Gardner-Webb University
Big South Championship
Gardner-Webb Men's Golf Finishes Seventh at 2016 Big South Championship
April 19, 2016 | Men's Golf
Ninety-Six, S.C.- The Gardner-Webb men's golf team finished out their play at the 2016 Big South Championship over the morning and afternoon ending up in seventh-place overall on the team leaderboard at The Patriot Golf Club at Grand Harbor in Ninety-Six, S.C.
The four best individual scores on the day for the Runnin' Bulldogs totaled up to a combined team score of 300 for the final round of play, as GWU finished with the three day team score of 887, +23, earning themselves the seventh-place spot at the Championship. Gardner-Webb was right in the mix today as only five shots separated fourth from eighth-place at the end of the Championship.
Chris Jones, a red-shirt junior from Charlotte, N.C., earned a top-10 individual finish for Gardner-Webb as Jones shot a final round 73, +1, which he added to a pair of even-par 72's to finish at 217, +1, for the event tying for eighth-place overall on the Championship leaderboard.
Junior Vincent Blanchette and sophomore Aaron Thomas both ended their Championship campaigns with 54-hole scores of 222, +6, tying for the 18th spot overall at the tournament. Blanchette shot a 74, +2, (76, 72) in his last round of the season, while Thomas carded a 75, +3, (76, 71) to finish out the Championship.
Red-shirt Junior Elki Kow was the next highest finisher for the Runnin' Bulldogs at the Championship as Kow shot a 78, +6, today paired with opening rounds of 77 and 73 to finish with a combine 54-hole score of 228, +12, finishing in a tie for 32-place overall.
Jake Kennedy finished in a tie for 44th-place at the Championship as his final day round of 81, +9, was combined with earlier rounds of 75 and 77 having the sophomore finish with a total score of 223, +17, after three days of play.
Liberty University earned the automatic NCAA Regional bid as the Flames won the Big South Championship with a total three-day score of 853, -11 under-par, shooting 286, 281, and 286 at the Championship.
Austin James from Charleston Southern University was awarded the medalist honors this afternoon as the junior carded very impressive rounds of 68, 68, and 69 to finish with a 54-hole score of 205, -11 under-par.
Gardner Webb- 299, 288 & 300= 887 (+23) 7
T8- Chris Jones – 72, 72 & 73 = 217 (+1)
T18- Vincent Blanchette– 76, 72, & 74= 222 (+6)
T18- Aaron Thomas– 76, 71 & 75= 222 (+6)
T32- Elki Kow– 77, 73 & 78= 228 (+12)
T44- Jake Kennedy – 75, 77 & 81= 233 (+17)
Final Leaderboard
1. Liberty- 286, 281 & 286 = 853 (-11)
2. Campbell- 289, 289 & 287= 865 (+1)
3. Charleston Southern- 290, 284 & 294 = 868 (+4)
4. Winthrop- 293, 293 & 297= 883 (+19)
5. Radford- 304, 297 & 283= 884 (+20)
6. Longwood- 300, 289 & 296= 885 (+21)
7. Gardner-Webb- 299, 288 & 300= 887 (+23)
8. Presbyterian College- 311, 294 & 283= 888 (+24)
9. Coastal Carolina- 302, 299 & 307= 908 (+44)
10. High Point- 317, 303 & 311= 931 (+67)
