Wofford wins weather-shortened Hummingbird Intercollegiate
SAPPHIRE, N.C. – The Wofford College men’s golf team earned its first tournament title of the 2015-16 season, winning the Hummingbird Intercollegiate with an 18-hole score of 8-under-par 276. The tournament was originally scheduled for two rounds, but Monday’s second round was canceled due to inclement weather.
Overnight rain showers coupled with continued rain on Monday morning and unfavorable forecasts for the mountains of southern Jackson County prompted tournament officials to cancel the final round. Wofford, the 18-hole leader, was declared the champion, claiming its second Hummingbird Intercollegiate championship after also winning back in 2013.
The victory is Wofford’s first since the Rutgers Invitational in September 2014. The Terriers have now won at least one tournament each of the last three years.
Senior Grant Waggoner and juniors Jeremy Grab and Andrew Novak all carded rounds of 3-under 68 in Sunday’s round. All three tied for fifth place. The 36-hole tournament, hosted by Western Carolina, teed off Sunday morning at The Country Club of Sapphire Valley.
The Terriers defeated second-place Marshall by three strokes (-5). Host Western Carolina came in third (-4).
Wofford’s fall season comes to a close with the conclusion of the tournament. The Terriers return to competitive action Feb. 22, 2016, in the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate.
Western Carolina finishes third at Hummingbird Intercollegiate
SAPPHIRE, N.C. – Overnight rain showers coupled with continued rain on Monday morning and unfavorable forecasts for the mountains of southern Jackson County have prompted tournament officials to cancel Monday’s final round of the 2015 Hummingbird Intercollegiate, hosted by the Western Carolina men’s golf at the Country Club of Sapphire Valley.
First-round leader Wofford was declared the team champion, claiming its second Hummingbird Intercollegiate championship after also winning back in 2013.
Already delayed from the anticipated final round 9:25 a.m. start, course and rules officials surveyed the layout mid-morning to assess the situation. The bunkers that dot the course were in good condition, as were most of the greens. However, several tee boxes and fairways had standing, casual water that would have taken time and rulings to seek nearest relief, thus slowing the rate of play.
Forecasters predicted rain showers – some heavy – continue throughout the morning, which would push the earliest viable start time to around noon. Those forecasts, with the addition of the daylight savings time shift in the clocks, left the best course of action to forego the final 18 holes.
For the Catamounts, six of the eight golfers in competition on their home course posted first-round scores of even-par or better with five carding their collegiate career-low rounds. Senior Tyler Lail finished in a tie for second place with a score of 67, matched by junior Evan Smith, who played unattached as an individual. It was Lail’s third top-five finish in four events in the fall while Smith birdied six of his final seven holes to roar to the top half of the leaderboard.
Freshman Alex Lee tallied a career-best finish in a tie for 10th overall at 2-under-par 69, with classmate Mark David Johnson placing in a tie for 23rd after shooting even-par 71. Rounding out WCU’s scoring five was sophomore Jackson Bishop (73) in a tie for 35th and freshman Lawson King (80) in 62nd.
In addition to Smith playing unattached, sophomore Bright Julamool and freshman Bradley Durand finished tied for 23rd with matching scores of even-par 71.
The cancellation of the final round on Monday ends the fall portion of Western Carolina’s 2015-16 season. The Catamounts return to action in the spring semester at Francis Marion’s Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate, a 54-hole tournament in Hilton Head Island, S.C., Feb. 22-23, 2016.
ETSU 13th at Warrior Princeville Makai Invite
KAUAI, Hawaii – Senior Adrian Meronk led the ETSU men’s golf team in the opening round of the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational, as the 39th-ranked player is tied for 17th after carding a 1-under 71 on Monday at the Princeville Makai Golf Club.
Despite getting off to a slow start, Meronk finished strong to move within five shots of the lead. Meronk – who posted two bogeys in his first five holes and was sitting 2-over following another bogey on the par-3 14th – birdied the par-4 14th and ended the round with an eagle on the par-5 18th en route to finishing with the 71.
Meronk was the only Buccaneer to register a score below par, however, and No. 45 ETSU sits in 13th place at 7-over-par 295 after first-round play.
Wake Forest has a grip on the team and individual lead, as the third-ranked Demon Deacons fired a 10-under-par 278 and No. 46 Cameron Young recorded a 6-under 66. Wake Forest holds a three-stroke lead over No. 16 Alabama and a six-shot advantage over Cal Poly and Pepperdine. Meanwhile, Young sits atop the individual leaderboard by two strokes over a group of four golfers at 4-under 68.
ETSU’s other countable scores on Monday came from seniors Gudmundur Kristjansson’s and Chris Hickman, along with freshman Geuntae Kim. Kristjansson shot a 2-over 74 (T43), while Hickman and Kim are tied for 51st at 3-over 75.
Second round play gets underway Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. Eastern, as ETSU is paired with Idaho, San Diego and tournament host Hawaii.