By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It's been a whirlwind week for sophomore golfer Mitch Thomas. The Knoxville native led the Tennessee Tech men's golf team to a fourth-place finish at the Bearcat Invitational Tuesday and earned adidas® Ohio Valley Conference Male Co-Golfer of the Week honors on Wednesday.
Thomas led the way for the Golden Eagles in their third event of the year, playing by the far the best tournament of his young career. The sophomore blitzed the field of 80 participants for a 68-71-72=211 to finish in a tie for second place overall. He found himself in first place through the first two rounds at the 7,100-yard, par-72 Traditions Golf Club, but third-round 68s from Brian Anania of Marshall (the medalist of the event) and Baxter Reeves of Cincinnati (tied with Thomas) helped to just edge the young Golden Eagle in Hebron, Ky.
With the second-place finish, Thomas became the first Golden Eagle to finish second or better at an event since Tyler Cassetty took second at the Grover Page Classic on Mar. 15, 2011. He also finished with the lowest three-round score since Cassetty dropped a 209 at the Miller Memorial Invitational on Oct. 4, 2011. Thomas earned all-tournament honors for the event as well.
Thomas also became the first Golden Eagle to earn adidas® OVC Male Golfer of the Week since PGA Tour member Scott Stallings won it on Mar. 7, 2007. He ranks third in the OVC in stroke average with a mark of 71.7 per 18 holes.
Here's a look at the others nominated and the adidas® OVC Female Golfer of the Week:
adidas® Male Co-Golfer of the Week
Mitch Thomas · So. · Knoxville, Tenn. · Tennessee Tech
Thomas carded rounds of 68-71-72 to finish tied for second in a field of 80 golfers at the Bearcat Invitational held at the Traditions Golf Course in Hebron, Ky. Thomas finished with a 54-hole score of 211 (-5) to finish one stroke behind the individual medalist. His performance helped Tennessee Tech to a fourth place finish in a field of 16 teams, including five other OVC programs. Thomas currently ranks third in the OVC in stroke average (71.7).
adidas® Male Co-Golfer of the Week
Tyler Guy · So. · Clarksville, Tenn. · UT Martin
Guy carded rounds of 69-68-69 to finish second out of 88 golfers at the Skyhawk Classic held at Paris Landing State Park in Buchanan, Tenn. Guy finished with a three round total of 206 (-10) to finish two shots behind the individual medalist. He helped UTM to a second place team finish in a field of 15 teams. Guy currently ranks second in the OVC in stroke average (71.6).
Others Nominated: Anthony Bradley, Austin Peay; Austin Sproles, Eastern Illinois; Jordan Smith, Murray State.
adidas® Female Golfer of the Week
Anna Appert Lund · So. · Bromma, Sweden · Morehead State
Appert Lund tied for fifth in a field of 95 players at the competitive LPGA Xavier Invitational held at the LPGA International Golf Course in Daytona Beach, Fla. The sophomore carded rounds of 77-71-74 to finish at 222 (+6). Her performance helped Morehead State to a second place finish out of 18 teams. It marks the second time she has been named OVC Golfer of the Week this season. Lund currently ranks fifth in the OVC in stroke average (73.8) and has three Top 5 finishes in four total events this fall.
Others Nominated: Tiffany Wolf, Eastern Illinois; Sofie Levin, Eastern Kentucky; Whitney Robertson/Lydia Triplett, Tennessee Tech.