Gardner-Webb Men's Golf Finishes Third at the 2016 Bash at the Beach
March 09, 2016 | Men's Golf
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.- The Runnin' Bulldogs men's golf team earned their highest team finish of the 2016 spring season yesterday afternoon as they took home third-place at the Bash at the Beach Invitational hosted by Appalachian State University at The Surf Golf and Beach Club located in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The GWU team compiled rounds of 287, 288, and a final round low of 282 to finish with a combined total score of 857, +5, just three strokes behind second-place Arkansas State and four strokes clear of fourth-place Western Kentucky.
Gardner-Webb's success as a team this week started with junior Vincent Blanchette's play as he shot 73 and 72 in the opening rounds finishing with an impressive 67, -4 under par, in his final round of play to give him a total score of 212, -1 under par. Blanchette would finish in a tie with four other individuals for ninth-place overall, earning his first top-10 finish of this young spring season.
Sophomore Aaron Thomas was the next finisher for Gardner-Webb as he placed in a tie for 15th in the field stringing together rounds of 73, 71, and 70 as his consistent play left him two strokes behind Blanchette with a total of 214, +1. A highlight for Thomas at the event came in his final round at the par-3, 186 yard, 13th-hole as the sophomore holed out for his first collegiate hole-in-one.
Finishing in a tie for 23rd-place for Gardner-Webb was red-shirt junior Chris Jones who shot a total of 217, +4, from rounds of 71, 76, and 70, while sophomore Jake Kennedy finished just one stroke behind Jones at 218, +5, carding rounds of 70, 73, and 75. Both Jones and Kennedy led the team in birdies made at the event as each holed 11 over the two-day, 54-hole event.
Rounding out the Gardner-Webb lineup at The Bash at the Beach was freshman Charles Dallery. Dallery recorded rounds of 75, 72, and 75 for the event giving him combined total score of 222, +9, and placing him in a tie for the 49th position on the leaderboard.
James Madison was the top team finisher at the event this week, as a team they finished with rounds of 291, 272, and 276 to give them a total team score of 839, -13 under par.
The Dukes also took home the top individual honor this week as Ryan Cole of James Madison was the medalist for the event, shooting even-par 71 in his first round followed by a pair of 67's totaling up to a score of 205, -8 under par.
The Runnin' Bulldogs men's golf team will continue their season this coming Monday, March 14, as they take part in the Southern Intercollegiate Championships hosted by the University of Georgia at the Athens Country Club.
Gardner Webb- 287, 288 & 282 = 857 3
T9- Vincent Blanchette– 73, 72 & 67 = 212 (-1)
T15- Aaron Thomas – 73, 71 & 70 = 214 (+1)
T23-Chris Jones– 71, 76 & 70 = 217 (+4)
T26- Jake Kennedy– 70, 73 & 75 = 218 (+5)
T49- Charlie Dallery – 75, 72 & 75= 222 (+9)
