Golf House Tennessee Announces Staff Changes

Franklin, Tenn.—Tennessee Golf Foundation president Dick Horton has announced the completion of a reorganization of the executive staff at Golf House Tennessee. To better address golf's urgent need to increase rounds played and bringing new people into the game statewide, Horton will now focus his job on establishing four new regional director positions and golf offices in the Tri-Cities, Memphis, Chattanooga and Knoxville. The Foundation's endowment fund will need to be increased by five million dollars by 2011 to endow these new jobs, offices and the activities they will create and Horton will have the direct responsibility to raise those funds. He will conclude his 35-year tenure as Executive Director of the Tennessee PGA on October 31, 2007 and Tennessee Golf Association on January 1 and serve exclusively as the TGF President past that point.

Accepting Horton's former role as Executive Director of the Tennessee Section PGA will be Jeff Abbot. Abbot is currently the controller of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, overseeing $65 million dollars of revenue for the professional hockey franchise. Prior to becoming controller he heading up a $4 million marketing and sales efforts for the Blue Jackets. Abbot's prior experience also includes four years as the Director of Operations of the Middle Atlantic PGA Section, one the largest and most successful Sections in the PGA of America. " I am excited to return to professional golf and look forward to building on the wonderful reputation of the Tennessee PGA. Golf House Tennessee and its cooperative culture is the model sought by every state and I look forward to serving Tennessee's 500 PGA professionals."

Matt Vanderpool has been promoted from Assistant Executive Director of the Tennessee Golf Association to its Executive Director. Vanderpool has been on staff at Golf House for 9 years and is recognized as a rules expert and superb championship director. The TGA will celebrate its centennial year in 2014 and now consists of both men's and women's amateur golf. Vanderpool will focus on delivering and creating more golf activity for our 37,000 golfers who have association golf handicaps at nearly 200 clubs and courses. "Accepting the leadership reigns of the TGA is something I always hoped might happen and I am ready to continue our wonderful tradition of service to our amateur golfers."

Steve Merrill has been promoted from Development Director of the Tennessee Golf Foundation to Senior Vice President of the Foundation. The eight-year Foundation veteran, who came to the Foundation after a senior marketing position with the National Basketball Association, will support Horton in all phases of the Foundation, including strategic planning and cooperative culture, fund raising, operations and personnel, junior golf, regional director implementation and direct supervision of The First Tee program in Nashville and its affiliates. "We have a very aggressive strategic plan to increase the number of golfers and rounds of golf across the State while giving youth an opportunity to learn from the games core values. I welcome the challenge and know that we will continue to be leaders and trend setters in the game."

Joe Taggert, 64, has been named Tournament Director of the Vinny, Vince Gill's Pro-Celebrity-Junior Amateur tournament that has raised over $4 million for Tennessee junior golf over the past 15 years. Joe replaces his wife, Bonnie, who is retiring on January 1. Taggert, the former COO of the Golf House Tennessee operation, will also assist Horton as a special projects advisor.

Hodge Wins Individual Title at Duke Golf Classic; Mocs Tie for Team Crown

DURHAM. N.C.—Chattanooga junior Jonathan Hodge made five birdies without a bogey to card a final-round 67 and claim medalist honors at the Coca-Cola Duke Classic. Hodge’s three-round total of 12-under par led the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to a tie for the team title with host Duke at 22-under par.

The Mocs, currently sixth in the Golfweek ratings, started Monday’s final round two shots behind the host Blue Devils, but Fredrik Qvicker’s birdie on the 18th pulled the team even to give the Mocs a share of the team title.

Hodge claimed his first collegiate title with rounds of 67 and 70 before his closing 67 gave him a three shot win. Hodge had two prior runner-up finishes, most recently at last year’s Southern Conference Championship. His three-round total of 204 is a career-best and marks the second consecutive week he has lowered that number.

Qvicker was under par each round and finished tied for seventh at 5-under par. This marks Qvicker’s best finish as a collegian and is his second Top-10 finish of the year.

