By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It took all of three days for true freshman Matthew Giles make his presence felt on the links for the Tennessee Tech men's golf team. It took even less time for the Ohio Valley Conference to recognize his skill as the league tabbed the newcomer its adidas® Male Golfer of the Week recipient.
A native of Louisville, Tenn., Giles kicked off his Golden Eagle career with a splash, leading his squad to a tie for seventh place at the GolfWeek Program Challenge and a first-place showing among the four OVC programs in the field. He carded rounds of 70-71-69 to finish 6-under at his first collegiate event and in a tie for 12th place in the 90-man field.
Giles worked the greens of True Blue Golf Club much of the three-day event, tying with the event's medalist (David Wicks of Jacksonville) and runner-up (Ryan Cole of James Madison) for most birdies among the 90 participants. He notched 15 circles on his scorecard, including a staggering seven in his first round as a collegiate golfer.
The rookie became the first Tech freshman ever to garner OVC Male Golfer of the Week honors, thanks to his record-setting performance. Giles set the Golden Eagles' all-time freshman scoring record with his 54-hole total of 210 in Myrtle Beach.
The men's squad will return to action Monday, Sept. 21 for the two-day, three-round Murray State Invitational in Murray, Ky.
Photo by Cody Bryant, TTU Photo Services
