Tigers Finish Strong, Climb to Fifth at Mason Rudolph Championship

Sunday, April 3

Nashville, TN

University of Memphis

Vanderbilt Mason Rudolph Championship

Photo by: Ben Solomon

Tigers Finish Strong, Climb to Fifth at Mason Rudolph Championship

Apr 03, 2016 | Men's Golf

Memphis is one of two teams in the field to improve its team score over each of the three rounds

FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Behind a final-round 288, the Memphis Tigers climbed three spots into fifth place overall with a three-round total of 879 at the Mason Rudolph Championship.

The four teams ahead of Memphis were all nationally ranked ahead of the Tigers' rank of 43 coming into the weekend. Tournament host and ninth-ranked Vanderbilt took team honors with a tournament-low 847, as 19th ranked Florida finished a stroke behind. A three-day total of 861 for 17th ranked Alabama brought in third place while UAB – ranked 42nd in the country – shot a three-day total of 873, six strokes ahead of the Tigers.

Thomas Perrot led the Tigers with a one-under 70 on the day, as his three-round total of 214 placed him in a tie for 10th overall, while Eithel McGowen was one over par on the day. McGowen's three-round total of 223 placed him in a tie for 39th, and was ten strokes over par.

Both Lars van Meijel and Taylor McCullum finished the round with two-over-par 73, as Sydney Chung rounded out the Tigers in the field with a 76, five strokes over par. van Meijel closed the tournament in a tie of 24th place with a 221, while Chung's 225 placed him 49th, and McCullum's 232 put him 62nd.

"We were once again plagued by a really poor round, which puts you in a bad spot to be competitive," said Memphis head coach Blake Smart. "Even our solid rounds are full of mistakes that you can't make if you're going to make up the difference in being a really good team."

Perrot opened the round – which was played at the Vanderbilt Legends Club, and played at a distance of 7,100 yards long with a par of 71 – with a par on the opening hole, before bogeying the par-four second hole. He recorded a par on the third hole before shooting a birdie on the fourth hole to even his score. He hit a par over the last five holes of the front nine to finish the front side at even par.

The senior bogeyed the first hole out of the turn, and recorded a par of the next three holes. He closed strong with a birdie on the par-five 14th hole, a bogey on the par-four 15th hole, and birdies on the 16th and 17th holes. The round ended with an even par on the 18th hole, giving him a one-under par 70 on the round, finishing the tournament at one over par.

McGowen had pars on 14 of his 18 holes on the day, including the first four holes. He birdied the par-four fifth hole, before recording four consecutive pars to round out the front nine at one-under par. Three pars opened the second round for the junior, before he double-bogeyed the par-three 13th hole putting him at one-over-par, which was answered with a birdie on the par five 14th hole.

He closed the round with three pars, before a bogey on the par-five 18th hole put him at one over for the day, and 10-over (223) for the tournament.

van Meijel opened his day with three straight pars before recording a bogey on the par-four fourth hole. He answered with a birdie on the par-three kept him at even par. He dipped below par after a birdie on the par four seventh hole; however, a bogey on the last hole of the front nine put him at the turn at an even par 35.

The back nine saw the junior open with a double-bogey on the par-four 10th hole, and over the remaining eight holes he played even par including a bogey on the par three 13th hole, and was followed with a birdie on the par five 14th hole.

After a rough round from Taylor McCullum to end the day on Saturday, the redshirt sophomore was key for the Tigers in the final round, and opened the day with a birdie on the opening hole, and following two bogeys and an additional birdie was at even par at the turn.

He opened the back nine with a par and a birdie to take him to one under par after 11 holes. Two straight bogeys put the sophomore one stroke over par; however, a birdie on the par four 15th hole put him back at even par. He remained even until the 18th hole, where he took a double-bogey on the par five 18th hole, and 73 for the round, two strokes over par.

Chung, in the finale of his first event of the spring season, struggled over the opening nine holes with five bogeys and four pars, sitting at five over at the turn.

A bogey on the 10th hole put him at six over par; however, he closed the round strong, shooting one under par over the final eight holes with a bogey, five pars, and two birdies, including one on the final hole of the tournament, the par five 18th hole.

"I am still very optimistic that our good golf can be outstanding," said Smart. "It is time to start seeing that idea come to fruition."

The Tigers return to action on April 16 and 17 when the team travels to Ardmore, Oklahoma, to complete in the Maxwell Intercollegiate, hosted at the Dornick Hills Golf and Country Club.