Conover, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs posted a final round 301 on Tuesday afternoon to take home the title at the 2012 Food Lion SAC Men’s Golf Tournament at Rock Barn Golf & Spa. Wingate built a 27-shot lead after rounds of 292 and 284 on Monday. The Bulldogs final score of 877 was 15 better than second-place Newberry at the 6,944-yard par 72 golf course. Wingate had three players finish in the top five and four in the top 10.
“We are all really excited about the win,” head coach
Corey Iacofano says. “It was a tough day emotionally, trying to accomplish something that we’ve never done. This has been a goal of ours all year. Having the big lead that we had sometimes makes it tougher, but the guys hung in and played well on the back nine to do what we needed to do. We are celebrating today, taking tomorrow off, then getting back to work and trying to accomplish the next goal.”
Senior
Braden Jackson (Dallas, N.C.) finished in second on the individual leaderboard, posting a final round of two-over par 74. Jackson fired rounds of 76 and 70 on Monday. Tuesday’s round started with a double bogey on one, but Jackson poured in four birdies against two bogeys on the rest of the front nine, carding a 36. He made a pair of bogeys and seven pars on the back to shoot 38 on the outward nine.
After posting rounds of 70 and 80 on Monday, senior
Cliff Blanquicet (Sanford, N.C.) fired a one-under par 71 on Tuesday to finish third. He was one of just two players to post a pair of under par rounds in the tournament. Blanquicet made three birdies on the front to go out in 33, while starting the back with a birdie on 10. He made three bogeys in his last eight holes to shoot 38 on the back.
Freshman
Antoine Le Saux (Caudan, France) finished in a tie for fourth. He shot 79 on Tuesday, after shooting 73 and 71 on Monday. After struggling to a 42 on the front nine, Le Saux birdied the par-five 18th to shoot 37 on the back.
Junior
Brian Denton (Wendell, N.C.) finished in a tie for 10th, posting a 77 on Tuesday after shooting 75 and 73 on Monday. Denton had two birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys to shoot 40 on the front nine. He made bogey on 10, but finished with eight pars to shoot 37 on the back.
Senior
Dave Crawford (Hamilton, Ontario) finished 16th overall. He shot rounds of 74 and 70 on Monday, while shooting an 83 on Tuesday. Crawford made two birdies on the front nine, but also had three double bogeys, shooting 40. He added three more doubles on the back nine, but did birdie the par five 18th to finish his round.
Newberry shot 289 on Tuesday, the low round of the day by eight shots. The Wolves finished 20 shots ahead of Carson-Newman, who placed third with a three-day total of 912. Anderson and Lenoir-Rhyne rounded out the top five.
Newberry’s
Matthew Campbell took home the individual title, finishing at one under with rounds of 69, 71 and 75. He finished five shots ahead of Jackson, while Jackson finished one shot ahead of Blanquicet. LeSaux finished in a five-way tie for fourth at seven-over, two shots behind Blanquicet. Denton finished in a four-way tie for 10th at nine-over.
Wingate University
Place Player Rd.1 Rd.2 Rd.3 Total
2 Braden Jackson 76 70 74 220
3 Clifford Blanquicet 70 80 71 221
T4 Antoine LeSaux 73 71 79 223
T10 Brian Denton 75 73 77 225
16 David Crawford 74 70 83 227
Place Team Total Today Rd.1 Rd.2 Rd.3 Total
1 Wingate +13 +13 292 284 301 877
2 Newberry +28 +1 304 299 289 892
3 Carson-Newman +48 +9 300 315 297 912
4 Anderson (SC) +54 +15 305 310 303 918
5 Lenoir-Rhyne +56 +15 308 309 303 920
6 Lincoln Memorial +60 +21 303 312 309 924
7 Tusculum +61 +13 316 308 301 925
8 Catawba +76 +21 320 311 309 940
9 Brevard +78 +24 316 314 312 942
10 Mars Hill +177 +53 351 349 341 1041
