UNCG finishes in 14th at Puerto Rico Classic
DEL MAR, Puerto Rico – Sophomore Robert Hoadley maintained his steady play with a 2-over-par 74 in Tuesday's final round of the Puerto Rico Classic, but other UNCG golfers found more difficult circumstances as the Spartans finished 14th in the elite, 15-team field.
The Spartans, facing 13 teams ranked in the nation's top 50 in the tournament, finished ahead of East Tennessee State but fell behind the four Big Ten programs they had led after 36 holes: Purdue, Northwestern, Ohio State and Michigan.
Alabama claimed the team title with a five-shot victory over Georgia Tech.
Hoadley, one of 12 semifinalists for the Sullivan Award, the oldest individual prize in American amateur athletics, tied for 40th among individuals at the 6,904-yard River Course at Rio Mar Country Club. His three-day total of 220 was 4-over-par.
Freshman Andy Knox, who had been step-for-step with Hoadley through 36, did not make a birdie on Tuesday and settled for a 5-over-par 77. He and teammate Will Almand finished the event tied for 49th place at 7-over 223.
The Spartans, who improved on their showing in this event a year ago, hope to use it as they did then. They tied for third place in the Pinehurst Intercollegiate and won the Towson Invitational in their two events following Puerto Rico last year.
UNCG returns to action in Pinehurst from March 11-13. That's home turf for Hoadley, a Southern Pines resident whose combination of golf skill, community service and academic excellence made him a Sullivan semifinalist. The field of 12 will be trimmed to finalists who will attend a ceremony in New York on March 14. If Hoadley makes the cut, he'll be the first college golfer so honored since Stanford's Tiger Woods in 1997.
Two programs on The Golf Channel, Morning Drive and Golf Central, were expected to discuss Hoadley's achievements on Tuesday.
AGATE
PUERTO RICO CLASSIC
Rio Mar CC, River Course (Par-72, 6904 yards)
Del Mar, PR
Team scores
1. Alabama 836; 2, Georgia Tech 841; 3. Oklahoma State 847; 4. Georgia 858; 5. Virginia Tech 863; 6. Oklahoma 864; 7. Texas 867; 8. NC State 871; 9. Clemson 873; 10. Ohio State 875; 11. Purdue 880; 12. Michigan 888; 13. Northwestern 889; 14. UNCG 890; 15. East Tennessee State 893.
Individual scores
Top 10: 1. James White (Georgia Tech) 69-69--206; 2. Bud Cauley (Alabama) 69-68-70—207; 3, Kyle Scott (Georgia Tech) 70-69-69--208; t4. Marshall Bailey (Virginia Tech) 69-71-69—209; t4, Peter Uihlein (Oklahoma State) 72-72-65—209; t4. Bobby Wyatt (Alabama) 69-71-69—209; 7. Morgan Hoffmann (Oklahoma State) 71-67-72—210; t8. J.T. Griffin (Georgia Tech) 70-72-70—212; t8. Hunter Hamrick (Alabama) 70-72-70—212. T8. Riley Pumphrey (Oklahoma) 70-71-71—212.
UNCG golfers: t40. Robert Hoadley 73-73-74--220; t49. Andy Knox 73-73-77--223; t49. Will Almand 74-75-74--223; 70. Colin Chapman 74-74-83--231; 71. Justin Clement 81-75-76--232.
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