Jenkins wins, UNCG runner-up at Wolfpack Intercollegiate
RALEIGH, N.C. – UNCG freshman men’s golfer Carter Jenkins won the 2013 Wolfpack Intercollegiate at the Lonnie Poole Golf Course on Tuesday in just his third career collegiate event. Jenkins won the event with an UNCG program-record score of 13-under-par 203, trimming two strokes off the previous low of 205 set by Andy Bare at the Bradford Creek Intercollegiate in the 2006-07 season.
Jenkins opened the tournament with a 7-under par 65 in round one before tying the UNCG program record for 18 holes with a 9-under par 63 in round two Monday. He closed his record-tying round with seven birdies on the back nine, including five straight to end the afternoon with an exclamation point. He recorded 19 birdies in 36 holes of play Monday. Jenkins rounded out his two-stroke victory with a 3-over-par 75 Tuesday as conditions took a turn across the field. He becomes the first Spartan individual medalist since Robert Hoadley won the same Wolfpack Intercollegiate in 2011-12.
The Spartans finished the tournament second in the team standings with a 10-under-par 854. The 854 score is the third-lowest 54-hole team total in program history. The Spartans opened the tournament with a program-record 276 in round one before posting a 278 in round two, which was good for the fourth-lowest round in program history. UNCG finished behind East Tennessee State, which turned in a 21-under-par 843.
Sophomore Taylor Coalson posted the Spartans’ second top-10 showing of the event, as he placed seventh overall with a 2-under par 214. Coalson opened the event with a 5-under-par 67 in round one before adding a 3-under-par 69 in round two. He rounded out his event with a 6-over-par 78 Monday to secure his fourth top-10 finish of his career and first of the season.
Sophomore Luke Haithcock turned in a 40th-place finish as he fired a 7-over-par 223. Haithcock opened with a 7-over-par 79 before rebounding with a 1-under-par 71 in round two and a 1-over-par 73 in the final round. Eight of his nine rounds this season have been fired at a 76 score or lower.
Junior Roy Dixon posted an 8-over-par 224 to place 47th overall. Dixon opened with an even-par 72 and a 6-over-par 78 Monday before wrapping up the event with a 2-over-par 74. Freshman Jake McGlone posted a 10-over-par 226, including the Spartans’ third hole-in-one in program history during the first round Monday.
The Spartans return to action Oct. 14-15 when they travel to Duluth, Ga., for the Auto Trader Collegiate at the Berkeley Hill Country Club.
Western Carolina tied for 15th at Wolfpack Intercollegiate
RALEIGH, N.C. – Western Carolina junior J.T. Poston carded a final-round even-par 72 to finish fourth in the individual standings at the Wolfpack Intercollegiate, which concluded Tuesday at the par-72, 7,358-yard Lonnie Poole Golf Course.
Behind Poston’s strong showing, the Catamounts advanced one position in the final team standings, placing 14th out of the 17-team field with a 54-hole score of 902.
Including all three rounds this week, Poston has shot even-par or better in each of the first nine rounds to start the 2013-14 season. Poston’s worst score this fall, in fact, has been the even-par 72 carded on Tuesday’s final 18 holes. The Hickory, N.C., native is averaging a career-best 68.89 strokes per round through the first three tournaments this fall.
All told, Poston carded 12 birdies and 35 pars over the 54-hole event, shooting 208 collectively.
Freshman Nont Panayanggool just missed tying his career-best, three-round event score by a stroke, shooting 3-over-par 75 on the final day for a two-day total of 225 to finish tied for 54th.
Panayanggool led WCU with 36 scores of par in the tournament, while carding five birdies.
Senior Greg Bunner finished tied for 77th overall with a three-round total of 234, with redshirt junior Collin Witiak (84th-t, 240) and senior Jack Walsh (86th, 241) rounding out WCU’s scoring five. Bunner had five birdies at the event, all coming on Monday, while Witiak bounced back from a first-round 83 to shoot 8-over 80 on Tuesday with two birdies. Walsh, likewise, carded two birdies over the final round to give him three in the tournament, shooting his best round of the week at 7-over-par 79.
