NINETY SIX, S.C. – Gardner-Webb finished as runner-up to defending Big South Champion Campbell Saturday afternoon in the inaugural men's golf match play title bout at The Patriot at Grand Harbor.

The Runnin' Bulldogs defeated USC Upstate, 3-2 in the semifinals to advance. Campbell took a 3-0 win in the finals to capture the Big South's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship.

SEMIFINALS
Junior Steffen Smith's par put on his final hole clinched the semifinal win over USC Upstate Saturday morning, with play resuming after heavy wet weather suspended action on Friday.

Smith and the Spartans' Jake Warnock were all square after their first three holes Friday, when Smith surged ahead on the 13th hole for good. The lead swelled to as large as 3UP before Smith settled in with a 2UP edge with five holes to play.

Warnock cut into the lead by one, but Smith held even the rest of the way to pull out the key win.

Gardner-Webb also got victories from Zack Byers (3&1) and Jake Scruggs (2&1) in the semifinal win.

FINALS
Campbell was strong in each of its match play rounds, blanking Winthrop to advance, then taking a 3-0 win over Gardner-Webb to secure the trophy.

The Fighting Camels led in all five matchups as the finals wrapped up. Max Theodorakis' win over Patrick Wu clinched the team victory for Campbell, which also won the stroke play segment of the championship.

The effort marked Gardner-Webb's highest finish at the Big South Championship since 2011, when GWU nipped Winthrop by one stroke to finish second after the 54-hole championship. The 2019 match play segment was the first in league history.

Gardner-Webb finished third in stroke play for the third time since joining the conference in 2009.

All-Conference teams and award winners will be officially announced by the conference office on Monday, April 22.