University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Gen. Jim Hackler Championship
Vols Claim Best Finish of Season
March 14, 2011 | Men's Golf
March 14, 2011
Tennessee dropped a few places in the standings Monday but still held on for its best spring finish, a fourth-place showing at the Gen. Jim Hackler Championship in Murrells Inlet, S.C.
The Vols closed with an 11-over-par 299 at TPC of Myrtle Beach to finish at 29-over 893. The two-day event continued UT's steady spring improvement, with a sixth-, fifth- and now fourth-place result in three tournaments since the winter break.
Robin Wingardh earned his third top-10 in the last four outings with a tie for seventh at 4-over-par 220. The senior's 76 was his worst round of the weekend and only the third-best by the Big Orange on Monday. Still, Wingardh now owns six top-20s in his seven tournaments this year and easily leads the team with a stroke average of 72.14.
Garrick Porteous shot 73 to cap his big turnaround from an opening 82. Porteous climbed all the way to a tie for 19th at 9-over-par 225 -- quite the improvement from his tie for 75th after Sunday's first 18 holes. And Darren Renwick tied for 17th thanks to a second straight 74 that left the junior at 8-over 224.
Freshman Danny Keddie closed out the UT scoring Monday with his best round of the weekend, a 76 that bumped him to a tie for 55th place at 20-over 236. Jay Vandeventer and Marshall Talkington added 81s.
Porteous was at 3 under par through eight holes thanks to consecutive birdies at the fourth, fifth and sixth holes. The junior gave one stroke back at the ninth and then doubled the 10th. Back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 14-15 were partially offset by his birdie at the par-5 18th hole for the second straight round.
Renwick carded 14 pars Monday and tallied 27 pars over his final 36 holes. The junior bogeyed Nos. 1, 14 and 15 to cancel his lone birdie at the par-4 ninth.
Keddie's 4 over par outcome was the direct result of double bogeys at the second and 17th holes. Otherwise, he answered his only bogey of the day at No. 13 with his lone birdie at the very next hole.
Vandeventer's only birdies were at the fourth and fifth holes, but the sophomore still finished in a tie for 31st place at 13-over 229. Talkington, competing this week as an individual, tied for 46th place at 18-over 234. The freshman carded birdies at Nos. 8 and 11.
Defending NCAA champion Augusta State rallied for team honors, shooting 7-under 281 in breezy conditions over the final 18 holes to finish at 14-over 878. Virginia led Augusta State by 14 strokes heading into Monday's action but carded a 10-over 298 to close at 881.
Auburn closed with a 293 to finish at 26-over 890, with Pepperdine (897) capping the top five.
The Vols stay on the road during this week's university spring break and begin play Friday at the Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational in Statesboro, Ga.
| TEAM SCORES | ||
| 1. | Augusta State | 304-293-281--878 (+14) |
| 2. | Virginia | 288-295-298--881 (+17) |
| 3. | Auburn | 302-295-293--890 (+26) |
| 4. | TENNESSEE | 307-287-299--893 (+29) |
| 5. | Pepperdine | 298-300-299--897 (+33) |
| 6. | Coastal Carolina | 295-299-310--904 (+40) |
| 7. | East Carolina | 294-305-306--905 (+41) |
| 8. | North Florida | 303-301-304--908 (+44) |
| 9. | Lamar | 312-296-307--915 (+51) |
| 10. | East Tennessee State | 309-291-316--916 (+52) |
| 11. | College of Charleston | 309-298-315--922 (+58) |
| 12. | Wake Forest | 307-315-307--929 (+65) |
| 13. | USC Upstate | 306-313-319--938 (+74) |
| 14. | Charleston Southern | 311-317-312--940 (+76) |
| 15. | Presbyterian | 310-321-319--954 (+90) |
| 16. | Gardner-Webb | 321-326-324--971 (+107) |
| 17. | Western Carolina | 328-325-326--979 (+115) |
| INDIVIDUAL LEADERS | ||
| 1. | Henrik Norlander, Augusta State | 74-69-67--210 (-6) |
| 2. | Amory Davis, Virginia | 69-73-72--214 (-2) |
| 3. | Andrew Putnam, Pepperdine | 72-73-70--215 (-1) |
| T-4. | Kevin Hesbois, Lamar | 75-65-76--216 (E) |
| T-4. | Patrick Reed, Augusta State | 74-75-67--216 (E) |
| UT SCORES | ||
| T-7. | Robin Wingardh | 74-70-76--220 (+4) |
| T-17. | Darren Renwick | 76-74-74--224 (+8) |
| T-19. | Garrick Porteous | 82-70-73--225 (+9) |
| T-31. | Jay Vandeventer | 75-73-81--229 (+13) |
| T-46. | Marshall Talkington * | 78-75-81--234 (+18) |
| T-55. | Danny Keddie | 82-78-76--236 (+20) |
| *Competed as individual. | ||
Players Mentioned
