University of Memphis Athletics
Tuesday, April 25
Palm Harbor, Fla.
University of Memphis
at
American Athletic Conference Championship
Photo by: Ben Solomon
Lee's Career Round Pushes Tigers to Fifth Place Finish at Conference Championships
Apr 25, 2017 | Men's Golf
INNISBROOK, Fla. - Behind a final-round team score of 287 - which is the second-lowest score in a round this season for Memphis - and a career-low 68 from Kevin Lee, the Tigers took fifth place in the American Athletic Conference Championships, hosted at the Innisbrook Resort - Copperhead Course.
"It's always nice to move up the board in a final round, particularly in a league championship," said Memphis head coach Blake Smart. "Kevin (Lee) really showed mental toughness to come out and play the best round of his career. It was a good round today for Sydney and a nice way to wrap up his career as a Tiger."
Memphis' 287 was an aggregate score of +3 for the Tigers, and the team was led by Lee who put together a career-round with a three-under 68. Sydney Chung capped his collegiate career by finishing with an even-par 71, and freshmen Nick Giles (+2) and Colin Dubnik (+4) closed out the scoring players for the team.
"It's always exciting to have a freshman lead the way and Nick (Giles) was really gritty this week," said Smart. "With such a young lineup, and with the progress we showed late in the season, I'm looking forward to getting back to work with these guys in the fall.
The Tigers' score of 881 for the tournament was three strokes ahead of SMU and UConn who tied for sixth with an 884, as East Carolina (898) and Temple (902) rounded out the teams in the field. USF took home the team title with a final score of 857, as Memphis' final round 287 was tied for the best score of the tournament
The Copperhead Course, which is also host to a yearly PGA Tour event (the Valspar Invitational), played during the tournament at 7,125 yards, and a par 71.
Lee's 68 is tied for the lowest individual score of the tournament, and a new career-best for the junior. The sophomore started strong, and was one stroke under par through his first five holes on the day. It was the middle seven holes of the tournament that Lee was spectacular, as he birdied five of the seven holes during that stretch. He started with a birdie on the 465-yard par-four sixth hole, and came back with a birdie on the 420-yard par-four seventh hole.Â
After a par on the eighth hole, he birdied his final hole of the front nine, a 400-yard par four to put him at -4 at the turn. He used a birdie to open the back nine, and came back with back-to-back birdies on the 575-yard par five 11th hole and the 380-yard par four 12th hole, dropping his round score to -6. After three more pars, he stumbled down the brutal final three holes - known on the course as the "Snake Pit", with three straight birdies.
Chung was never above par on his final collegiate round, as he opened his day with four consecutive pars, before recording a birdie on the 570-yard par five fifth hole. A bogey two holes later dropped him back to even par, as he closed his front nine with two straight pars to be at even par at the turn.Â
A birdie on the 445-yard par-four 10th hole dropped him to a stroke under par, but a bogey a hole later pushed him back to even. The steady senior closed his round with seven consecutive pars, closing the day with an even-par 71.
Giles kicked off the final round with a birdie on the 560-yard par five first hole; however bogeyed his next two holes to push him to a stroke over par. A birdie on the fifth hole pushed him back to even, until he bogeyed the seventh and ninth holes, and was two strokes over par at the turn.
He played the back nine at even par, with a birdie on the 380-yard par four 12th hole and a bogey on the 16th hole sprinkled into seven pars on the back side of the course, ending his first season with the Tigers with a two-over 73.
Dubnik finished his opening college season with a four-over 75; however, outside of a four-hole span in the middle of the round, played under-par golf. The freshman opened his round with two birdies and three pars over his first five holes, carding birdies on the 455-yard par-four third hole and the 570-yard par five fifth hole.Â
The Rochester, New York, native saw his under-par round erased on the 200-yard par three eighth hole with a triple bogey, and after a par on the ninth hole, opened his back nine with a bogey and double bogey, pushing him to four strokes over par. Dubnik quickly rebounded, and recorded nothing but pars the rest of the way, including three in the treacherous "Snake Pit" to finish the round with a 75.
JC Campbell was also bitten by a three-hole stretch in the round, as the sophomore opened play on the final day with four consecutive pars. At even par through four, he hit his rough patch for the round with a bogey, double bogey, and bogey over his next three holes, pushing him to four strokes over par.
He closed his front nine with two straight pars, and opened his back nine with four more pars - and seven pars total on the back nine - as he had just two blemishes; bogeys on the 14th and 17th holes, sending him into the clubhouse with a six-over 77 on the day.
