Ole Miss set a new program scoring record on Tuesday
(Ole Miss Athletics Photo)
AWENDAW, SC (March 27, 2018) - With the best round in program history the Ole Miss Rebels have won the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate. Trailing by six at the start of the final round Ole Miss fired a 19-under 269 to overcome 36-hole leader Kent State by a single stroke.
The Rebels, 23-under for the tournament and winners for the first time this year, bested their previous program record by a three shots, a mark they set at the 2001 Gator Invitational.
Leading Ole Miss on their record setting day at Bulls Bay Golf Club was none other than https://www.amateurgolf.com/amateur-golf-rankings/golfweek-agc-men top-ranked player Braden Thornberry. Beginning the day tied for the lead Thornberry closed in 6-under 66 to finish 13-under and two shots clear of runner-up Lukas Euler of Kentucky. With a 203 total for 54-holes Thornberry's tally was the third lowest in Ole Miss history
The win was the 10th of Thornberry's career and third of the season as he solidified his spot atop the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Rankings. Thornbery is now the only golfer in Rebel history to reach the double-digit win mark.
After starting his round with four straight pars Thornberry kicked started his round into high gear with birdies on Nos. 5, 6 and 10 to move to 11-under and the lead alone. Now playing with the lead Thornberry did slip up with a bogey on the 11th but he quickly rebounded with birdies on each of the next two holes to restore his momentum. Two more birdies on the way to the house gave the 2017 NCAA Individual champion a total of seven against one bogey for the round.
Also propelling Ole Miss on their record setting day were Josh Seiple (T8; 5) aided by a pair of front nine eagles with a final round 4-under 68, Cecil Wegener (T10; -4) with a closing 5-under 67 and Kerry Sweeney (T27; +1) with a 4-under 68.
Runner-up Kent State played well in the final round combining for a 12-under 276 but came up one shot short at 22-under, Kentucky was 20-under in third, Iowa State was distant fourth at 9-under while Missouri was 8-under in fifth.
Rounding out the top-5 of the medalist standings were Kentucky's Euler at 11-under, second round co-leader Ian Holt of Kent State at 10-under was third, Wisconsin's Jordan Hahn took fourth at 9-under and in fifth it was Bjarki Petursson of Kent State at 7-under.
36-HOLE RECAP
On day two of the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate hosted by Bulls Bay Golf Club it was Kent State taking over the lead. The Golden Flashes will begin the final round sitting at 10-under and two shots clear of 8-under Kentucky.
Iowa State at 5-under is third, 4-under Ole Miss is fourth while Missouri at 1-over owns the fifth spot. Two-time defending champion South Carolina is well off the pace in ninth at 13-over.
Looking for their first win of the season Kent State has thus far been led by co-medalist pace setter Ian Holt. 7-under after two rounds, Holt has combined rounds of 69-68 and on Monday he poured in seven birdies against just three bogeys.
Holt, a senior and the reigning MAC Golfer of the Year, is in search of his third career win and second of the season after winning the Gopher Invitational in September.
Joining Hold in the top-10 for Kent State are Bjarki Petursson (T5; -4) and Chase Johnson (T9; -2).
Along with Holt the individual lead is being shared by defending NCAA Individual Champion Braden Thornberry. The Ole Miss junior has signed for rounds of 68-69 to join Holt at 7-under.
Thornberry, in search of his 10th career win, started his round with a bang jarring an eagle two on the par-4 opening hole before going onto add three birdies over the course of the next nine holes as part of a 5-under start through 10-holes.
After the torrid start Thornberry was 9-under and in the lead alone but he slipped back into a share of the lead with two bogeys down the stretch.
Kentucky's Lukas Euler is one shot back in third at 6-under, Lachlan Barker of Iowa State is 5-under in fourth while Kent State's Bjarki Petursson, Denzel Ieremia of Iowa State and Jordan Hahn of Wisconsin share fifth at 4-under.
ABOUT THE Hootie at Bulls Bay
54 hole men's college tournament co-hosted by
the College of Charleston and the University of
South Carolina. Team (best four scores out of five
players each round) and individual competitions.
View Complete Tournament Information