April 19, 2011

FLORENCE, S.C. - The Samford men's golf team earned a fourth-place finish at the 2011 Southern Conference Championship on Tuesday as the highly-competitive 11-team tournament came to a close at the Country Club of South Carolina. The Bulldogs tallied a third-round score of 295 to finish the event.

Additionally, Samford head coach Woodie Eubanks was named the SoCon Coach of the Year. This season, the Bulldogs' skipper helped guide a starting squad comprised one senior and four sophomores to a fourth-place finish at the talent-laden SoCon Championship.

Samford's Casey O'Toole finished the three-day tournament tied for eighth place and turned in a 54-hole score of 216 (69-71-76) to lead the squad. The Bulldogs' Bill Nabors turned in the team's best round Tuesday as he carded a 71 to finish the three-day tournament tied for 15th place at 219 (72-76-71).

Following Nabors, Samford's Martin Bunt tallied a 54-hole total of 221 (72-75-74), while Gabe Hyde registered a 223 (75-74-74) and Drew Aimone posted a three-round score of 225 (74-73-78).

Trailing by five shots at the turn in the final round, Georgia Southern played the last nine holes at 5-under par to surpass Chattanooga and win the 2011 SoCon Men's Golf Championship at the Country Club of South Carolina.

Davidson freshman Richard Fountain became the Wildcats' first SoCon Tournament individual medalist since 1973 as he fired a final-round, 5-under par 67. The freshman, who claimed his second tournament title of the season, birdied his final hole of the event, the 435-yard par four ninth. With his victory, Fountain earns an automatic qualification to the NCAA Men's Golf Championship.

The Eagles' five golfers combined for 10 birdies on the final nine holes Tuesday, including four from tournament runner-up Lewis Gruber. His three-day total of 208 (-8) paced the Eagles. Senior Logan Blondell also played a key role in Georgia Southern's victory, placing third individually at 4-under-par 212.

Like Fountain, Georgia Southern also earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships by virtue of its win.

UNC Greensboro posted the second-best round of the day, and of the tournament, at 285 (-3) to finish in second place after beginning the day in fourth. Will Almand led the Spartans' charge by shooting 70 (-2) in a bogey-free round while tying for fourth for the event. His 214 (-2) total was matched by Chattanooga's Steven Fox, who darted out with six birdies on the front nine before finishing the day with a four-under 68.

Chattanooga (867) placed third, six strokes off the pace, followed by Samford (875), College of Charleston (876) and Wofford (882).

Elon (886) finished seventh, one stroke ahead of Davidson (887) in eighth. Rounding out the leaderboard were Western Carolina (895), Appalachian State (897) and Furman (900).

Also placing in the top 10 individually were College of Charleston's Coy Breen (-1), Elon's Steve Dressel (-1), UNC Greensboro's Kyle Sonday (E), Chattanooga's Stephan Jaeger (E) and Samford's Casey O'Toole (E).

Jaegar was voted as the SoCon Player of the Year by the league's head coaches while Wofford's Chandler Brazeal took home Freshman of the Year honors. Samford's Eubanks was honored by his peers as the league's Coach of the Year.

Tuesday's round was Samford's final competition of the 2011 spring campaign. The future looks bright for the Samford men's golf team as four of the five members of this year's starting squad return to action next season.

Bunt is the Bulldogs' lone senior on the roster this season, while O'Toole, Nabors, Hyde and Aimone will all return as juniors next year. Samford will also boast current freshman William Cataranzaro who will be a redshirt freshman in 2012.

2011 Southern Conference Honors

All-Conference
Steven Fox, Chattanooga
Stephan Jaeger, Chattanooga
Benni Weilguni, Chattanooga Steve Dressel, Elon
Matt Broome, Furman
Logan Blondell, Georgia Southern
Robert Hoadley, UNC Greensboro
Kyle Sonday, UNC Greensboro
Chandler Brazeal, Wofford
Brent Whitehead, Wofford

All-Freshman
Davis Bunn, Chattanooga
Benni Weilguni, Chattanooga
Richard Fountain, Davidson
Andy Knox, UNC Greensboro
Chandler Brazeal, Wofford

Player of the Year
Stephan Jaeger, Chattanooga

Freshman of the Year
Chandler Brazeal, Wofford

Coach of the Year
Woodie Eubanks, Samford

Complete Results - SoCon Championship