Trojans Finish Strong at Program Challenge

Sunday, September 11

Pawley's Island, S.C.

Troy University

Golfweek Magazine

Trojans Finish Strong at Program Challenge

9/13/2011 8:43:00 PM | Golf (M), Golf (W)

By: Ricky Hazel

MEN'S FINAL STATISTICS: HTML | PDF
WOMEN'S FINAL STATISTICS: HTML | PDF

The Troy University men's golf team closed out its first event of the season on Tuesday with a 279, the Trojans' lowest team round since March of 2009. The Troy women also finished strong, posting an even 300 in the final round of the Golfweek Program Challenge.

The nine-under par round helped the Troy men move into a tie for sixth place at the True Blue Course in Pawley's Island, SC.

The Troy women also finished with a solid round, posting just the second team score of 300 in the last two seasons. That performance helped the Trojans finish in seventh place in the Program Challenge. The women played at the Caledonia Golf & Fish Club course.

“Today we had our best rounds on both sides,” Trojans coach Matt Terry said. “I was extremely pleased with both teams.”

With the strong finish, the Trojans finished eighth in the overall team competition. East Carolina, which won the women's tournament, and Campbell, which took the men's title, finished tied for the combined team title at the event. Both schools finished with a combined score of even par.

The Troy men were led in the final standings by senior Ricky Casko (-5, 211), but it was two of the younger Trojans who posted the low rounds on Tuesday. Freshman Jake Tucker put up a four-under par 68 in the final round while sophomore Will Thompson delivered a three-under 69.

As a team, the Trojans, who started play on the back nine, got off to a very fast start on Tuesday, but couldn't keep the momentum going on the front nine.

“The guys were 10 under through nine holes, but they didn't keep it going and finished nine under,” Terry said. “They improved by six shots every day, but there is still a lot of things to work on. We have some time to get better because we don't play again for three weeks.”

Casko posted a two-under 70 on Tuesday and finished tied for 12th in the overall standings, just one shot off a top 10 finish. Thompson finished at two-under for the tournament, tied for 23rd, while Tucker was one-under overall and tied for 25th.

Sophomore Kyle Thommessen posted an even-par 72 on Tuesday and finished at one-over par for the tournament, tied for 30th. Freshman Tolver Dozier posted a two-over 74 in the final round and finished with a three-over 219 for the week, tied for 37th.

Jacksonville State's Tomasz Anderson took top individual honors in the men's tournament, closing with a 67 to finish the week at 15-under par 201.

The Troy women came within one shot of breaking 300 for the first time since early in the 2009-10 season, but had three players make great improvements in their final round.

“The ladies played much better today but had a chance to shoot under par,” Terry said. “Langley Vannoy played really well and finished with a 72. Sofia (Bjorkman) had a 71 and really didn't make any putts.”

Bjorkman's even par final round left her at six-over par 219 for the tournament, which earned her a top 10 finish with a tie for sixth.

South Florida's Christina Miller took top honors in the women's tournament, finishing with a four-under par 209 for the week.

“It came down to putting, and we didn't putt very well,” Terry said. “We still finished seventh in the tournament, we just didn't have enough one putts. Like the guys, they have some stuff to work on when we get back. We have two weeks before we play again at Monroe.”

Behind Bjorkman, freshmen Sydney Conrad and Vannoy, along with junior Sara Fennvik, all finished tied for 36th in the tournament with final scored of 20-over par 233.Freshman Taylor McGraw finished tied for 50th at 28-over par 241.

The Troy women will return to action September 26-27 at the ULM/Fred Marx Invitational at Bayou DeSiard Country Club in Monroe, La. The Trojans are the defending champions of that tournament.

The Troy men will return to action October 3-4 at the Louisiana Tech/Squire Creek Invitational at the Squire Creek Golf Club in Ruston, La.