Tigers close strong to finish second at Memphis Intercollegiate

Tuesday, September 18

Memphis, Tenn.

8:00 am

University of Memphis

Memphis Intercollegiate

Chase Harris shot a career-best 66 in the final round of the Memphis Intercollegiate.

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Tigers close strong to finish second at Memphis Intercollegiate

Sep 18, 2018 | Men's Golf

Memphis Intercollegiate Final Results

Harris, Bawden and Jackson shoot in the 60s to lead charge

By: Phil Stukenborg

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – What the University of Memphis men's golf team accomplished in the final round Tuesday of the Memphis Intercollegiate at Colonial Country Club should have resulted in a season-opening tournament victory.

And it would have if not for a phenomenal performance by Chattanooga golfer Oliver Simonsen, a rising sophomore from Chattanooga. Simonsen completed a record-breaking run Tuesday by firing a 9-under 63 in the final round for a 21-under total of 195. His 63 followed rounds of 64 and 68 Monday and established a Memphis Intercollegiate record.

The Tigers shot 13-under 275 Tuesday – the best final round in the 10-team field – but it wasn't enough to overcome Simonsen's remarkable

"In my 15 years as a coach, that's the best college golf I have ever seen," said Memphis coach Blake Smart.

But Smart was extremely proud of what his group did, too. The Tigers placed three golfers – Bradley Bawden, Chase Harris and Isaiah Jackson -- in the top six to finish at 11-under 853, two strokes behind Chattanooga (851). Third-place Oral Roberts shot 295 Tuesday for 872.

Bawden, Harris and Jackson, a newcomer this season, all finished with sub-70 scores. Bawden shot 68 for a three-round total of 210 to finish fourth, followed by Harris (66 for 212) and Jackson (69 for 213). Rodi Vlasveld added a 72 for 218 and tied for 11^th.

"In my four years here, that's probably a top-three round for us, especially being a final round," Smart said of the team's 195. "But we spotted them too many shots (in Monday's second round) and that's what decided it.

"But to have four guys in the top 11? You can't do much more than that. It's good momentum for the next one (Sept. 23-24 at the Windon Memorial in Chicago)."

For Harris, the 66 represented a career-low, one stroke better than he shot on two occasions last season. His round included a 5-under 31 on the front nine (six birdies and a bogey). He narrowly missed sinking a 15-footer on his final hole.

"It was my lowest round as a Tiger and probably my lowest tournament round ever," Harris said. "I got off to a really good start. I birdied the first three (holes)."

He said he had "some good looks" on the back nine that -- had he made a few more putts – would have resulted in an even lower score.

"I'm not complaining," Harris said. "I'm pretty happy."

Memphis briefly held the lead late in the final round, but Chattanooga – and especially the shot-making of Simonsen – proved too much to overcome.

"I feel like if the whole team was executing our game plan, we all felt we would put up a good fight," Harris said. "That's all we could ask for."