Â
"It's always nice to move up the board in a final round, particularly in a league championship," said Memphis head coach Blake Smart. "Kevin (Lee) really showed mental toughness to come out and play the best round of his career. It was a good round today for Sydney and a nice way to wrap up his career as a Tiger."
Memphis' 287 was an aggregate score of +3 for the Tigers, and the team was led by Lee who put together a career-round with a three-under 68. Sydney Chung capped his collegiate career by finishing with an even-par 71, and freshmen Nick Giles (+2) and Colin Dubnik (+4) closed out the scoring players for the team.
"It's always exciting to have a freshman lead the way and Nick (Giles) was really gritty this week," said Smart. "With such a young lineup, and with the progress we showed late in the season, I'm looking forward to getting back to work with these guys in the fall.
The Tigers' score of 881 for the tournament was three strokes ahead of SMU and UConn who tied for sixth with an 884, as East Carolina (898) and Temple (902) rounded out the teams in the field. USF took home the team title with a final score of 857, as Memphis' final round 287 was tied for the best score of the tournament
The Copperhead Course, which is also host to a yearly PGA Tour event (the Valspar Invitational), played during the tournament at 7,125 yards, and a par 71.
Lee's 68 is tied for the lowest individual score of the tournament, and a new career-best for the junior. The sophomore started strong, and was one stroke under par through his first five holes on the day. It was the middle seven holes of the tournament that Lee was spectacular, as he birdied five of the seven holes during that stretch. He started with a birdie on the 465-yard par-four sixth hole, and came back with a birdie on the 420-yard par-four seventh hole.Â
After a par on the eighth hole, he birdied his final hole of the front nine, a 400-yard par four to put him at -4 at the turn. He used a birdie to open the back nine, and came back with back-to-back birdies on the 575-yard par five 11th hole and the 380-yard par four 12th hole, dropping his round score to -6. After three more pars, he stumbled down the brutal final three holes - known on the course as the "Snake Pit", with three straight birdies.
Chung was never above par on his final collegiate round, as he opened his day with four consecutive pars, before recording a birdie on the 570-yard par five fifth hole. A bogey two holes later dropped him back to even par, as he closed his front nine with two straight pars to be at even par at the turn.Â
A birdie on the 445-yard par-four 10th hole dropped him to a stroke under par, but a bogey a hole later pushed him back to even. The steady senior closed his round with seven consecutive pars, closing the day with an even-par 71.
Giles kicked off the final round with a birdie on the 560-yard par five first hole; however bogeyed his next two holes to push him to a stroke over par. A birdie on the fifth hole pushed him back to even, until he bogeyed the seventh and ninth holes, and was two strokes over par at the turn.
He played the back nine at even par, with a birdie on the 380-yard par four 12th hole and a bogey on the 16th hole sprinkled into seven pars on the back side of the course, ending his first season with the Tigers with a two-over 73.
Dubnik finished his opening college season with a four-over 75; however, outside of a four-hole span in the middle of the round, played under-par golf. The freshman opened his round with two birdies and three pars over his first five holes, carding birdies on the 455-yard par-four third hole and the 570-yard par five fifth hole.Â
The Rochester, New York, native saw his under-par round erased on the 200-yard par three eighth hole with a triple bogey, and after a par on the ninth hole, opened his back nine with a bogey and double bogey, pushing him to four strokes over par. Dubnik quickly rebounded, and recorded nothing but pars the rest of the way, including three in the treacherous "Snake Pit" to finish the round with a 75.
JC Campbell was also bitten by a three-hole stretch in the round, as the sophomore opened play on the final day with four consecutive pars. At even par through four, he hit his rough patch for the round with a bogey, double bogey, and bogey over his next three holes, pushing him to four strokes over par.
He closed his front nine with two straight pars, and opened his back nine with four more pars - and seven pars total on the back nine - as he had just two blemishes; bogeys on the 14th and 17th holes, sending him into the clubhouse with a six-over 77 on the day.
Â
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
Wolfchase Toyota Insider: Men's Golf 11/19/21
Friday, November 19
Tiger Talk Presented By The Tennessee Lottery: Blake Smart 4/23/20
Thursday, April 23
Memphis Golf: Men Prep for Athens Regional
Friday, May 10
Memphis Golf: Men Finish Strong at Home Event
Wednesday, September 19