SALISBURY, N.C. – Paced by senior Payton Whitlock's 4-over-par 110, the Anderson University men's golf team finished ninth at the 2017 South Atlantic Conference Championship, which was hosted by Catawba at the par-72 6,690 yard Country Club of Salisbury layout.
The SAC Championship, which was originally slated for three days and 54 holes, was shortened to 27 holes following heavy rains on Sunday and Monday, with the teams playing the par-35 front nine on Tuesday.
After the first round was finally completed early Tuesday morning, Carson-Newman led the 12-team field by three shots over Queens but Coker rallied from five shots back over the final nine holes to force a playoff, which Carson-Newman won. The victory marked the Eagles' third overall title and second in four years.
Newberry finished third by just one stroke, while Queens dropped to fourth.
Tusculum moved from a tie for sixth to fifth, while Lincoln Memorial, the defending champion, and Brevard shared sixth place. Mars Hill finished one stroke ahead of the Trojans, with Wingate, Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne rounding out the 12-team field.
Coker's Wanjoo Lee carded a 104 to win individual medalist honors by two shots over Newberry's Ben Thompson and Carlos Leandro, along with Queens' Sam Wimbrow.
Whitlock notched a 1-over-par 36 on Tuesday after leading the Trojans with an opening-round, 3-over-par 74 two days ago and moved up four spots into a share of 15th place. After firing an opening-round 78 on Sunday, graduate student Weston Bell paced the Trojans in the final round with an even-par 35 and shared 32nd place with senior Grayson Bell, with both carding 7-over-par 113s for the tournament.
Freshman Jake Miller posted a 4-over-par 39 on Tuesday and finished in a tie for 46th, alongside sophomore David Monroe, who rounded out the Trojan contingent with a 6-over-par 41 and claimed a share of 46th.
SAC MEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
*1. Carson-Newman 285-146=431
2. Coker 290-141=431
3. Newberry 289-143=432
4. Queens 288-146=434
5. Tusculum 297-140=437
6t. Lincoln Memorial 296-145=441
6t. Brevard 297-144=441
8. Mars Hill 308-140=448
9. Anderson 302-147=449
10. Wingate 301-150=451
11. CATAWBA 315-147=462
12. Lenoir-Rhyne 319-148=467
*Won on fourth playoff hole
SAC All-Tournament
First Team
Wanjoo Lee, Coker
Ben Thompson, Newberry
Carlos Leandro, Newberry
Sam Wimbrow, Queens
Anthony Marcinelli, Carson-Newman
Dalton Reese, Carson-Newman
Tom Forster, Carson-Newman
Oskar Lundgren, Brevard
Second Team
Luis Vega, Brevard
Cameron Dugger, Tusculum
Sam Broadhurst, Lincoln Memorial
