Moc Golfers Ranked No. 1 in Golfweek/Sagarin Index

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—The Chattanooga men’s golf team is the top ranked team in the country according to the Golfweek/Sagarin Ratings Index. The No. 1 ranking is a first in the Division I era for any Mocs program.

“This is very special for me,” said coach Mark Guhne. “We have talked about being the best team in the country and trying to build this program to that level, but for it to be actually recognized as such...it is very humbling.

“We still have a lot of work to do, but I could not be prouder of our players because it’s their hard work being rewarded.”

Chattanooga won its first two tournaments of the season with a tournament record 45-under par finish at the Aldila Scenic City Invitational and topping a stellar field at the prestigious Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic at the Farm in Rocky Face, Ga.

The Mocs lead the computer-generated Golfweek ranking followed by Arkansas, Kansas State, Baylor and Tennessee. South Carolina is sixth as Illinois, Clemson, Michigan and Florida round out the top 10. Chattanooga is 4-0 against top 10 teams, 32-0 overall.

It is certainly a team effort for the Mocs, but individually true freshman Stephan Jaeger is No. 41. Seniors Ben Rickett and Jonathan Hodge are No. 66 and 67, respectively.

Chattanooga returns to action on Sunday at the Ping/Golfweek Preview at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. The Preview is played at the site of the 2009 NCAA Championships in May. It includes 15 of the top teams entering this season.

The Ping/Golfweek Preview is a 54-hole event played Sunday, Sept. 28, through Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Chattanooga Golf Earns School’s Highest Ranking

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.-It’s not where they hoped to be ranked, but the Mocs men’s golf team is ranked No. 5 in the country by the Golfweek/Sagarin Ratings Index in the first ratings of the season. It is the highest ranking achieved by a Chattanooga program in the Division I era.

The Mocs opened the season with a bang, winning the Aldila Scenic City Invitational at Council Fire Golf Club with a record 45 under par score of 819. Chattanooga followed by out-classing the Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic field by five shots with an even par 864. The Carpet Capital featured four preseason top 10 teams (including then-No. 1 Georgia) and eight in the top 20.

After such an impressive start, there were visions of No. 1 in the heads of the Mocs faithful.

“Is it disappointing?” asked coach Mark Guhne. “In some ways yes, but I’m not too concerned about being ranked No. 1 in September, especially after two events. We want to play consistently well and earn the top spot throughout the season.

“I could not be prouder of our effort to this point.”

Texas and LSU are tied for the top spot in the rankings followed by Washington, Arkansas and Chattanooga. Tennessee follows at No. 6 with Iowa, South Carolina, Cal and Colorado rounding out the top 10.

Individually, the Mocs feature three top 50 players. Freshman Stephan Jaeger begins his career at No. 24. Senior Ben Rickett is at a career high No. 36 closely followed by Jonathan Hodge at No. 37.

Chattanooga is next in action Sept. 28-30 at the Ping Preview at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. The tournament is played on the same course as this Spring’s National Championship.

Mocs Capture Carpet Capital Collegiate Title

ROCKY FACE, Ga.—It wasn’t easy, but the No. 12 Chattanooga Mocs captured their second title in a week with a five-stroke win at the prestigious Carpet Capital Collegiate at The Farm in Rocky Face, Ga. The field had eight top 20 schools with four ranking in the top 10, including top-ranked Georgia.

Chattanooga had a three-shot lead entering the second round and got off to a rocky start. UTC lost its lead and fell down the leaderboard a bit before righting the ship and doing so in impressive fashion.

If one shot could turn the tide, then freshman Stephan Jaeger’s hole-in-one on the 243-yard eighth hole with a three iron might have sounded the alarm.

“We needed something big there and that did it,” said Head Coach Mark Guhne. “It recharged us and got the juices going.”

The steady play of Jonathan Hodge had its usual impact as he started the day two-over par through six holes before going on to finish his day with a team-low round of 70 (-2).

“Jonathan was fantastic today,” added Guhne. “He continues to prove himself as one of the top golfers in the nation. He was absolutely clutch.”

Chattanooga’s even par 864 topped second-place Tennessee by five shots. No. 13 South Carolina finished in third, six strokes back, while No. 7 Clemson, who played in the final group with UTC, came in fourth by eight shots. The Mocs defeated No. 6 Florida by nine, No. 20 Alabama by 11 and No. 1 Georgia by 12.

“I wish I knew the right words to express how I feel right now,” concluded Guhne. “This is a very special event to me, one I targeted as an event we needed to elevate our program to just be a part of when I took over four years ago. To win it amazes me.