Mocs Win SoCon Championship

FLORENCE, S.C.—The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga claimed its first Southern Conference men’s golf championship in 20 years with a nine stroke victory over defending champion Georgia Southern.

The Mocs entered Tuesday’s final round with a seven stroke lead over the defending champion Eagles, but managed to increase its lead while battling swirling winds over the 7,062 yard layout at The Country Club of South Carolina.

The Mocs’ 54-hole total of 854 left them at even par for the championship.

Jonathan Hodge posted a round of even par 72 to finish the championship tied for second at 2-under par. Hodge finished one stroke behind UNC Greensboro’s J.D. Bass for medalist honors. Hodge became the fourth Chattanooga golfer to finish runner-up in the Southern Conference Championship and the first since James Van De Griff turned the trick in 1997.

Freshman Derek Rende closed with a 73 and finished in a quartet of players in fourth place at 1-over par. Senior Mitch Brock tied for 13th at 4-over par, while Fredrik Qvicker carded his second consecutive 71 to move up eight places to 17th.

Georgia Southern started the final round on a birdie binge and cut the Mocs lead to a single stroke in the first four holes before the Mocs rallied to push the lead to 10 strokes at the turn. In the end, the Mocs simply refused to open the door for the Eagles to make a run.

“I can’t even begin to say how proud I am our team” said head coach Mark Guhne. “This was a total team effort. Every member of this team was under par in at least one round. Freddy (Qvicker) played the two best rounds of his college career Monday and Tuesday. His 71 today took the pressure off of the other guys.”

The win, Chattanooga’s fourth of the season, advances the Mocs to the NCAA Regional for the first time in school history. In 1987 when the Mocs won the Southern Conference Championship, the league did not have an automatic bid to NCAA postseason.

The Mocs also cleaned up in the postseason awards. Mark Guhne was chosen Southern Conference Coach of the Year for the second straight season. Guhne led the Mocs to four a school record four team titles, as well as the highest rankings in the history of the program (#37 Golfweek, #38 Golfstat).

Jonathan Hodge was voted Southern Conference Player of the Year. Hodge has recorded six top-5 finishes and nine top-20 finishes this season Hodge’s 72.50 stroke average leads the team.

Derek Rende was picked Southern Conference Freshman of the Year. Rende won the South Alabama Spring Classic after shooting 63 in the second round.

Senior Bryce Ledford joined Hodge and Rende on the Southern Conference All-Conference team.


TEAM SCORES:
1. Chattanooga 293-280-291=864 (E)
2. Georgia Southern 296-284-295=873 (+9)
3. Elon 297-291-294=882 (+18)
4. Wofford 295-293-297=885 (+21)
5. UNC Greensboro 300-298-289=887 (+23)
6. Western Carolina 296-299-299=8947 (+30)
7. College of Charleston 298-297-301=896 (+32)
8. Davidson 307-300-295=902 (+38)
9. Appalachian State 309-294-304=907 (+43)
10. Furman 307-299-303=909 (+45)



CHATTANOOGA INDIVIDUALS
T2. Jonathan Hodge 73-69-72=213 (-3)
T4. Derek Rende 74-70-73=217 (+1)
T13. Mitch Brock 71-74-75=217 (+4)
T17. Fredrik Qvicker 79-71-71=221 (+6)
22. Bryce Ledford 75-70-78=223 (+7)

TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS
1. J. D. Bass (UNC Greensboro) 72-73-68=213 (-3)
T2. Jonathan Hodge (Chattanooga) 73-69-72=214 (-2)
T2. Alex Knoll (Davidson) 72-70-72=214 (-2)
T4. Derek Rende (Chattanooga) 74-70-73=217 (+1)
T4. Jayson Judy (Elon) 75-69-73=217 (+1)
T4. Drew Lethem (Georgia Southern) 75-69-73=217 (+1)
T4. Matt Cook (Western Carolina) 71-76-70=217 (+1)

2007 All-Conference
Harrison Moore, College of Charleston
Jonathan Hodge, Chattanooga
Bryce Ledford, Chattanooga
Derek Rende, Chattanooga
Jimmy Lytle, Elon
Bryan Jones, Georgia Southern
J.D. Bass, UNC Greensboro
Matt Cook, Western Carolina
Andres Cuenca, Western Carolina
Neil O’Briain, Wofford

Freshman of the Year: Derek Rende, Chattanooga
Player of the Year: Jonathan Hodge, Chattanooga
Coach of the Year: Mark Guhne, Chattanooga

Hodge, Mocs Atop SoCon Leaderboard After Two Rounds

FLORENCE, S.C.—The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, led by sophomore Jonathan Hodge’s 3-under par performance, posted a team score of 8-under par 280 to take a seven stroke lead in to tomorrow’s final round of the 2007 Southern Conference Men’s Golf Championships held at The Country Club of South Carolina.

