UNF's Chris Kennedy helped the Ospreys to their first Atlantic Sun Championship. Courtesy ASunPhotos.com
Date Posted: 4/23/2008
BRASELTON, Ga. - After finishing the last three years as the runner-up, the UNF Ospreys won their first Lou McCullough trophy in capturing the 2008 Atlantic Sun Men's Golf Championship at the Woodlands Course at the Chateau Elan Golf Club on Wednesday. Gareth Shaw of second-place ETSU won the individual title after carding a 3-over 74 in the final round for a three-day total of 3-under 210 for the Championship. He defeated teammate Rhys Enoch by one-stroke.
UNF defeated ETSU by one stroke after shooting two strokes better than the Buccaneers on day three, to erase a one-stroke deficit. The A-Sun title represents UNF's first in men's golf and its first in any sport, regular-season or post-season. With the win, the Ospreys earned the A-Sun's automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals, their fifth appearance in program history. UNF participated in the regionals four-straight years from 1999-2002.
"We haven't been [to the NCAA Regionals] as a team in about five years, so it's good for us to get back in there," UNF Head Coach Scott Shroeder said. "It's going to be great experience for them. It’s big-time when you've started going to the NCAAs."
Individually, the Ospreys closed in a tight group, with one stroke separating all five players. Jordan Gibb and Michael O'Neal were part of a three-way tie for seventh at five-over par 218, while Jeff Dennis, J.C. Horne and Chris Kennedy all shot a six-over 219, tying for 10th. Dennis finished third last year and O’Neal came in second.
“We could have won the last couple years, but to finally it out, and pull out a close one, it doesn’t get any better,” O’Neal said.
Shaw, who finished fifth last year and tied for seventh in 2006, saw a four-stroke lead melt away as the day wore on. He successfully held off a surge from Buccaneer teammate Rhys Enoch, who shot a 70 on Wednesday to close the championship one stroke behind Shaw at 2-under 211. Kennesaw State’s Oliver West took home third-place honors with an even 213.
“I’m very disappointed right now,” Shaw said. “Personally, I’m not very happy with my play today. I didn’t do myself…or the team any favors, but to come up one shot shy…it’s very disappointing.”
Last year’s champion, ETSU, boasted the top two individual spots in the championship in Shaw and Enoch. They were the only two players in the 50-player competition to finish under par.
Kennesaw State and Campbell each shot 27-over 879, tying for third. The Owls fell out of contention with a 298 in the final round after entering the final day two strokes out of first. With their third-place honors in both the team and individual standings, the Owls claim their highest finishes in an A-Sun Golf Championship. Campbell’s Zak Drescher tied for the lowest round of the day with a 2-under 69, carding a three-day total of 214, good enough for fourth-place.
Gardner-Webb, who led the 10-team field after shooting a 284 on the first day, tied its best-ever finish in an A-Sun Championship at fifth. The Runnin’ Bulldogs dropped off in the final two rounds, recording team scores of 305 and 304 on the final two days, respectively, for a team-total of 893. Blake Palmer, who led the tournament with 6-under 65 on day one, finished play with a 222. Andrew Rickard shot an even-par 71 in round three to tie for fifth with a 3-over 316.
Stetson led the final five teams, placing sixth with a 52-over 904. Lipscomb fired the third-lowest round of the day (292), coming within four strokes of Stetson to end the championship in seventh. Belmont and Mercer tied for eighth with 913 and Jacksonville pulled up the rear after tallying a three-day score of 923.
The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.
