Spartans post best SoCon finish in school history; Almand, Sonday in top 10
FLORENCE, S.C. – Will Almand and Kyle Sonday became the first golfers in UNCG history to break par in two rounds of the same Southern Conference tournament on Tuesday as the Spartans claimed second place in the event with a school-record score of 2-over-par 866.
UNCG wound up five shots behind champion Georgia Southern – the closest relative finish in its 14-year league membership. That easily surpassed the previous standard for pursuit, a 12-stroke deficit in 2005.
The outright second-place performance is the Spartans' best in the league championship; UNCG tied for second in 2004 but was 14 shots off the pace in the process that year. The team's score in relation to par in 2011 is one stroke better than last year's 867, achieved over the same Country Club of South Carolina layout.
"They played great," coach Terrance Stewart said. "They beat the highest ranked team in the conference, Chattanooga, and all we can do is tip our hat to Georgia Southern."
The Spartans began the day six shots behind Chattanooga and in fourth place but moved up the board with a 3-under-par 285. Their three-day total of 866 would have been good enough to win seven of the previous 13 SoCon titles.
Almand, designated the team's No. 5 player in advance of the tournament, followed Monday's 3-under-par 69 with a 70 in the final round. He tied for fourth among individuals, giving the Spartans a top-five player for the sixth year in a row. His 2-under-214 is the fourth-best score in relation to par by a Spartan in the event.
Sonday, who redshirted in 2009-10 and did not return to action until October, fired 71s in the first and third rounds and registered an even-par 216 for the tourney. He tied for eighth overall.
Robert Hoadley shot an even-par 72 Tuesday to cap the tournament, finishing in a tie for 15th with a 3-over 219.
Sonday and Hoadley were named All-Southern Conference players, giving UNCG representation on that honor roll for the ninth year in a row and two on the team for the first time since 2006. Andy Knox's citation as an All-Freshman player means the Spartans have cracked that unit in three consecutive years. Both streaks are the longest active runs in the league.
Knox finished in a 25th-place tie with a three-day 222, while Colin Chapman shot par Tuesday and finished tied for 30th just a stroke back of Knox.
Georgia Southern, which delivered a 6-under-par 282 on Tuesday, became the first team to win the SoCon title when trailing after 36 holes since East Tennessee State did it in 2005.
The Spartans, who won two of their five appearances in the Big South Conference championship, began this week ranked in the top 100 teams nationally.
Hoadley will now wait two weeks to learn if he will participate as an individual in an NCAA regional. If chosen by the NCAA committee, he will likely be assigned to the Blacksburg, Va., site.
"I'm very proud of them," Stewart said. "Next season, we can come back and win the thing."
75th SOUTHERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Country Club of South Carolina (Par-72, 7,062 yards)
Florence, S.C.
Team scores
1. Georgia Southern 287-292-282—861; 2. UNCG 295-286-285—866; 3. Chattanooga 287-288-292—867; 4. Samford 287-293295--875; 5. College of Charleston 290-293-293—876; 6. Wofford 295-289-298—882; 7. Elon 297-293-296—886; 8. Davidson 293-299-295—887; 9. Western Carolina 296-294-305—895; 10. Appalachian State 302-297-298—897; 11. Furman 299-302-299—900.
Individual scores
Top 10: T1. Richard Fountain (Davidson) 68-72-67—207; 2. Lewis Gruber (Ga Southern) 68-7268—208; 3. Logan Blondell (Ga Southern) 72-70-70—212; T4. Will Almand (UNCG) 75-69-70—214; T4. Steven Fox (Chattanooga) 73-73-68—214; T6. Coy Breen (College of Charleston) 70-73-72—215; T6. Steve Dressel (Elon) 70-73-72—215; T8. Stephan Jaeger (Chattanooga) 70-72-74—216; T8. Casey O'Toole (Samford) 69-71-76—216; T8. Kyle Sonday (UNCG) 71-74-71—216.
Other UNCG golfers: T15. Robert Hoadley 76-71-72—219; T25. Andy Knox 73-72-77—222; T30. Colin Chapman 76-75-72—223.
All-Southern Conference
Steven Fox, Chattanooga
Stephan Jaeger, Chattanooga
Benni Weilguni, Chattanooga
Steve Dressel, Elon
Matt Broome, Furman
Logan Blondell, Georgia Southern
Robert Hoadley, UNCG
Kyle Sonday, UNCG
Chandler Brazeal, Wofford
Brent Whitehead, Wofford
All-Freshman
Davis Bunn, Chattanooga
Benni Weilguni, Chattanooga
Richard Fountain, Davidson
Andy Knox, UNCG
Chandler Brazeal, Wofford
Player of the Year
Stephan Jaeger, Chattanooga
Freshman of the Year
Chandler Brazeal, Wofford
Coach of the Year
Woodie Eubanks, Samford
- UNCG -