Hodge’s 69 moved him from a tie for 11th into a tie for the individual lead with 18 holes remaining. He wasn’t the only Chattanooga player in red numbers as Bryce Ledford and Derek Rende carded matching scores of 2-under par 70. Freshman Fredrik Qvicker rebounded from an opening 79 to shoot 71 and round out the scoring for the Mocs.

“The team played well today” remarked Chattanooga head coach Mark Guhne. “We were able to increase our lead from three to seven shots, but Georgia Southern is going to be tourgh tomorrow. They have been in this position before. We need to bring our “A” game tomorrow.”

Hodge is tied with Davidson’s Alex Knoll for the individual lead at 2-under par, 142. Rende’s two-day total of 144 places him in a four-way tie for fourth at level par. Senior Mitch Brock, who was tied for fourth after a 71 on Sunday, posted a 74 which is good for a tie for eighth with Ledford.

The Mocs are the only team under par with a two-day total of 3-under par 573, seven shots better than Georgia Southern. The Eagles were 4-under par on Monday, but lost ground to the Mocs.

A win tomorrow for the Mocs would be Chattanooga’s first SoCon men’s golf title since 1987. Donnie Green won the lone individual title when he claimed medalist honors in 1978.

TEAM SCORES:
1. Chattanooga 293-280=573 (-3)
T2. Georgia Southern 296-284=580 (+4)
T3. Elon 297-291=588 (+12)
T3. Wofford 295-293=588 (+12)
T5. College of Charleston 298-297=597 (+19)
T5. Western Carolina 296-299=597 (+19)
7. UNC Greensboro 300-298=598 (+22)
8. Appalachian State 309-294=603 (+27)
9. Furman 307-299=606 (+30)
10. Davidson 307-300=607 (+31)


CHATTANOOGA INDIVIDUALS
T1. Jonathan Hodge 73-69=142 (-2)
T4. Derek Rende 74-70=144 (E)
T8. Mitch Brock 71-74=145 (+1)
T8. Bryce Ledford 75-70=145 (+1)
T25. Fredrik Qvicker 79-71=150 (+6)

TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS
T1. Jonathan Hodge (Chattanooga) 73-69=142 (-2)
T1. Alex Knoll (Davidson) 72-70=142 (-2)
3. Andres Cuenca (Western Carolina) 70-73=143 (-1)
T4. Derek Rende (Chattanooga) 74-70=144 (E)
T4. Jayson Judy (Elon) 75-69=144 (E)
T4. Drew Lethem (Georgia Southern) 75-69=144 (E)
T4. Jordan Johnstun (Georgia Southern) 73-71=144 (E)

Mocs Lead After First Day of SoCon Golf Championships

FLORENCE, S.C.—Led by senior Mitch Brock, Chattanooga sits atop the leaderboard after the first round of the 2007 Southern Conference Men’s Golf Championships held at The Country Club of South Carolina.

The Mocs’ team score of 293 (+5) is two strokes better than Wofford and three ahead of Georgia Southern and Western Carolina.

The Mocs have four players in the top twenty after 18 holes, led by Brock who is tied for fourth at 1-under par 71. Jonathan Hodge is tied for 11th at 1-over par, followed by Derek Rende (+2) and Bryce Ledford (+3).

Wofford’s Garrett Medeiros holds the individual lead at 4-under par, followed by Taylor Hines of Appalachian State at 3-under.

Chattanooga won its only Southern Conference men’s golf crown in 1987. The Mocs were tied for the team lead after one round last year and finished third. Last season’s third place finish was the team’s highest since the 1987 championship.


TEAM SCORES:
1. Chattanooga 293 (+5)
2. Wofford 295 (+7)
T3. Georgia Southern 296 (+8)
T3. Western Carolina 296 (+8)
5. Elon 297 (+9)
6. College of Charleston 298 (+10)
7. UNC Greensboro 300 (+12)
T8. Furman 307 (+19)
T8. Davidson 307 (+19)
10. Appalachian State 309 (+21)

CHATTANOOGA INDIVIDUALS
T4. Mitch Brock 71 (-1)
T11. Jonathan Hodge 73 (+1)
T15. Derek Rende 74 (+2)
T19. Bryce Ledford 75 (+3)
T39. Fredrik Qvicker 79 (+7)

TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS
1. Garrett Medeiros (Wofford) 68 (-4)
2. Taylor Hines (Appalachian State) 69 (-3)
3. Andres Cuenca (Western Carolina) 70 (-2)
T4. Mitch Brock (Chattanooga) 71 (-1)
T4. Justin Newton (Elon) 71 (-1)
T4. Matt Cook (Western Carolina) 71 (-1)

Three Chattanooga Courses in State's Top Ten

Golf Digest’s rankings of the best courses in each state have been released, and once again Chattanooga has a distinct presence in the Tennessee list.

