17th in the event.

John Somers was the top performer for the Phoenix as he placed in a tie for 21st among the 126 players in the field. On Sunday, Somers had four birdies and also shot a two on the par-four 13th hole. He finished the weekend with a score of 216 (75-69-72).

In a tie for 48th was Stuart Kaufman. He shot a 221 (76-69-76) over his three rounds of play. He was followed by Jack Adkins who tied for 86th with a 228 (75-79-74).

Tanner Norton ended the event in a tie for 108th with a mark of 233 (77-78-78) while Blayze DiPasquale tied for 115th with a 236 (83-75-78).

Coastal Carolina's Sebastian Soderberg took medalist honors after three rounds of 68. His 204 bested Michigan's Matt Thompson by two strokes.

Clemson set a tournament 54-hole record by shooting a -26 838 (290-276-272) on the way to winning its third straight Furman Intercollegiate crown.

The Tigers were followed by Virginia Tech (294-278-281--853), Wofford (288-290-282--860) and Coastal Carolina (293-284-283--860). Georgia, Troy and Charleston Southern tied for fifth with an 867.

Other SoCon programs in the 21-team field included Samford (8th; 294-292-282--868), Furman (13th; 296-290-299--885) and Western Carolina (20th; 297-292-315--904).

Elon will play one more event prior to the SoCon Championship when it participates in the Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational in early April.

 

Catamount Men's Golf Finishes 20th at Furman Intercollegiate
Catamounts return to action March 25-27

Greenville, S.C. - Western Carolina finished in 20th-place after shooting a three-round 904 at the Furman Intercollegiate concluded Sunday afternoon at the par-72, 6,994-yard Furman University Golf Course.

Clemson established a new 54-hole tournament record at 26-under par en route to its third consecutive team title. Coastal Carolina's Sebastian Soderberg (-12) carded his third-straight round of 68 to capture individual medalist honors.

The Tigers, who matched their course record of 16-under 272, set in last year's final round, cruised to a 15-stroke victory over second place Virginia Tech (-11) and 22-stroke margin over third place finishers Wofford (-4) and Coastal Carolina (-4). Corbin Mills (-8) paced the Tigers with a final round 65 to claim third place while Thomas Bradshaw (-7) and Crawford Reeves (-7) shared fourth place after each posted a three-under 69 on Sunday.

The title marked the sixth Furman Intercollegiate crown for Clemson. The Tigers became just the second school (Virginia Tech, 2001-03) to claim the tournament title in three-straight years.

Freshman J.T. Poston led the five scoring Catamount golfers, placing in a tie for 52nd overall with a three-day total of 222, finishing with a final round four-over, 76. Poston played both the front and back nines at two-over par on Sunday, recording a birdie on the par-3 third hole, but finished with five bogies on the day.

Junior Steven Smith placed in a tie for 74th overall with a three-round score of 226, followed by sophomore Jack Walsh, one-stroke in arrears in a tie for 76th at 227. Rounding out the Catamount side were sophomore Greg Bunner in a tie for 104th (231) and junior Trey White in 107th-place at 232.

Western Carolina returns to action at the C&F Bank Invitational, hosted by William & Mary at the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va. The three-round event will be spread over three days on March 25-27 with practice rounds to be held on March 24.

 

ASU Men's Golf Sweeps Match Play Championship

HARMONY, Fla. - One day after breezing to the top seed in qualifying, Appalachian State University men's golf swept the championship match play round against Nyack College at the Harmony Match Play Tournament on Saturday.

In the top position, Dustin Hudson downed Camden Lawrence, 5-and-3, as none of the five matches went past the 15th hole.

Casey Komline followed with a 5-and-4 win against Matthew Yun and Jason Woodall claimed a 4-and-3 victory against Zhao Yung.

Appalachian's depth shined at the lower seeds as John Michael Cole took down Sean Lawrence, 6-and-4, while Darren Cook picked up a 5-and-4 triumph against Andres Aranguren to complete the 5-0 domination.

Recapping Friday's more standard qualifying rounds, junior Josh Nichols competed as an individual and carded a 70-73=143 (-1) to earn the individual medal. The Apps earned the top seed at the tournament with a 290-300=590 (+14).

Hudson led the team with a second-place finish at 70-76=146 (+2), while Komline finished the day in fifth at 75-73=148 (+4).

Woodall was right behind with a 74-75=149 (+5) in sixth place, while Cole carded a ninth-place 76-76=152 (+8) and Darren Cook tied for 12th with a 71-83=154 (+10).

Competing as indiviuals, Eric Eberspeaker tied for third with a 76-71=147 (+3) and Lance Wheeler wrapped up the 36 holes tied for 17th with a 75-81=156 (+12).

ASU won by 16 strokes over Nyack and the three other competing teams. Host Ohio Dominican placed third with a 611, ahead of Northwood (Mich.) and Daemen College.

The Mountaineers return from the spring break trip and head north to Williamsburg, Va. for the C&F Bank Invitational on March 25-27.