The UTM golf team racked up its fifth tournament championship of the 2019-20 campaign today, besting the nine-team field at the Grover Page Classic by 23 strokes at the Jackson Country Club.
The Skyhawks compiled the best round of any team during the duration of the tournament today, shooting a 291 (+3) to win the event going away. UTM’s three-round tally of 877 (+13) was 23 shots better than second-place Indian Hills (900, +36).
“I’m proud of our team,” Skyhawk assistant coach Austin Swafford said. “It’s always nice to win a home event and we did it by using everybody’s score throughout the week so it was a full team effort. We’re getting better each week coming out of our winter break. The leadership and experience is there, we just have to keep working hard on some of the small things.”
Freshman Bryson Morrell turned in the best collegiate performance of his young career as the Knoxville native finished with an even-par score of 216. That score was good enough for a third-place finish in the field of 58 participants and placed him on the four-man all-tournament squad. He finished second in the field in par-3 scoring (3.17, +2) and third in par-5 scoring (4.42, -7).
“We are so happy for Bryson,” Swafford said. “He’s put in the work and to see him play well this week is fantastic. For him to make an all-tournament team as a freshman, it speaks volumes about his potential – he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”
Overall, UTM landed five players in the top-10 of the individual standings. Ross Redmont – who led the tournament with 38 pars and ranked second with a 4.03 par-4 scoring average (+1) – tied for his best finish of the season (fourth) with a 219 (+3). Jack Story and Jacob Uehlein (career-best finish) placed sixth with a 220 (+4) while Tate Chumley generated his best finish of the season as he came in eighth place with a 221 (+5).
Nick Wolf and Mason Chandler each tied for 14th place with a 224 (+8) while Luke Smith carded a 237 (+21) for the 54-hole event.
Today’s round was anchored by Uehlein and Chumley as the Skyhawk duo each shot their best scores of the tournament (71, -1). Redmont’s 74 and Wolf’s 75 rounded out the team scoring. Story produced a 76 that included an eagle on Hole No. 5, a par-5 playing at 472 yards.
On the individual side, Morrell posted a 73 while Chandler (73) and Smith (77) additionally came away with their personal-best scores of the tournament.
UTM will take next week off before returning to the links at the North Alabama Spring Classic on March 23-24 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
Photo Credit / Sports Infomration