As usual, The Honors Course is No. 1. But this time, it’s joined by Chattanooga Golf and Country Club, which has received rave reviews after its recent renovation by golf course architect Bill Bergin of Atlanta. The course entered the top ten at No. 8.

“Chattannoga Golf and Country Club is back on the map in Tennessee,” Bergin said of the historic Donald Ross-designed course. “The work that was done there has been well received and the course is enjoyable to play for members and challenging for tournament players.”

Black Creek Club, which opened in 2000, is No. 9 on the list.

Tennessee’s Top 10 Courses
(As selected by Golf Digest)
1. The Honors Course , Ooltewah
2. Spring Creek Ranch G.C. , Collierville
3. The G.C. of Tennessee, Kingston Springs
4. Colonial C.C. (South), Cordova
5. Belle Meade C.C., Nashville
6. Richland C.C., Nashville
7. Memphis C.C., Memphis
8. Chattanooga G. & C.C. Chattanooga
9. Black Creek G.C., Chattanooga
10. Holston Hills C.C., Knoxville

UTC Golfers Tie for Fifth at Palisades

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—The Chattanooga golf team rallied on the back nine of Tuesday’s final round to finish tied for fifth with 20th ranked Louisville at the Palisades Collegiate Classic.

The Mocs were 12-over par on the round after nine holes, and rallied on the back nine to post a 3-over par 291.

Derek Rende’s final round 73 dropped him into a tie for 12th place at 3-under par. Rende has finished in the top 12 in each of the last four tournaments.

Senior Mitch Brock was 5-over par early in his round before carding six birdies. His score of level par 72 earned him a 17th place finish, his best finish since a 16th place effort at the Scenic City Invitational last October.

“Mitch really got us going” said Mocs’ head coach Mark Guhne. “He dug himself a little bit of a hole in the early going but then he really turned it on. Today’s round really could have blown up on us. We were on pace to shoot well above 300 and the guys really ground it out. This time of year it is really important not to let a round get away from you. I think we are playing well heading into the SoCon Championships.”

Jonathan Hodge finished at even par, good for a tie for 19th place. Hodge is ranked No. 99 in the country by Golfstat, making him the second Chattanooga player to break into the top 100. Brendan Wilson finished the 1999 season rated No. 96, the highest individual rating in the history of the program.

The Mocs finished 13 strokes behind the host, No. 23 Charlotte. UTC led No. 4 Lamar after two rounds, but the Cardinals showed why they have their last three tournaments and five on the season, posting a final-round score of 15-under par to jump from eighth place to second at 8-under par.

The Palisades Collegiate Classic, played at the 6,797 yard layout of the Palisades Country Club is the Mocs’ final tune-up before heading to the Southern Conference Championships in Florence, S.C. next week. The Mocs finished third in last season’s championships, the highest finish since winning the league crown in 1987.

Entering the SoCon Championships, the Mocs are the league’s highest ranked program. The Mocs are ranked No. 39 by Golfstat and No. 42 by Golfweek. UTC also received 10 votes in the lastest Golfworld/Nike Coaches Poll, landing the Mocs in 31st position. The Mocs have finished no worse than fifth this spring and has eight top five finishes and three wins this season.

TEAM SCORES:
1. Charlotte 280-283-286=849 (-15)
2. Lamar 289-294-273=856 (-8)
3. Ole Miss 286-285-287=858 (-6)
4. SE Louisiana 278-285-297=860 (-4)
T5. Chattanooga 284-287-291=862 (-2)
T5. Louisville 287-284-291=862 (-2)
7. Xavier 290-292-287=869 (+5)
8. North Florida 292-291-291=874 (+10)
9. Mississippi State 300-288-290=878 (+14)
10. Belmont Abbey 284-298-297=879 (+15)
11. Memphis 290-294-297=881 (+17)
12. Sam Houston State 297-289-298=884 (+20)
13. Davidson 284-306-296=886 (+22)
14. Francis Marion 304-295-299=898 (+34)
15. USC Aiken 309-296-294=899 (+35)
16. Nebraska 304-293-304=901 (+37)
17. Mercer 306-306-295=907 (+43)
18. South Alabama 300-318-319=937 (+73)

