The Lee University men saved their best for last in the NCAA South/Southeast Regional Golf Championship on Saturday on the Mission Inn Resort course. After struggling during Friday’s round, the Flames bounced back with an outstanding 8-under par 280. Their 54-hole total of 867 was good enough for a fifth-place finish and a spot in the NCAA DII National Tournament which will be played in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. on May 19-23.
Junior Drew Zielinski led the way in the final round. He posted five birdies on the back side and finished with seven birdies overall for his 5-under 68 tally.
Junior Bennett McNabb was solid his entire round and gave his team a 2-under par 70.
Junior George Cordall sank five birdies in his 1-under 71 score while sophomore Mitchell Strickland rounded out the top four for the Flames with a 1-over 73. Senior Luke Stock will regroup and get ready for the national after struggling with a 77. Three-day totals saw Cordall the best at 214, Strickland 219, Zielinski 220, McNabb 221 and Stock 224.
The University of North Georgia ran away from the field to capture first-place honors. The Nighthawks registered an 18-under par for 54-holes and a final 836 score. Wingate University placed second (860), the University of West Florida third (861) and Columbus State University fourth (864). The Flames placed fifth (867) and were followed by Lincoln Memorial University sixth (868) while USC Aiken and Florida Southern College were tied for seventh (869). FSC earned the final spot in the national championship in a playoff.
The medalist competition ended in a three-way tie of 206 between King’s Aasmund Norum (67), Wingate’s Jack Vajda (68) and North Georgia’s Brandon Skidmore (69). LMU’s Morgan Cain also had a 68 on Saturday and placed fourth in the overall medalist play while two other golfers tied for fifth.
Coach Evan Spence’s thoughts:
“I am extremely proud of the fight from our guys today. Things were looking bleak yesterday afternoon after the way we finished, but we knew we still had a chance with a great team round today. The atmosphere was electric out there from the beginning today and we got off to a great start, just found a way to sustain it through the end. Sprinting through the finish line in those final holes has become the identity of this team and the program over the last years. It was no different out there today. Our coaches are excited to have the opportunity to go to battle with this group one more time and go do some damage at the National Championship.”