Future Southern Conference member East Tennessee State rallied past fellow league member and second-round leader UNCG to claim the top team honors by 11 strokes. The Buccaneers shot a final-round 286 compared to the even-300 turned in by the Spartans to win the event with a three-round score of 843. Event host NC State finished third at 865 with East Carolina (871) and UNCW (872) rounding out the top five.
Western Carolina is idle until the end of October, when it opens back-to-back weekends of competition to close the fall portion of its schedule. The Catamounts travel to the Invitational at the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, S.C., Oct. 27-29, before hosting the expanded, three-round Hummingbird Intercollegiate at the picturesque Country Club of Sapphire Valley on Nov. 3-5.
Davidson ties for eighth at Firestone Invitational
AKRON, Ohio – Highlighted by three sub-par rounds, including a personal-best 4-under 68 from Todd Eckstein, the Davidson men’s golf team carded a 284 (-4) in the final round of the Firestone Invitational to come home tied for eighth Tuesday afternoon.
The 54-hole event was played on the par-72, 7,125-yard Firestone Country Club layout.
Davidson (883), which entered the 17-team event ranked 85th in the latest Golfstat Top 100, posted the day’s third-lowest round to finish just 10 strokes out of second place.
Richard Fountain (E / T-8th), who held a share of the first-round lead after a 3-under 69 Monday morning, fired a 1-under 71 in his final round to record his 14th career top-10 showing.
After opening with a 6-over 78, Eckstein bounced back to play his final 36 holes in 4-under par, which included nine birdies and an eagle. The junior entered the day tied for 32nd before his career low boosted him into a tie for 13th at 2-over 218 (78-72-68).
The Wildcats’ third red-number round came from Sam Echikson (79-72-70 = 221 / T-27th), who posted seven birdies on the day before recording a 2-under 70.
David Sargent (231 / T-70th) and Ralph Blasey (234 / T-75th) also competed for Davidson.
USC Aiken fired a tournament-low 282 to claim the team title by two strokes over Washington State. Following Monday’s second round, the Pacers were tied for third, nine shots off the pace.
Eastern Michigan’s Stuart Grehan (-9) played the last three holes in 3-under to card his second straight 5-under 67 and take home individual medalist.
This year’s field also included No. 69 Samford, No. 86 Saint Mary’s, College of Charleston, Francis Marion, Georgetown, Illinois State, Kansas State, Nebraska, Old Dominion, Western Kentucky, Miami (Ohio) and Ohio.
Davidson will conclude its fall campaign at the Donald Ross Intercollegiate, Oct. 14-15, in Morganton, N.C.
Samford finishes 15th at Firestone Invitational
AKRON, Ohio – Samford men's golfer Zach Hughes earned a 13th-place finish Tuesday at The Firestone Invitational, presented by FirstEnergy Solutions, which was held this week at the par-72, 7,125-yard Firestone Country Club North Course.
Hughes, the Bulldogs' junior native of Mobile, Ala., carded a three-round total of 2-over-par 218 (76-72-70) at the talent-laden 90-player event and improved in each round of the two-day competition. On Tuesday, Hughes sizzled his way through the course and posted a team-best, 2-under-par 70 in the final round of play.
Hughes registered his third consecutive top-15 finish, a streak that dates back to the 2013 Southern Conference Championship. Earlier this fall, the Bulldogs' upperclassman earned runner-up honors at the 29th annual Francis Marion SpringHill Suites Intercollegiate.
Additionally, Samford true freshman Garrett Moores finished the tournament Tuesday with a 54-hole tally of 223 (75-75-73), while senior William Catanzaro posted a 226 (76-78-72) and sophomore Chris Clouser notched a three-round mark of 230 (79-74-77). Sophomore Clay Nolen rounded out the Bulldogs' scoring with a final tally of 241 (81-81-79).
In the team rankings, USC Aiken (871) registered a two-stroke victory over second-place Washington State (873), while Eastern Michigan (875), Kansas State (877) and St. Mary's (879) rounded out the top five. Samford finished the tournament in 15th place with a total team score of 897 (306-299-292).
The Samford University men's golf team will next be in action Monday as the Bulldogs continue their fall season at the 2013 Donald Ross Intercollegiate, which will be hosted by Appalachian State University at the Mimosa Hills Country Club in Morgantown, N.C.