Gardner-Webb University
Bash At The Beach
Jones Earns Tenth Place, Aiding Men's Golf to Fourth Place Finish at The Bash At The Beach
March 10, 2015 | Men's Golf
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Gardner-Webb red-shirt sophomore Chris Jones earned a top-10 finish placing 10th overall, while the GWU men's golf team placed fourth overall at the Bash at the Beach hosted by Appalachian State. The event was held at the 6,741 yard par 71 Surf Golf and Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The Bash at The Beach was the second Invitational of the year for the Runnin' Bulldogs and it was also the second time GWU finished in fourth-place overall. Gardner-Webb achieved the finish by scoring rounds of 288, +4, 280, 4-under par, and 291, +7, to finish +7 overall five shots behind third-place finisher and Big South member Radford. The second round team score of 280, 4-under par is the best round turned in by the Runnin' Bulldogs so far this season.
The Invitational was also the second time for the Runnin' Bulldogs this year that their top individual finisher placed 10th. The top individual performance at the Invitational for the team came from Chris Jones who shot a first round of 72, +1, then fired his best round ever of collegiate golf shooting a 66, 5-under par in his second round of play. In his second round of play Monday, Jones birdied 6 holes and led the team in birdies over the Invitational with 13 in his 54-holes of play. Jones finished out the tournament scoring a round of 73, +2, to finish with a combined score of 211, -2.
Senior Matt Yelverton placed behind teammate Jones tying for 22nd-place overall firing an impressive first round of 69, 2-under par, followed by 74, +3, in round two and finishing play with a final round of 73, +2, to give him a overall score of 216, +3. Yelverton started out his Invitational with an eagle on his very first hole of play needing only three strokes on the par-5, 493 yard beginning hole. The eagle on the first marked the second time this season Yelverton carded an eagle in play. He would add eight birdies to his card over his 54-holes of play.
Coming off his tenth-place finish last week at the Davidson Invitational sophomore Vincent Blanchette finished tied for 25th-place overall in the field at. Blancthette shot rounds of 74, +3, 71, even par and 72, +1, finishing with the total 54-hole score of 217, +4. Blanchette played a big part in Gardner-Webb's impressive second round team score by holing four birdies enabling himself to shoot even par for that round.
The lone freshman in Gardner-Webb's lineup for the Invitational was Jake Kennedy. Kennedy trudged along in his first round shooting a 77, +6, but was able to shake the first round off and go out and fire a second round score of 69, 2-under par finishing his play with a final round score of 73, +2, finishing in a tie for 32nd-place overall shooting 219, +6 for the Invitational.
Rounding out the Gardner-Webb line-up at The Bash at The Beach was junior Clement Kurniawan. Kurniawan carded rounds of 73, 74 and 77 to place 50th overall with a combined score of 224, +11.
James Madison took home the team championship by shooting a score of 841, 11-under par as a team five shots clear of the next competitor. The Dukes' also took home the individual honors this week as Ryan Cole of James Madison medaled with a 54-hole score total of 205, 8-under par.
The Gardner-Webb men's golf team will return to the course this coming Sunday, March 15 as they take part in the two-day Cape Fear National Intercollegiate held at Cape Fear National Golf Course in Wilmington, N.C.
Gardner Webb- 288, 280 & 291 = 859 (+7) 4
10- Chris Jones – 72, 66 & 73 = 211 (-2)
T22- Matt Yelverton – 69, 74 & 73 = 216 (+3)
T25- Vincent Blanchette – 74, 71 & 72 = 217 (+4)
T32- Jake Kennedy – 77, 69 & 73 = 219 (+6)
T50- Clement Kurniawan – 73, 74 & 77 = 224 (+11)
