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By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – Paced by a sizzling 69 from sophomore Bryce Kendrick, the Tennessee Tech men's golf team vaulted all the way to fourth place Tuesday, shooting the third-best score of the day in the 2014 Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate at Sevierville Golf Course.
The University of Tennessee carded an even-par to maintain the comfortable margin it built Monday, and won the team championship with a 54-hole score of 853. Eastern Kentucky held on to second place with an 878, while West Georgia stayed in third, finishing one shot back of the Colonels.
Coach Polk Brown's Golden Eagles, who opened the tournament in 10th place after the first round in Monday's cold and rain, jumped to eighth place after the second round. On Tuesday, playing in partly sunny and much improved conditions, the Golden Eagles fashioned a 291 and leaped past four other teams to grab fourth place with an 891 total.
Northern Kentucky (893) jumped to fifth with a strong finish Monday, followed by UT Martin (895), Longwood (898), Evansville (902), Detroit (905), Murray State (914), Tennessee State (915) and Wright State (938).
On the individual leaderboard, Tennessee's Oliver Goss won medalist honors by three shots. He fired rounds of 71-66-73 to finish at 210, edging out teammate Danny Keddie, who carded scores of 66-76-71 for a 213. Joining that pair on the four-player all-tournament team were Wes Gosselin of Chattanooga (215) and Tanner Walton of Northern Kentucky (216), who shot 68 the final day to break a tie with Eastern Kentucky's Stuart Witt (216).
Tech was led by Kendrick, a sophomore who roared to a 69 Monday as one of just five sub-70 efforts on the day. That left him with a 75-73-69—217 total and lifted him into a tie for sixth place overall.
Sophomore Mitchell Thomas carded rounds of 77-73-73 for a 223 and a 21st place finish, while junior Mason Griffin (in photo above) ended in a tie for 28th place with 76-72-77—225. Junior Lee Whitehead showed steady improvement with scores of 77-75-73 for a 227 total and tie for 37th place. Rounding out Tech's lineup, sophomore Adam Cunningham tied for 48th place at 79-75-76—230.
Senior Tanner Garland competed as an individual, finishing with scores of 87-75-89 for a 54-hole total of 261.
Next on the schedule for the Golden Eagles is the Arkansas State Red Wolf Invitational, April 7-8, in Jonesboro, Ark.
