Sept. 25, 2009

Florida State, Kittleson Earn Championships At GolfWeek Conference Challenge

RIVERSIDE, Iowa - The Florida State men's golf team rallied from four strokes down entering the final round and stormed to an eight stroke victory over Iowa to claim the championship of the Inaugural GolfWeek Conference Challenge at the Blue Top Ridge Club Golf Club. The Seminoles shot the second best team round of the three-round event (281) in the final round to earn the victory in the season opening tournament for men's collegiate golf.

Junior Drew Kittleson also staged a rally of his own as he shot a third-round best four-under par 68 over the final 18 holes to finish as the co-champion in the individual standings. He began the final round in a tie for second place and two strokes behind Iowa's Brad Hopfinger in the race for individual medalist honors. Kittleson shot a 68 in the final round while Hopfinger shot a 70 to draw the two players into a tie. Kittleson birdied four of his final seven holes to draw even at the end with Hopfinger.

The team championship was the first of the season and fifth in the last three seasons for the Seminoles under head coach Trey Jones. The Seminoles won the Inverness Intercollegiate, the Seminole Intercollegiate and the ACC Championship in 2008 and the Florida State Spring Break Invitational in 2009. The individual championship was the first of Kittleson's 22-match Seminole career.

Clemson Finishes 9th at Carpet Classic

Clemson, SC - Ben Martin shot a two-under par 214 total to lead Clemson to a ninth place finish at the Carpet Classic in Dalton, GA on Sunday. It was the opening event of the 2009-10 season for the Tigers. The 12-team tournament included seven of the top 20 teams in the nation.

Martin, fresh off a runnerup finish at the US Amateur last month, had rounds of 70-73-71 in recording his 214 score. Jacob Burger and Alex Boyd were tied for 33rd in the tournament at 222 for the 54 holes. Burger had a pair of under par rounds with a 71 in the first round and a 69 in the second round, but a second round 82 kept him out of the top 10. His 69 on Sunday was the low round of the tournament by a Clemson golfer.

Luke Hopkins had a 74 on Sunday after a pair of 77s in the first two rounds. The senior from Greer finished 45th. Crawford Reeves, playing in his first college event, finished with a 76 on Sunday and a 236 total for the tournament,, 54th place.

Georgia Tech Golfers Finish Third at Carpet Capital Collegiate

Minghao Wang and John-Tyler Griffin each shot 2-under-par 70 Sunday, and four Georgia Tech players scored under par to lift the Yellow Jackets into a third-place finish at the Carpet Capital Collegiate in Rocky Face, Ga.

The 11th-ranked Yellow Jackets, who stood ninth after Friday's first round and began the final round tied for fifth, turned in a 6-under-par total of 282 Sunday, a score bettered only by tournament winner Tennessee. Paul Haley and Kyle Scott each posted a 1-under 71 over the 7,012-yard, par 72 Farm Golf Club. Tech discarded an even-par 70 from freshman Bo Andrews.

After a slow start Sunday in which Tech's four counting players posted seven bogeys between them in the first four holes, they played the final 14 holes in 11-under-par. Only Wang faltered late, bogeying the final two holes after getting to 4-under-par. Griffin, Haley and Scott played the back nine collectively in 6-under-par with only one bogey.

Wake Forest Finishes Tied For 6th At Carpet Capital Classic

ROCKY FACE, Ga. - The Wake Forest men's golf team carded a final round 290 to finish tied for sixth at the season-opening Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic at The Farm Golf Club in Rocky Face, Ga. Sophomores Daniel Meggs and Lee Bedford each finished the tournament tied for 17th at 1-over par.

Tennessee posted four rounds under-par on Sunday to card a stunning 13-under 274 and would run away with the team title. The Volunteers won by 12-shots over Chattanooga and 16-shots over ACC-foe Georgia Tech. The Deacons finished the tournament 11-over par and tied Alabama for sixth place.

After opening with a 6-over 78, Meggs posted back-to-back under-par rounds, including a 1-under 71 on Sunday to tie his career tournament-low at 1-over 217.

Men's Golf Finishes Sixth at Maryland Intercollegiate

CAMBRIDGE, Md. - Sophomore John Popeck fired a 2-under-par 69 in the final round to finish in a tie for 11th place, leading the University of Maryland men's golf team to a sixth-place finish Sunday in the Maryland Intercollegiate at River Marsh Golf Club.

Overall, the Terrapins shot 875 (290-289-296) over three rounds. North Carolina won the event, shooting an 849 as a team, one stroke better than runner-up Virginia Commonwealth.

Sophomore Sean Brannan also finished in the top 20 finishers for the Terps, shooting a 4-over-par 217 with consistent rounds of 73, 71 and 73 to finish in a tie for 14th place.

