Mocs Golfers Attain Highest Ranking in History

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s golf team has cracked the Top 25 in the Golfweek/Sagarin ratings for the first time in school history, debuting at the tenth position in the initial 2007-08 ratings.

Alabama occupies the top spot in the ratings, followed in the top five by South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Stanford and Charlotte. Auburn, Duke, Florida State and Georgia are rated sixth through ninth ahead of UTC.

“This is three years in the making” said Chattanooga head coach Mark Guhne. “Our teams during that period have continued to improve, and we have recruited to reflect that. This is a team sport and the tenth player on the roster has as much to do with this as the top player. The competition to make the travel team in intense and we are leaving good players at home on a weekly basis. This is really a reflection on how good all the players on our roster are and on how hard they work week in and week out.”

Three Mocs are also in the top 75 in the Golfweek/Sagarin individual ratings as well. Sophomore Derek Rende leads the team at number 26, along with teammates Ben Rickett (42) and Jonathan Hodge (67). Hodge finished last season at number 105 in the individual ratings, while Rende was at 156th. Rende has top 10 finishes at both events this season.

The Mocs opened the season by hosting the Scenic City Invitational. Fifth-rated Charlotte won the team title, besting the Mocs by six strokes. UTC played at the prestigious Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic later in the week and finished ninth in the 18-team field.

The Mocs highest previous Golfweek/Sagarin rating was 34th the week after winning last year’s Southern Conference title.

The rating is also the highest ever achieved by any University of Tennessee at Chattanooga team since the Mocs moved up from Division II in 1977.