Elon sets records at Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – On day one of The Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational, the Elon men's golf team set a number of new tournament records on its way to finishing the two rounds with a 30-under 546 (274-272).
Elon matched the previous tournament record-low round of 274 in round one only to see Lamar better that by one stroke in the same round. Determined to claim that record, the Phoenix shot a 272 in round two and now holds that honor. The 272 also set the new mark as the lowest second-round score, surpassing the score of 274 recorded by Wofford last year.
The team's two-round score of 546 shattered the previous tournament mark for the lowest 36-hole score by 11 strokes. The previous standard was a 36-hole score of 557 by Wofford in 2013.
Two Phoenix players also sit at the top of the individual standings. John Somers leads the 83-player field with an 11-under 133 (65-68). Somers matched the tournament record for the lowest individual score through 36 holes. The mark had previously been established by Wake Forest's Barry Fabyan in 1989 and was matched in 2012 by Campbell's Vaita Guillaume. Somers' first-round score of 65 also equaled the tournament record as the lowest by an individual in the first round. His mark tied the one set by Clemson's Danny Ellis in 1993 and Radford's Paul Woodson in 2011. His round of 65 was also a career-low for the senior.
Over his 36 holes, Somers recorded tournament-best three eagles and 12 birdies, the second-most in the event.
In a tie for second place just three strokes back is Troy Beaver. Beaver got to his 136 thanks to rounds of 69 and 67. Those scores are the lowest two of his Elon career. Beaver posted 12 birdies over his 36 holes.
With a mark of 140, Will DiIanni and Jonathan DiIanni share 12th place through two rounds. Will DiIanni achieved his 140 with two rounds of 70, while Jonathan DiIanni carded marks of 73 and 67. Will DiIanni recorded 24 pars along with one eagle.
Stuart Kaufman ended the day in a tie for 37th with a score of 145 (70-75). He notched 10 birdies in his 36 holes on Monday.
The Phoenix will enter Tuesday's final round with an 11-stroke advantage on second-place Lamar (557). Host Wofford sits third with a 558, while Gardner-Webb and 50th-ranked TCU are tied for fourth in the 15-team field with a 565.
The third and final round of play will get under way from The Country Club of Spartanburg at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Wofford third at Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The 26th annual Wofford Invitational will go down as one to remember.
And there are still 18 holes to play.
Multiple tournament records that span the event's quarter-century history were broken and matched in Monday's first two rounds, and The Country Club of Spartanburg saw 50 eagles posted. The most notable was a hole-in-one by Wofford junior Cory Taylor on the par-3, 162-yard 14th, the first of his collegiate career.
The leader through it all is Elon, which accumulated a record-breaking 36-hole total of 30-under 546. The Phoenix set the tournament's new 18-hole record along the way, carding a second round of 16-under 272. Second-place Lamar is at 19-under and had set the new 18-hole record with a first round of 15-under 273 before it was broken five hours later when the Phoenix turned in its second round.
Adding to the day, Elon's John Somers tied the individual 36-hole record. Somers shot rounds of 7-under 65 and 4-under 68, sitting in first at 11-under 133.
Wofford is right in the thick of it in third place. The Terriers carded rounds of 11-under 277 and 7-under 281 for a two-round total of 18-under 558. Freshman Andrew Novak led the way with rounds of 1-under 71 and 6-under 66, sitting four shots back of Somers in fourth place.
Taylor did not have a bad day himself, carding a 5-under 67 and ever-par 72. Along with the ace on 14 in his first round, Taylor holed out from 150 yards for eagle in his second round on the par-4, 472-yard 13th. He is tied for 10th place.
Junior Brannan Hudson and senior Chandler Brazeal are tied for 17th at 3-under 141. Senior George Perkovich rounds out Wofford's team competitors at 7-over 151.
Three Terriers competed as individuals. Sophomore Jeremy Grab highlighted the trio, shooting 5-under 67 and 1-under 71 to sit tied for seventh on the leaderboard at 6-under 138. Senior Stuart McGoogan is tied for 48th at 3-over 147, while senior Brent McKenzie is in 53rd at 4-over 148.
Tuesday's final round is scheduled to tee off in a shotgun format at 9:30 a.m. The tournament's team record in relation to par is 23-under, which is threatened to be shattered.
Western Carolina tied for 12th at Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina junior J.T. Poston rallied 11 spots in the individual standings to complete day one in a three-way tie for seventh place after 36 holes in the 26th installment of the Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational at the par-72, 6,648-yard Country Club of Spartanburg. In 12th place after the opening round, the Catamounts finished the day in a tie for the same position, just five strokes outside of the top 10.
The final round is scheduled for a 9:30 am shotgun start on Tuesday. Paired with golfers from Presbyterian and High Point, the Catamount scoring five will start between holes Nos. 14 and 17 on the back nine.
Second-round play on Monday was halted for right at an hour after a band of heavy rain storms moved through the South Carolina Upstate around 5:05 p.m. and left conditions on the greens unplayable.
Poston, who was in an 18th-place tie overall after the completion of the first round, raced to the top of the individual leader board early in Monday’s first round, scoring birdie on three of his first six holes on the latter 2/3 of the front nine. The Hickory, N.C., product finished his first round with three bogeys and two birdies for a 2-under-par 70.
A bogey on the first hole of his second round left Poston at 1-over-par, where he stayed through the first seven holes. He finished the day by scoring birdie or better on four of the last 11, including three birdies and an eagle on the par-5, 508-yard 15th. He is in the clubhouse with a two-round score of 138, just five strokes off the pace.
Sophomore Tyler Lail carded rounds of 3-over-par 75 and 1-under 71 to sit in a tie for 44th overall at 146.
Redshirt junior Collin Witiak carded an eagle in the final hole of his first round to shoot 1-under 71 over the opening 18. His score had hovered between even and 1-over most of the morning before the eagle on the 494-yard par-5. The Columbia, S.C., native struggled through the start of his second round, opening with a double-bogey on No. 6 and following with five bogeys over his next 12 holes. At 7-over for the round with five holes to play, he rallied to chart birdies on three of the last five holes to shoot 5-over 77, entering the final round in a tie for 53rd at 148.
Junior Matthew Turner carded consecutive rounds of 76 for a first-day total of 152 to stand tied for 78th, while freshman Nont Panayanggool posted rounds of 78 and 80 to sit 83rd overall at 158.
UNCG tied for fourth at suspended Reunion Intercollegiate
JACKSON, Miss. – The UNCG men’s golf team played anywhere between 10-14 holes Monday before play was suspended at the Reunion Intercollegiate due to torrential and flooding rains at the Reunion Golf Country Club. The event has been shortened to only 36 holes as the teams will conclude round one Tuesday with an 8 a.m. (CT) shotgun start before immediately playing round two. All scores recorded Monday are unofficial scores until the round is completed.
The 52nd-ranked Spartans were unofficially tied for fourth place when play was halted, just four shots off the lead held by both Austin Peay and Southern Mississippi.
Freshman Carter Jenkins was the Spartans’ lowest scorer when play was halted, sitting in fourth place with a 1-under par through 14 holes, while sophomore Taylor Coalson was just one shot behind in eighth place with an even-par score after 10 holes.
The individual leader when play was stopped is Brett Patterson of Middle Tennessee, who is 3-under par after 12 holes.