men’s golf

Men’s golf takes third

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Published Oct 24, in Golf, Sports

The Mercer men’s golf team recently competed at the AutoTrader Classic at the Berkley Hills Country Club in Duluth, Ga. After finishing sixth at the Brickyard Collegiate, the Bears looked to improve upon their performance in their last tournament of the fall season.
After the first day of play which consisted of the first two rounds, the Bears rounded out the day with a combined stroke count of 595 which was good for third place.
“The guys played good, but we kind of stubbed our toe at the end,” Mercer head coach Steve Bradley said. “The 10th hole is the hardest hole on the course and we made a double and triple on it.  Other than that, we were solid this afternoon and if we play well tomorrow can move into second.”
Junior James Beale led the way for the Bears as he fired a 70 and a 74 in the first two rounds, leaving him in a six-way tie for fifth place overall with several of the country’s top collegiate golfers, including the reigning U.S. Amateur Champion.
“Those guys are good players and so is James,” Bradley said.  “He shot three-over in the second round with a double on ten that I know he wishes he could have back. He’s gone back to just playing golf and let go of self-imposed expectations, and he’s playing great right now.”
Junior Hans Reimers was tied for 19th place overall after finishing with scores of 75 and 72 in the first two rounds of play.  Sophomore Trey Rule was tied for 28th overall after shooting 78 and 71.  Senior Thomas Holmes posted scores of 72 and 78 and was tied for 32nd. Freshman Jeffrey Heinicka, Jr. rounded out Mercer’s competitors with a 36-hole total of 151.  He was tied for 37th place overall.
Senior John Gregory Joseph recorded scores of 72 and 76 while competing as an individual and is tied for 22nd place overall.
“Trey bounced back from a 78 to lead us in the afternoon and Hans also showed a lot of fight,” Bradley said.  “I’m very proud of our effort.”
Mercer shot 289 in the final round of play to complete the tournament with a three-round total of 874.  At the conclusion, the Bears were just eight strokes behind in-state rival Georgia State for second place while another in-state rival, Georgia Southern captured the team title with a stroke count of 859.
Head Coach Steve Bradley credited his players on a well played tournament.
“Obviously to finish third is nice, we had a shot at second, but Georgia State just played slightly better than us over the last five holes,” Bradley said. “Our guys have come a long way over the past six weeks. Trey’s tie for 11th finish was his career-best, James had another top-10 finish and Hans played solid for the second-straight tournament.”
Junior James Beale took home the team’s best individual finish, tying for eighth place overall with a three-round total of 216. Sophomore Trey Rule’s final round 70 combined with scores of 78 and 71 in the opening two rounds to place him tied for 11th overall.   Junior Hans Reimers finished in a tie for 17th at the event with a three-round total of 220, while freshman Jeffrey Heinicka, Jr. used 225 strokes and tied for 31st place. Senior Thomas Holmes capped his tournament with a 79 on Tuesday and tied for 50th place at 229.  His classmate, John Gregory Joseph, shot 76 on Tuesday and tied for 27th at 224.
“Overall I’m very happy with our play in this tournament and happy with the fall and how we’ve gotten better,” Bradley said. “The guys have a competitive fire now and after we take a couple weeks off we will get right back after it to get ready for the spring.”
James Beale’s performance in the AutoTrader Classic garnered him his third Atlantic Sun Conference Golfer of the Week honor this season.
Mercer is now finished with its fall schedule and will take a few months off before resuming play in the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational at the Sawgrass Country Club on Feb. 24, 2013.

Men’s golf finishes 9th at Irish Creek

Team breaks into top 100 going into A-Sun

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Published Apr 13, in Golf, Sports

(photo courtesy of MercerBears.com) Thomas Holmes lines up a putt as he would record a +2 on the final day of the tournament to move up five spots for a tie of 52nd place. Holmes and Bears travel next to Chateau Elan for the 2011 Atlantic Sun Championship.

The last round of the Irish Creek Collegiate was Mercer’s best of the three-day tournament en route to tying for ninth with North Carolina this past weekend. Totaling a 290 on the final day of play, led by freshman Hans Reimers’ 71, the Bears moved up ever so slightly in the final standings in another tournament that featured national caliber competition.
While #17 Duke (844, -8) would run away with the victory over #28 Wake Forest (851, -1), Mercer tied for the fourth best team round on Sunday to tie UNC in the thirteen team tournament. Atlantic Sun conference rival #44 Kennesaw State (866, +14) would take fifth.