The UNC Men's Golf Team Wins Maryland Intercollegiate

The University of North Carolina men's golf team came from seven strokes down after the second round to edge out Virginia Commonwealth by a single stroke for the championship of the Maryland Intercollegiate. Carolina fired a one-under-par 283 in the final round to finish with a three-under 849 total. The Tar Heels were led by Henry Zaytoun III who fired a three-under-par 68 in the final round to jump from fourth place to a tie for individual medalist honors with a seven-under 206 total.

Zaytoun, a junior from Raleigh, N.C. who picked up his first collegiate win, was tied for fourth going into the final round, but fired a three-under 68 on Sunday to finish at seven-under 206 as a co-champion with Ben Kohles of Virginia.

Carolina's 849 total was one stroke better than VCU''s 850 as the Rams carded a seven-over 291 on Sunday. NC State finished in third place at six-over 858 while Virginia finished fourth at 862, Kent State placed fifth at 865 and host Maryland was sixth at 875.

Men's Golf in Fourth Place at Maryland Intercollegiate

Cambridge, Md. - After the first round of play, the NC State men's golf team is currently in fourth place at the Maryland Intercollegiate after firing a score of 286. Second round action was cut short due to darkness, so the conclusion of that round and the third and final round will both take place tomorrow.

Wolfpack freshman Mitch Sutton was the Pack's top performer in first round action as he shot a three-under (69). Senior Brad Revell sits in sixth place after he had a two-under (70). Senior Hertzog Landman had a one-over (73), while senior Kent Copeland and junior Matt Hill each shot a two-over (74).

North Carolina holds the overall team lead after the first round, with a 280. UNC's Henry Zaytoun holds the individual lead as well, shooting a six-under (66).

Kohles Wins Medalist Honors at Maryland Intercollegiate as UVa Places Fourth

Cambridge, MD - Virginia sophomore Ben Kohles (Cary, N.C.) tied North Carolina's Henry Zaytoun for first-place honors at the Maryland Intercollegiate at River Marsh Golf Club. Both players finished at 7-under 206. Kohles' score on the par-71 course bettered his previous best 54-hole total by six shots.

Kohles becomes the first UVa golfer to finish first at a tournament since Brad Tilley was the medalist at the 2006 Cavalier Classic. Kohles' previous top finish was a sixth-place showing at the Argonaut Invitational last spring that Virginia won. It marks the fifth time in his career he has led the team in scoring and it is his third top-10 performance. He was 13th at last year's Maryland Intercollegiate.

Included in the 81-man tournament field was NC State's Matt Hill, the 2009 NCAA Champion and Male Golfer of the Year.

Florida Statge Finishes 5th At Olympia Fields

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. - Florida State University senior Seath Lauer finished in a career-best tied for third place in the individual standings and the No. 25 Seminole men's golf team finished in fifth place in the team standings as play in the Olympia Fields Invitational came to a close on Sunday. The finish was Lauer's best since finishing in a tie for fourth place at the Linger Longer Invitational during the spring of 2007 while the team finish marked the second consecutive top-five finish for the Seminoles this fall. Florida State claimed the team championship at the GolfWeek Conference Challenge to open the fall season.

Arizona State, which is ranked No. 6 is this week's GolfWord/Nike Coaches' Poll, won the team championship with a two stroke victory over No. 1 ranked Oklahoma State. The Cowboys made up four shots in the final round but fell just short of overtaking the Sun Devils. The Seminoles finished in fifth place behind the No. 6 Sun Devils, No. 1 Oklahoma State, No. 23 Texas and No. 5 Stanford. The Seminoles finished ahead of No. 3 Georgia, No. 9 Florida, No. 10 Southern Cal and No. 12 Illinois.

Lauer (Huntington, Ind.) finished with a three-over par score of 213 in earning the second top five finish of his career. He spent the entire tournament in the top four of the individual standings as he finished with scores of 68-71-74. Lauer was below par for more than half of the tournament after coming within one stroke of tying his career-best with a 68 in the first round.

Wake Forest's Bedford shots a 71 In Final Round Of Olympia Fields Invite

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. - Sophomore Lee Bedford carded his second straight 71 to lead the Wake Forest men's golf team in the final round of the Olympia Fields/Illini Invitational at the famed Olympia Fields Country Club Sunday morning. The Deacons carded a 299 as a team and finished in a tie for 13th.

Bedford made a pair of birdies on 15 and 16 and would make the turn at 1-under par. He then made seven pars and two bogeys on the front nine to post his second 71 and would finish tied for 12th at 7-over par.

Senior Brendan Gielow also had a good week for the Deacs, finishing tied for 14th at 8-over after posting rounds of 72-74-72=218 (+8). He had an up-and-down first nine on Sunday, making just two pars but still posting a 1-over 36. He then carded a matching 36 on the front nine for his second 72 of the tournament.