The UT Martin Skyhawk golf team finished second at The Scrappy at Pinetree, hosted by the Kennesaw State Owls on Oct. 12-13 in Kennesaw, Georgia, and finished first at the Twin Oaks Intercollegiate in Springfield, Missouri, on Oct. 19-20.
The Skyhawks struggled on day one in Kennesaw, putting up a team score of 295 (+7). Both junior Lucas Herring and sophomore Bryce Harmon carded a 73 (+1), while junior Drew Williams put up a 74 (+2) and senior Grant Phillips put up a 75 (+3).
Heading into day two, the Skyhawks made a huge jump and climbed the leaderboard. Firing a team score of 284 (-4) helped the Skyhawks jump to two on the leaderboard. Both Herring and Phillips shot 70 (-2), while Harmon shot a 71 (-1) and freshman Regan Kueker shot a 73 (+1).
To cap off the tournament, the Skyhawks needed to gain five shots on tournament host Kennesaw State to take the lead. The Skyhawks could not get it done, however, as they shot a 292 (+4) on day three to finish in second place. Kueker was the low scorer for the final round with a 70 (-2); behind him was Williams with a 72 (even), Phillips with a 74 (+2) and Herring with a 76 (+4). Kennesaw State was able to hold onto their lead and walk away with a first place finish.
Individually, freshman Layton Richey carded a 221 (+5) in the tournament and finished tied for 27th amongst the field. Williams also tied for 27th, while Kueker and Harmon finished tied in 21st and Phillips and Herring finished tied for 15th. Each Skyhawk finished in the top 30 out of 69 competitors.
Having every competing Skyhawk finish inside the top 30 highlights the team’s depth throughout the tournament. With each athlete contributing solid rounds across the three days, UT Martin was able to remain competitive against the field.
The Skyhawks have now placed top five in each tournament this season with a fifth place finish at the Golfweek Fall Challenge in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, a first place finish at the Grover Page Classic in Jackson, Tennessee, a third place finish at the SIUE Dolenc Invitational in Madison, Illinois, and this tournament’s second place finish in Kennesaw.
UT Martin also competed in their final fall tournament of the season at the Twin Oaks Intercollegiate in Springfield, Missouri, where the Skyhawks finished in first place after a playoff against the Kansas City Roos. Heading into the playoff, both teams shot a three-day 821(-31). The Skyhawks also had multiple golfers in the top 10 in a field of 53. The team’s final score of -31 is a UT Martin school record since the program joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 1992.
With the fall season in conclusion, the Skyhawks look to carry their momentum into the spring portion of their schedule.