“We played a lot better today,” said Mercer head coach Andrew Tredway following Sunday’s effort on MercerBears.com. “I’m proud of the way they bounced back, but we just need to get off to better starts at tournaments,” he added.

Indeed, the Bears will look for better opening rounds from their top five players at the next tournament, the Atlantic Sun Championship next Monday through Wednesday at the Chateau Elan course in Duluth, Ga. Mercer sat in last place following the suspension of the second round at Irish Creek due to thunderstorms.

But if Saturday was moving day at the Masters, Sunday was Mercer’s moving day as all five golfers posted low-round scores for the tournament. Josh Cone (T-20th, +4) had Mercer’s lowest round of the tournament with a second-round 70, nullifying two bogeys with three birdies, while teammate Hans Reimers (T-30th, +8) would collect the best third round with a even-par 71. Reimers would open up the final round with three bogeys on holes 13, 15 and 18, but then collected a trio of birdies on the front nine to clean up his scorecard.

“Josh Cone is putting together such a consistent season this year. I really believe he sees a path where he can continue to grow and improve and we are excited about where he is at,” Tredway said.

Matt Kocolowski (T-41st, +10) was consistent throughout the tournament with a 75-74-74, while Thomas Holmes (T-52nd, +12) and John Gregory Joseph (T-68th, +18) would round out Mercer’s lineup.

Wake Forest’s Lee Bedford was named tournament champion after winning by three strokes with a pair of 69s in the opening two rounds, followed by a three-under 68 on Sunday.

“The guys played smart today and that was the real difference,” Tredway said. “They were picking targets instead of just firing at every pin. There was a huge change in mindset from yesterday,” the coach added.

The Bears now turn their sights to the Atlantic Sun Championship, their final tournament of the season where they hope to upset tournament favorites #43 UNF and #44 Kennesaw State. Last week’s GolfWeek.com rankings have Mercer at #96 in the country behind UNF, Kennesaw State, #74 FGCU, #83 ETSU and #92 Campbell.

“A top 100 program with one junior and the rest sophomores and freshman is pretty good,” the head coach added after checking out the latest rankings. “We just need to keep developing as  a team and using that change in mindset from Saturday to Sunday as a positive learning experience forward. We only have four conference losses this whole season, something that almost no one is aware of, but what happens next week is all that matters. We just need to prepare the best we can and use all of the experiences we have had this year in those three days at Chateau Elan. Anyone can win this thing.”

Men’s golf takes 10th at Linger Longer Invitational

Co-hosting tournament in Greensboro, Bears finish strong in final round of play

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Published Mar 30, in Golf, Sports

(photo courtesy of MercerBears.com) Mercer's Josh Cone attempts to get out of the sand, helping the Bears score well in the first round with a even-par 72.

The men’s golf team posted the fifth best team score on the final day of the Linger Longer Invitational to cement their tenth place finish in the competitive 13 team field. Thanks to Thomas Holmes’ 72 and a trio of 73’s from Jone Cone, John Gregory Joseph, and Matt Kocolowski, the Bears posted their best round total of the tournament with a 291, nine strokes better than their first round.

Co-hosting the tournament held in Greensboro, Ga. at the Great Waters Golf Course, a part of Reynold’s Plantation, head coach Andrew Tredway had to be happy with the effort from his lineup after slipping to 11th after the second day of the tournament. Mercer (898) would finish eight strokes behind Coastal Carolina while national power Alabama (846) would run away with the victory by 18 strokes over Chattanooga (864).

Individually, University of Alabama freshman Cory Whitsett (1st, 64-68-71) would play the tournament of his life, scoring a 64 in the opening round with seven birdies on the front nine before accumulating three birdies and two bogies on the back nine. Teammate Bud Cauley (2nd, 72-65-67) would come oh-so close to taking away the title, but Whitsett held off his teammate with outstanding play.

Meanwhile for Mercer, Josh Cone (T-24th, 72-76-73) put together the most consistent round for the Bears, besting teammate Mookie DeMoss (T-36th, 74-76-75) by four strokes. John Gregory Joseph (47th, 76-78-73), Matt Kocolowski (T-48th, 78-77-73), and Thomas Holmes (T-53rd, 78-79-72) would round out the Bears’ lineup for the weekend.

“We really got off to a decent start, hitting it close, and just not capitalizing on those opportunities,” said Tredway after the first round on MercerBears.com. “It got away from us quickly from there and we just couldn’t make any putts,” he added.

