University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate
Vols Finish Tough Weekend in 10th
October 16, 2011 | Men's Golf
Oct. 16, 2011
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BY JOHN PAINTER
UTSports.com
JONESBOROUGH -- Tennessee head coach Jim Kelson held nothing in reserve here Sunday when describing his disappointment with this weekend's 10th-place finish at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate at Blackthorn Club.
"We just had a disastrous tournament," Kelson said. "This was as disappointing of a tournament as we have been a part of for quite some time. We had some pretty high hopes coming in but we just need to get back to work, figure out what happened here and get ready for the rest of the year."
The Vols entered the weekend as this event's only three-time champion. But Sunday's final-round score of 13-over-par 301 bettered only three of the 14 other participating teams and capped a miserable three-day stretch of golf. Tennessee's final total was 33-over 897.
"This should be a good team, but that's the key word here," Kelson said. "Should and getting it done are two different things and we need to figure out how we are going to get it done. That's my responsibility."
Danny Keddie rebounded Sunday for a closing 71, which was nine strokes better than his Saturday card. Jay Vandeventer was next on the UT score sheet at 76, followed by a pair of 77s from Rick Lamb and Marshall Talkington. Garrick Porteous shot 79 and Darren Renwick, playing as an individual, shot 74.
Kent State rallied for the team title, shooting 10-under-par 278 Sunday for the best round of the tournament to finish at 5-over 869. Virginia was second at 876, followed by Wake Forest (879), North Carolina State (882) and Memphis (885). Jace Long of Missouri and Mark McMillen of North Carolina State shared medalist honors at 2-under 214.
"Today I was trying to see the putts a bit more and go off feel, and it just worked out better," Keddie said. "I was a bit disappointed to have those two bogeys coming in, but it's a pretty tough finish. I was just happy to go back to how I can play."
Keddie finished in a tie for 30th place at 8-over 224, but not before making another lengthy putt of about 15 feet. This one came at No. 18 after he followed a terrific drive with a pair of below-average efforts.
"That was a pretty poor pitch and then one of the worst first putts I've ever hit," he said with a look of disbelief. "But it was nice to hole a good one like that, nicer than just tapping it in because I holed a putt."
Birdies were noticeably absent from Vandeventer's cards all weekend, and Sunday was no exception. The junior held on for 76 despite making just one birdie in the final round and two for the 54 holes.
"I felt like I hit the ball pretty well for the conditions and my putter let me down; that's pretty much it in a nutshell," Vandeventer said. "You're not going to finish well as a team when you don't have a lot of birdies. I had two all week, and that's kind of frustrating. I'm proud of myself for the way I hit the ball. I've just got to get back to work with the putter."
Vandeventer finished in a tie for 50th place at 14-over 230.
Talkington also landed in that group at 14-over 230 after his Sunday 77. The sophomore was 1 under par through 10 holes before his back-nine troubles began with a double at the par-4 11th hole.
"I didn't play well at all this week but I will try to take something from it and build on it," Talkington said. "We all struggled but it will come. I've just got to keep working."
"My ball-striking let me down today, my driver especially," Lamb said. "I just made too many mistakes. We've struggled now the last two tournaments and we've got to figure out something to end the fall strong."
Lamb finished at 7-over-par 223.
Porteous shot 79 for his worst score since opening with 82 at the Gen. Jim Hackler Championship last March. The senior managed just a single birdie against eight bogeys to finish in a tie for 43rd place at 12-over 228. This was Porteous' worst tournament showing since he closed with an 80 to place 43rd at the 2010 Carpet Capital Collegiate.
"It was just a bad day at the office," he said. "We've got a lot of work to do the next couple of weeks."
Renwick closed with 74 to finish in a tie for 25th place at 7-over 223. He was the runaway winner among the seven players competing this weekend as individuals; ETSU's Tom Heggarty was next at 64th.
A sign of the senior's steady play was his 39 pars over 54 holes -- enough for second-most among the 82 individuals competing.
"I'm not surprised by that," Renwick said. "I played well all week and hit a lot of greens in regulation. I wasn't converting my birdie putts but I was leaving them in good range for pars. The wind made it tricky all weekend to get the ball in real close."
Renwick and his Tennessee teammates now look ahead to their final action of the fall season, Oct. 27-29 at the Cabo Intercollegiate in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
"I've been feeling more confident and this tournament was a pretty nice boost for me," Renwick said. "I'm very excited to go to Cabo and do well there."
| TEAM SCORES | ||
| 1. | Kent State | 303-288-278--869 (+5) |
| 2. | Virginia | 295-289-290--876 (+12) |
| 3. | Wake Forest | 304-286-289--879 (+15) |
| 4. | North Carolina State | 287-296-299--882 (+18) |
| 5. | Memphis | 298-289-298--885 (+21) |
| 6. | Clemson | 313-281-292--886 (+22) |
| 7. | Missouri | 296-299-296--891 (+27) |
| 8. | UNC Wilmington | 296-306-290--892 (+28) |
| 9. | East Tennessee State | 313-290-291--894 (+30) |
| 10. | TENNESSEE | 298-298-301--897 (+33) |
| 11. | Virginia Tech | 310-307-293--910 (+46) |
| T-12. | Louisville | 303-309-300--912 (+48) |
| T-12. | Villanova | 310-298-304--912 (+48) |
| 14. | Toledo | 308-301-307--916 (+52) |
| 15. | Army | 313-321-324--958 (+94) |
| INDIVIDUAL LEADERS | ||
| T-1. | Jace Long, Missouri | 71-72-71--214 (-2) |
| T-1. | Mark McMillen, North Carolina State | 68-72-74--214 (-2) |
| T-3. | Trevor Cone, Virginia Tech | 74-72-70--216 (E) |
| T-3. | Corey Conners, Kent State | 75-71-70--216 (E) |
| T-3. | Jonathan Fly, Memphis | 74-69-73--216 (E) |
| UT SCORES | ||
| T-25. | Rick Lamb | 74-72-77--223 (+7) |
| T-25. | Darren Renwick * | 75-74-74--223 (+7) |
| T-30. | Danny Keddie | 73-80-71--224 (+8) |
| T-43. | Garrick Porteous | 75-74-79--228 (+12) |
| T-50. | Marshall Talkington | 76-77-77--230 (+14) |
| T-50. | Jay Vandeventer | 79-75-76--230 (+14) |
| *Competed as individual. | ||
