Golden Eagles claim runner-up finish at Grover Page Classic, Sutton second individually
JACKSON, Tenn. – It was a runner-up finish for the Tennessee Tech men’s golf team at the Grover Page Classic Tuesday, as the Golden Eagles closed the gap with host UT Martin, but ultimately finished second at Jackson Country Club.
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
JACKSON, Tenn. – It was a runner-up finish for the Tennessee Tech men's golf team at the Grover Page Classic Tuesday, as the Golden Eagles closed the gap with host UT Martin, but ultimately finished second at Jackson Country Club.
The purple and gold delivered a final round score of 289, four shots better than the tournament champion Skyhawks, but the host program had built just too large of a lead over the opening two rounds for Tech to overcome. The Golden Eagles wrapped things up at 7-under overall, with a final score of 857, five shots behind UT Martin.
Tech collected its seventh top-three finish in nine trips to Jackson Country Club for the Skyhawks' annual event, as well as its third runner-up performance. Individually, Southern Illinois' Matthis Besard held on for medalist honors with his third sub-70 round of the week giving him a 201 final score.
Sophomore Nick Sutton matched his second-round of 68, ripping off seven birdies on Tuesday, including four straight on the back nine, to set up a career-low-tying score of 8-under 208. The Matthews, N.C. native finished second overall in the field of 92 golfers, the youngster's top finish of his career.
Sutton finished third in the field in par-five scoring at -9 and tied for second in par-three scoring at -2. His 16 birdies also tied for third among the field. He earned All-Tournament honors for the second time as a Golden Eagle while matching his 54-hole score from the first tournament of the season.
Earning a top-10 finish in a tie for seventh place was Chance Taylor, who carded a 68-70-74=212 to complete the event at 4-under. The junior produced his top career score for 54 holes as well, finishing second in the field in par-four scoring with a mark of 5-under.
Also in the top-10 on the leaderboard among the Tech lineup, Bracton Womack finalized his week with an even-par 72 and total score of 213. The senior tied for ninth after concluding the final round with the second-most pars in the tournament, a total of 38 backed by 15 alone in the third round.
Returning freshman Mark McDearman closed things out with a 75 on Tuesday, tying for 48th with a 224 overall. He produced a trio of birdies and an eagle. True freshman Avery Irwin put the finishing touches on his first collegiate tournament, turning in a 76 to finish in a tie for 73rd. The rookie posted two birdies while totaling 231 for the event.
Rounding out his first event as a Golden Eagle, redshirt freshman Jackson Skeen collected a top-10 finish while competing as an individual. The Tennessee transfer tied with Womack for ninth, tallying a 75 to produce a 3-under 213.
Tech returns to the links for competition Monday, Oct. 11, traveling south to Duluth, Ga. for the Georgia State Invitational at Berkeley Hills Country Club.
Photos by Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Media Relations
| Top 5 Teams: | ||||||
| 1. | UT Martin | 282-277-293=852 | -12 | |||
| 2. | Tennessee Tech | 286-282-289=857 | -7 | |||
| 3. | New Orleans | 288-281-296=865 | +1 | |||
| 4. | Belmont | 294-287-287=868 | +4 | |||
| 5. | Southern Illinois | 295-289-286=870 | +6 | |||
| Leaderboard (92 Golfers) | ||||||
| 1. | Matthis Besard (Southern Illinois) | 68-66-67=201 | -15 | |||
| 2. | Nick Sutton | 72-68-68=208 | -8 | |||
| T-7. | Chance Taylor | 68-70-74=212 | -4 | |||
| T-9. | Jackson Skeen * | 68-70-75=213 | -3 | |||
| T-9. | Bracton Womack | 73-68-72=213 | -3 | |||
| T-48. | Mark McDearman | 73-76-75=224 | +8 | |||
| T-73. | Avery Irwin | 79-76-76=231 | +15 | |||
| *indicates competed as an individual | ||||||