Chattanooga Individuals
T12. Derek Rende 70-70-73=213 (-3)
T17. Mitch Brock 71-72-72=215 (-1)
T19. Jonathan Hodge 70-73-73=216 (E)
T31. Bryce Ledford 74-72-73=219 (+3)
T39. Fredrik Qvicker 73-73-75=221 (+5)
*92. Daniel Wood 76-79-83=238 (+22)
*competing as an individual

Top-5 Individuals
1. Brad Benjamin (Memphis) 70-69-68=207 (-9)
T2. Callum Macaulay (Ole Miss) 71-68-70=209 (-7)
T2. Dawie VanDerWalt (Lamar)69-72-68=209 (-7)
4. Jason Kokrak (Xavier) 71-69-70=210 (-6)
T5. Matthew Carvell (SE Louisiana) 67-70-74=211 (-5)
T5. Cory Nagy (Charlotte) 70-70-71=211 (-5)
T5. Aaron O’Callaghan (SE Louisiana) 73-70-68=211 (-5)
T5. Brian Mason (Mississippi State) 72-68-70=211 (-5)
T5. Andrew DiBitetto (Charlotte) 69-72-70=211 (-5)

UTC Golfers Tied for Third After Two Rounds at Palisades

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Freshman Derek Rende continued his strong play of late, carding scores of 2-under par 70 in both Monday rounds, leading Chattanooga to a 5-under par team score and into a tie for third place after 36 holes of the Palisades Collegiate Classic.

Rende’s performance put him in a tie for fifth place with six other golfers, three strokes off the individual lead. Rende has now been below par in each of his last five rounds.

Jonathan Hodge and Mitch Brock are also in red numbers, three strokes behind Rende at 1-under par and are tied for eighteenth. Bryce Ledford and Fredrik Qvicker are tied at 2-over par.

The Mocs, ranked No. 39 by Golfstat and No. 43 by Golfweek, opened with a 4-under par 284 in the morning round, followed by a 1-under par 287 in the afternoon. The Mocs have now posted team scores of par or better in five consecutive rounds.

The team’s two round total of 5-under par places the Mocs in a three way tie for third place with No. 20 Louisville and No. 43 Ole Miss. No. 33 SE Louisiana and host Charlotte, ranked No. 23, are tied for the team lead at 13-par. The Mocs have a 12 stroke lead on No. 4 Lamar in the team’s first meeting with a team ranked in the top five.

Tuesday’s final round will tee off at 8 a.m. with the Mocs in the final group. Chattanooga has finished no worse than fifth this spring and has seven top five finishes and three wins this season.

TEAM SCORES:
T1. Charlotte 280-283=563 (-13)
T1. SE Louisiana 278-285=563 (-13)
T3. Chattanooga 284-287=571 (-5)
T3. Louisville 287-284=571 (-5)
T3. Mississippi 286-285=571 (-5)
T6. Xavier 290-292=582 (+6)
T6. Belmont Abbey 284-298=582 (+6)
T8. Lamar 289-294=583 (+7)
T8. North Florida 292-291=583 (+7)
10. Memphis 290-294=584 (+8)
11. Sam Houston State 297-289=586 (+10)
12. Mississippi State 300-288=588 (+12)
13. Davidson 284-306=590 (+14)
14. Nebraska 304-293=597 (+21)
15. Francis Marion 304-295=599 (+23)
16. USC Aiken 309-296=605 (+29)
17. Mercer 306-306=612 (+36)
18. South Alabama 300-318=618 (+42)

Chattanooga Individuals
T5. Derek Rende 70-70=140 (-4)
T18. Jonathan Hodge 70-73=143 (-1)
T18. Mitch Brock 71-72=143 (-1)
T31. Fredrik Qvicker 73-73=146 (+2)
T31. Bryce Ledford 74-72=146 (+2)
*T75. Daniel Wood 76-79=155 (+11)
*competing as an individual

Top-5 Individuals
1. Matthew Carvell (SE Louisiana) 67-70=137 (-7)
T2. James Taverner (SE Louisiana) 70-69=139 (-5)
T2. Callum Macaulay (Ole Miss) 71-68=139 (-5)
T2. Brad Benjamin (Memphis) 70-69=139 (-5)
T5. Derek Rende (Chattanooga) 70-70=140 (-4)
T5. Brady Schnell (Nebraska) 71-69=140 (-4)
T5. Jason Kokrak (Xavier) 71-69=140 (-4)
T5. Scooter Jefferson (Sam Houston) 71-69=140 (-4)
T5. Jordan Gibb (North Florida) 70-70=140 (-4)
T5. Cory Nagy (Charlotte) 70-70=140 (-4)
T5. Brice Bailey (Ole Miss) 67-73=140 (-4)