University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols to Compete in SEC Golf Championships
April 13, 2005 | Men's Golf
April 13, 2005
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The 16th-ranked Tennessee men's golf team is set to compete in the 2005 SEC Golf Championships, April 15-17. The tournament is once again being held at the Seaside Course in Sea Island, Ga.
Seven teams competing are ranked in the Golfweek top 25. Leading the way is No. 2 Georgia followed by No. 6 Florida, No. 7 Auburn, No. 16 Tennessee, No. 18 Kentucky, No. 20 South Carolina and No. 23 Alabama. Also competing are Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.
The Vols are looking for their fourth tournament championship of the season. They have claimed top honors at the Bank of Tennessee/Ridges Intercollegiate, Coca-Cola Tournament of Champions and Ashworth Collegiate Invitational.
Leading the way for the Vols is senior David Skinns. A three-time All-SEC selection, Skinns leads the team in scoring average with a 72.69. He recorded three top-10 finishes during the regular season coming at the Bank of Tennessee/Ridges Intercollegiate in a tie for 10th, the Gary Koch/Cleveland Golf Intercollegiate in seventh and the Coca-Cola Tournament of Champions in a tie for eighth.
Anchoring the No. 2 position is fellow senior Ross McGowan. McGowan, who is second on the team in scoring average with a 72.82, has finished in the top 10 the last three tournaments. He finished second at the Ashworth Collegiate Invitational, tied for third at the Schenkel/E-Z-Go Invitational and tied for eighth at the Courtyard by Marriott Intercollegiate.
Competing in the third spot is junior Lloyd Campbell. Campbell has a scoring average of 73.17. Earlier this season he recorded his highest finish as a Vol at the Coca-Cola Tournament of Champions where he finished tied for third, while leading the Vols to one of their three tournament championships.
Freshmen Philip Pettitt and Charlie Ford round out the Tennessee contingent in the four and five spots, respectively. Pettitt opened his Tennessee career on a high note with an individual victory at the Bank of Tennessee/Ridges Intercollegiate. He has a scoring average of 73.80.
Ford returns to the UT lineup with a scoring average of 74.25. His highest finish of the year came at the Hyatt Plantation Club Intercollegiate as an individual in a tie for eighth.
Last season the Vols finished sixth in the tournament with a scorecard of 283-296-289--868. John Scott Rattan led the way for the Vols with a tie for 20th and a scorecard of 68-74-74--216.
The Vols have won two SEC Championships, coming in 1980 and 1990. The orange and white fired a 290-293-301--884 to win the 1980 title at West Lake Country Club in Augusta, Ga. Their second title at Annadale Golf Club in Jackson, Miss., saw UT edge Florida in a playoff with a scorecard of 294-291-281--866.
Three Vols have won individual championships, starting with Bert Greene in 1964 with a 141. Mickey Mabry was the second to win in 1972 with a 217, while Mike Sposa was the last Vol to win in 1990 with a 210. Sposa's championship saw Tennessee sweep both the team and individual titles.
The tournament is a 54-hole format, with 18 holes played over three days. A link to live scoring will be available at www.UTsports.com.
Players Mentioned
