Kristjansson, ETSU win Greenbrier Collegiate
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – The ETSU men’s golf team won the 2015 Greenbrier Collegiate Invitational title and junior Gudmundur Kristjansson shared medalist honors as final-round play was cancelled due to inclement weather on Tuesday at The Old White TPC Course.
The teams were through the first four holes of competition when sirens went off, forcing the groups to clear the course due to lightning. After waiting out a one-hour, thirty-minute weather delay, the final round was called, forcing the final results to return where they stood following Monday’s 36 holes of play.
Following the first two rounds, the 39th-ranked Buccaneers held a one-shot lead over Eastern Kentucky as ETSU sat atop the leaderboard at 6-over-par 566. The Blue and Gold, who won their second team title of the season, carded an even-par 280 in Monday’s opening round and followed that up with a 6-over 286 later in the afternoon as weather conditions worsened.
ETSU claimed its first tournament title in the season-opening event at the Inverness Intercollegiate back in September, marking the first time the Buccaneers won multiple team championships since winning four in 2010.
Likewise, Kristjansson received medalist honors for the second time this season, as he tied for the individual title at 3-under-par 137. Kristjansson registered eight birdies in the first two rounds on Monday and shared medalist honors with Eastern Kentucky’s Jared Brown and Elon’s Jonathan Dilanni. Kristjansson fired a 2-under 68 in the opening round and totaled a 1-under 69 in round two.
Junior Adrian Meronk and Mateusz Gradecki also posted top-20 finishes. Meronk, another two-time champion this season and the 18th-ranked golfer by Golfstat, finished fifth at 1-under-par 139 and Gradecki tied for 17th at 4-over-par 144.
Seniors Rhys Pugh and Tom Heggarty both tied for 37th at 8-over-par 148.
The Bucs now begin preparations for the Southern Conference Championship, which begins Sunday, April 19, at Pinehurst No. 9 in Pinehurst, N.C.
Wofford finishes second at Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational
SPARTANURG, S.C. – The United States Military Academy outdueled Wofford to win the 2015 Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational on Tuesday at The Country Club of Spartanburg. The Cadets held a one-shot lead after Monday’s first two rounds and concluded the tournament with a 10-under 278 to win at 30-under-par 834. It was one shot shy of tying the tournament’s 54-hole record set by Lamar (-31) last year.
After shooting a 15-under 273 in Monday’s second round to get within a single shot, Wofford posted a 5-under 283 to finish second. Wofford’s three-day total of 24-under 840 matched its score from last year’s tournament, where the Terriers finished third behind Lamar and Elon. The second-place finish is Wofford’s third at its home tournament (2006, 2013).
Army’s Justin Pagila took medalist honors. Pagila came into the day two shots back and carded a 5-under 67 to win it at 11-under 205, besting Western Carolina’s J.T. Poston by a single stroke. Senior Brannan Hudson took third for the Terriers at 9-under 207, shooting a final-round 69 to match his career-low tournament total in relation to par.
Hudson and sophomore Andrew Novak were named to the Wofford Invitational All-Tournament Team. Novak tied for fourth at 7-under-par 209. Pagila, Poston, Army’s Marcus Plunkett and Francis Marion’s Lukas Crisp rounded out the all-tournament team.
Sophomore Jeremy Grab carded Wofford’s low-round of the day. The Charleston, S.C., native was on fire down the stretch, playing his final five holes at 5-under for a final-round 4-under 68. The run began with an eagle at the par-5 15th, followed by birdies on 16, 17 and his closing first. Grab tied for ninth in the tournament at 4-under-par 212.
Senior Cory Taylor and sophomore Cam Andrade rounded out Wofford’s team competitors. Taylor tied for 39th at 4-over 220 and Andrade was a stroke back in 44th.
Terrier freshmen Evan Grenus, Patrick Bridges and senior Andrew Fowler were in the field as individuals. Grenus was the best of the three at 3-over-par 219. Fowler tied Taylor in 39th and Bridges tied Andrade in 44th.
Wofford now looks ahead to the 2015 Southern Conference Championship, to be held Sunday, April 19, through Tuesday, April 21, at Pinehurst No. 9 in Pinehurst, N.C. This will be the 79th annual Southern Conference Men's Golf Championship.
Poston runner-up, Western Carolina finishes fourth at Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Carding his third consecutive round under par on Tuesday, Western Carolina senior J.T. Poston finished in second to lead the Catamounts to a fourth-place showing at the 27th annual Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational, the squad’s final tuneup tournament before the Southern Conference Men’s Golf Championship.
Poston fired three straight rounds in the 60s to lead a pair of Catamount individuals inside the top 15 at the par-72, 6,648-yard Country Club of Spartanburg. His final score of 206 is tied for the fourth-best individual three-round score in school history.
As a team, WCU carded a season-low 54-hole score of 8-under-par 856, the fifth-best 54-hole score in program history and the team’s best showing since 2010. The second-round score of 282 turned in on Monday afternoon ranks tied for the seventh-best single round in program history.
Poston opened his final round with the first of two birdies on the front nine to make the turn at 2-under-par. His lone blemish came with a bogey on the par-4 10th, moving him back to 1-under-par, where he would stay until the final three holes of the day. The Hickory, N.C., native charted three consecutive birdies to close the tournament with a 4-under round of 68. He finished with a team-best 15 birdies.
Freshman Jackson Bishop posted his third straight round of 1-under-par 71 on Tuesday to record both his best career-finish in a tie for 15th on his career-low 54-hole score of 213. The Gainesville, Ga., native countered five bogeys with six birdies on the final day of competition.
Junior Tyler Lail slipped 15 spots in the final standings with a 4-over-par 76 in the final round with a three-day score of 218 to place in a tie for 29th.
Rounding out WCU’s scoring five were senior Matthew Turner in a tie for 34th, one stroke back of Lail at 219, and sophomore Nont Panayanggool in 70th at 230.
Western Carolina now turns its full attention to the 2015 SoCon Men’s Golf Championship, April 19-21 at Pinehurst No. 9 in Pinehurst, N.C. The winner of the 54-hole tournament will garner the league’s automatic bid into a NCAA tournament regional field.
Furman finishes ninth at Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Junior Wehman Hopke (-4) carded a final-round 71 to tie for ninth and lead Furman on Tuesday in the Wofford Invitational at the par-72, 6,648-yard Country Club of Spartanburg.
Hopke, who birdied No. 4 and added three birdies on the back, concluded the tournament seven strokes behind Army’s Justin Paglia (-11), who recorded a 67 in the final round for a 54-hole total of 205.
Paladin sophomore Bryce Howell (-3) tallied four birdies on Tuesday to card a 70 and tie for 15th, while junior Preston Cole (+3) also scored a 70 with five birdies, including back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 and 17, tying for 34. Freshman Adam Garrett (+5) notched consecutive birdies on Nos. 15 & 16 to tie for 44th after carding a final-round 78. Redshirt freshman Alex Taylor (+27) added consecutive birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 to place 74th.
Army (-30) beat host Wofford (-24) after scoring 277-279-278=834, just one shot shy of tying the tournament record. Presbyterian (-10) placed third, followed by Western Carolina (-8) and Francis Marion (-7), who completed the top five. The Paladins (+1) placed ninth in the team competition.
Furman will compete at the Southern Conference Championship in Pinehurst, N.C., April 19-21.