Home of the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship, the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Fla., recently produced some good vibes for one of the Mid-South’s college programs.
Competing in the American Athletic Conference Men’s Golf Championship, the University of Memphis captured the first league title since it was a member of Conference USA in 2012. Even-par was the name of the game for the Tigers, who shot a three-day total of 852 to defeat second-place SMU by 12 strokes. UCF was 13 back, while four-time defending AAC champion South Florida finished fourth (870).
“Going into the final round, I think our boys were very confident,” Memphis coach Blake Smart said. “The moment that I felt really good was on No. 14. (SMU’s) No. 2 guy made a double bogey. They’re a very scary team. They’ve got two or three guys that can really go – including the guy (McClure Meissner) that won the tournament in a landslide. So, I was always aware of what they were capable of, but at the point, when that happened and given what we were doing in the holes that were left, I started to breathe a little bit easier.”
Taking a peek at Tuesday’s player leaderboard showed Meissner winning medalist honors at 13-under (200), yet two Memphis golfers managed to finish in the Top 5. Brad Bawden was 5-under (70-69-69–208) for third place.
“He’s on pace, with potentially three rounds left at regionals, to have our best stroke average ever,” said Smart. “He’s just been really solid all year. Great kid. Shows up every day and has just been very consistent.”
Fellow senior Chase Harris shot 1-under (72-71-69–212).
“His maturation and improvement over the four years – it’s what you want to see as a coach,” Smart said. “So for him to kind of cap that off with a fifth-place finish … the boys were all locked in.”
Junior Isaiah Jackson (74-70-73–217) and sophomore Guillaume Chevalier (72-72-73–217) were both tied for 12th, while sophomore Borja Martin (72-73-76–221) finished in a seven-way tie for 21st.
With the win, Memphis will now be glued to the television for Wednesday’s NCAA Division 1 Men’s Golf Championships selections announcement to be aired at 8 p.m. on the Golf Channel. That’s when 81 teams and 45 individuals learn which one of the six sites they’ll be travelling to for regional competition May 12-15. The national event is scheduled for May 24-29 at Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark.
Said Smart: “When you look back, there’s so many factors in a golf tournament – and it was pretty awesome that everything just came together for us at the right time. There’s certainly things that we need to improve on if we’re going to have a chance to see a national championship, but at the same time, it’s a really fun time to appreciate what you’ve done.”
Accolades on the links
Memphis senior golfer Michaela Fletcher was selected to the American Athletic All-Conference Team for the third time in her career. One of six on the list, the Pietermaritzburg, South Africa native finished tied for sixth (216) at the AAC Championship in Palm Beach. Fletcher, who has a career-low 71.9 scoring average through 27 rounds this season, is headed to Norman, Okla., to compete in the NCAA Regionals May 6-8. … Former Briarcrest standout Jordan Botwinick became the first Union University men’s golfer to be named to the Gulf South All-Conference First Team. Botwinick registered four rounds under 70 this season, including a 65 that helped him win medalist honors at the Don Morris Invitational in October.
Southpaws recognized
Memphis Redbirds lefthander Austin Gomber was chosen as the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week. In the second game of last Saturday’s doubleheader against Round Rock at AutoZone Park, Gomber (3-0) tossed a complete-game shutout in the Redbirds’ 3-0 victory. He scattered three hits and struck out six. … Former ECS standout Houston Harding, now at Itawamba Community College, garnered Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) Pitcher of the Week honors. Harding, a Mississippi State signee, threw a pair of complete games to go along with 19 strikeouts to raise his record to 9-0. He took a 1.62 ERA into Saturday’s contest against Hinds.
Sunday Sports Brunch is a weekly look at movers, shakers and newsmakers on the Memphis sports scene, from youth level to the pros. If you have an item of interest, please contact Chris Van Tuyl at christopher.vantuyl@commercialappeal.com.
https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/2019/04/28/memphis-mens-golf-enjoys-sunshine-state-success/3564046002/
2019-04-28 15:00:00Z
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