Derek Rende finished tied for 11th at 3-under par, rebounding from an opening 75 with rounds of 68 and 70.

Eric Forsman and J.T. Clendenin, both seeing their first action for the Mocs, tied for 28th at 3-over par.

Ben Rickett, playing as an individual, also tied for 28th at 3-over par, 219.

COCA-COLA DUKE CLASSIC
FINAL RESULTS

T1. Chattanooga 280-282-280—842 -22
T1. Duke 287-273-282—842 -22
3. Notre Dame 287-286-284—857 -7
T4. Ohio State 285-281-292—858 -6
T4. Virginia Tech 277-290-291—858 -6
6. Old Dominion 282-287-290—859 -5
7. East Carolina 285-289-296—870 +6
8. Maryland 297-282-295—874 +10
9. VCU 299-280-296—875 +11
10. UNC Wilmington 293-281-302—876 +12
11. Houston 296-296-285—877 +13
12. Iowa 292-294-296—882 +18
13. Florida Southern 297-290-300—887 +23
14. UNC Greensboro 296-295-297—888 +24
15. Winthrop 299-303-304—906 +42

Mocs Tie for Third at VCU Shootout

RICHMOND, Va.—The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s golf team was 5-under par in its final round to finish in a tie for third at the VCU Shootout held at Hermitage Country Club.

The Mocs trailed Penn State and Wisconsin by four strokes entering the final round but did not make up any ground on the Nitany Lions. Wisconsin managed a 2-under round of 286, but nipped the Mocs by a stroke for second place. Wake Forest turned in the best performance of the final round with a team score of 14-under par to tie the Mocs for thirds at 15-under for the tournament.

Jonathan Hodge fired a final-round 68 to finish in second place in the individual standings at 10-under par. Hodge finished five strokes behind medalist Kevin Foley of Penn State who rode an opening 65 to the individual title. Hodge’s three-round total of 206 is the best of his collegiate career.

Sophomore Derek Rende finished two strokes behind Hodge in third place at 8-under. Rende has finished in the top 10 in all three of the team’s tournaments this year.

Fredrik Qvicker finished 1-under par to tie for 16th.

“We played well this week” said head coach Mark Guhne. “We just ran into a couple of teams that played better. Jonathan and Derek continue to play better and better against strong competition. We have another strong field next week at Duke and have another chance to have a strong showing against some top competition.”

The Mocs, currently ranked seventh in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index, will next be in action Oct. 7-8 at the Coca-Cola Duke Classic in Durham, N.C.

VCU SHOOTOUT
FINAL RESULTS

1. Penn State 283-279-283—845 -19
2. Wisconsin 284-278-286—848 -16
T3. Chattanooga 279-287-283—849 -15
T3. Wake Forest 289-286-274—849 -15
T5. Wichita State 295-282-284—861 -3
T5. Virginia Tech 290-283-288—861 -3
T7. North Carolina 288-280-297—865 +1
T7. VCU 286-288-291—865 +1
T7. Southeastern Louisiana 286-291-288—865 +1
10. Old Dominion 284-295-289—868 +4
11. Maryland 292-291-293—876 +12
12. UNC Wilmington 292-298-290—880 +16
13. Iowa State 297-290-294—881 +17
14. South Florida 296-296-292—884 +20
15. Liberty 310-291-296—897 +33

TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS

1. Kevin Foley (Penn State) 65-68-68—201 -15
2. Jonathan Hodge (Chattanooga) 68-70-68—206 -10
3. Derek Rende (Chattanooga) 67-72-69—208 -8
T4. Chris Cannon (Wake Forest) 74-72-65—211 -5
T4. Kevin O’Connell (North Carolina) 67-68-76—211 -5
T4. Dan Woltman (Wisconsin) 71-69-71—211 -5

CHATTANOOGA INDIVIDUALS

2. Jonathan Hodge 68-70-68—206 -10
3. Derek Rende 67-72-69—208 -8
T16. Fredrik Qvicker 72-70-73—215 -1
T59. Ben Rickett 74-76-73—223 +7
T62. Tripp Harris 72-75-77—224 +8