Golden Eagles conclude fall with sixth-place showing at Bryan National Collegiate
BROWNS SUMMIT, N.C. – Putting a wrap on the fall portion of its 2023-24 season, the Tennessee Tech men's golf team finished off the second round and knocked out the third and final round of action at the Bryan National Collegiate Monday, securing a top-10 finish.
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
BROWNS SUMMIT, N.C. – Putting a wrap on the fall portion of its 2023-24 season, the Tennessee Tech men's golf team finished off the second round and knocked out the third and final round of action at the Bryan National Collegiate Monday, securing a top-10 finish.
The Golden Eagles completed the final nine holes of round two to kick off the day, locking down a 286, before hitting the Champions Course at Bryan Park one final time to produce a 299. Tech placed sixth among the 13-team field, tallying an 882 to finish just one shot back of fifth-place High Point.
Host UNCG cruised on its way to a first-place finish, besting the competition by 33 shots with a 37-under 827. A 1-2-3 finish at the top of the leaderboard paved the way for the Spartans, with Symon Balbin capturing individual medalist honors behind a 15-under 201.
For the purple and gold, it was Haden Maxwell leading the effort behind a score of 217. Tying for 12th among 86 golfers, the sophomore fired a career-low, 5-under 67 in round two behind a whopping seven birdies. He followed it up with a 76 in the finale, producing four more birdies for good measure.
Finishing just one shot back of his teammate was Jackson Skeen, who tied for 15th behind a three-round score of 218. The junior delivered back-to-back rounds of even-par 72 on the day, piling up five birdies in each.
Contributing to the Golden Eagle lineup with some consistency, Mark McDearman followed his first-round tally of 74 with a 1-over 73 and two birdies in round two. The senior's 74 in the final trip around the links included two more birdies and led to a final mark of 221 to tie for 26th.
Putting the final touches on the scoring for the purple and gold, Anders Larson turned in a 74 to finish a second round that featured two birdies and an eagle on the par-5 15th hole. Three more birdies and an eagle on the par-5 third backed a 77 that led to the sophomore's 47th-place finish and total score of 226.
Alexander Bassel rounded out the Tech lineup with scores of 80 and 79, sporting a pair of birdies in each round. He concluded the fall with a score of 241. Competing as an individual, senior Sean Anderson finished his first round with two birdies and an 81 before withdrawing from action prior to the third round.
The Golden Eagles will officially begin the spring season at the Sea Palms Invitational in St. Simons Island, Ga., competing at the Sea Palms Resort Thursday, Mar. 7 through Saturday, Mar. 9.
| Top 5 Teams: | ||||||
| 1. | UNCG | 279-281-267=827 | -37 | |||
| 2. | Elon | 293-284-283=860 | -4 | |||
| 3. | William & Mary | 297-288-288=873 | +9 | |||
| 4. | South Dakota | 293-292-292=877 | +13 | |||
| 5. | High Point | 297-289-295=881 | +17 | |||
| 6. | Tennessee Tech | 297-286-299=882 | +18 | |||
| Leaderboard (86 Golfers) | ||||||
| 1. | Symon Balbin (UNCG) | 67-69-65=201 | -15 | |||
| T-12. | Haden Maxwell | 74-67-76=217 | +1 | |||
| T-15. | Jackson Skeen | 74-72-72=218 | +2 | |||
| T-26. | Mark McDearman | 74-73-74=221 | +5 | |||
| T-47. | Anders Larson | 75-74-77=226 | +10 | |||
| 81. | Alexander Bassel | 82-80-79=241 | +25 | |||
| – | Sean Anderson | 80-81-W | – | |||
File photo by David Oghenekaro