The head coach was notably disappointed in the team’s effort when the orange and black slipped from 9th to 11th following the second round, but was slightly encouraged with the team’s fight on the final day.

“We just need to build some confidence and have a couple guys put together some solid rounds on the same day,” he added.

Solid rounds were abound on the final day, as Thomas Holmes grinded out five birdies to match three bogeys and a double on the 13th hole. His teammates would follow suit, making up for bad holes by capitalizing on opportunities throughout the day.

With the 10th place finish, the Bears enter one more tournament, the Irish Creek Invitational at the Irish Creek Golf Course in Charlotte, N.C., before the finale in Duluth in mid-April. Hosted once again at the Chateau Elan course, Tredway’s squad will look to upset the conference’s best squads with a team that has faced top-caliber competition all year long. As of mid-March, Mercer was ranked #101 by GolfWeek.com, trailing conference opponents UNF (#53), Kennesaw State (#56), FGCU (#73), ETSU (#94), and Campbell (#95).

Men’s golf wins Frito Lay/AT&T Intercollegiate

Bears ranked 95th in recent Golfstat.com poll

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Published Mar 16, in Golf, Sports

(photo courtesy of MercerBears.com) Mercer's Mookie DeMoss finished in a tie for 16th in a recent tournament in Oregon, boosting the teams' tournament resume.

In a breakthrough year, head men’s golf coach Andrew Tredway scored his first tournament title at the Frito Lay/AT&T Intercollegiate in Choctaw, Miss., before spring break. Riding the success of Mercer junior Josh Cone, the Bears lifted their first trophy of the season as they outplayed the field and bested Bethune-Cookman by 15 strokes for the victory.

Josh Cone shot a second-round 69 after an opening-round 75 to win the individual title while teammates John Gregory Joseph (T-2nd, 71-75) and Hans Reimers (T-2nd, 73-73) would round out the top three finishers in the two-day tournament. Matt Kocolowski (T-16th, 76-78) and Stefan Labuschagne (T-38th, 81-78) would round out Mercer’s lineup on a milestone day for the Bears.

“We got off to a shaky start and I’m so proud of how the guys battled back at the end,” Tredway said on MercerBears.com following the tournament. “I’m so proud of Cone today. That’s a big win for him and should be a confidence-builder for the future. He’s really starting to come into his own as a player,” he added.

Facing a tougher field at the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational at the Sawgrass Country Club in Jacksonville, Mercer scored an 11th-place finish in the 15-team tournament against some tough opponents. Arkansas (+2) would win the tournament title while Mercer (+34) would only finish 32 strokes back and within reach of the top 10 on the final day. Matt Kocolowski (T-21st, 77-74-71) would be the top finisher for the Bears as teammates John Gregory Joseph (T-28th, 73-74-76), Hans Reimers (T-37th, 70-77-78) and James Beale (T-54th, 76-78-76) would put forth their best efforts. Coming off of his first individual tournament title at Mercer, Josh Cone would struggle for a tie in 63rd, carding a 75-78-79.

“Eleventh doesn’t look great on paper, but it really puts us on a path to get one of the at-large bids at the end of the year,” Tredway said following the tournament. “That’s our goal and we just need to keep working at that.”

Continuing their competition against top-flight opponents, Tredway’s crew traveled to Bandon Dunes, Ore., for another nationally recognized tournament against some of the best schools in the West, ultimately settling for 11th in the 16-team event. Washington (#27) would take the tournament title as Florida (#4) would surprisingly finish third in the very competitive event. Considering the distance traveled and the competition, the scores were respectable with Matt Kocolowski (T-35th, 77-75-77) recording the low total for the Bears’ five-man roster. Playing as an individual, Mookie DeMoss (T-16th, 69-80-74) had a wild ride in Oregon after compiling four birdies during his first round before a bogey-filled second round. His third round +2 would be the low score for Mercer during the final day of action.

With only two tournaments remaining before the Atlantic Sun Championship Mercer ranks #95 in the nation, according to GolfStat.com, after posting relatively competitive scores against the best NCAA competition in the country during the past two tournaments.

Men’s golf takes 8th at JU Invitational

Labuschagne and Reimers lead the way for Mercer in Jacksonville

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Published Feb 9, in Sports

(photo courtesy of Andrew Tredway) Mercer's Mookie DeMoss got off to a good start at the JU Invitational, carding a 74 (+2) during the first round.

The road to the Atlantic Sun Championship began this past weekend as the Mercer men’s golf team traveled to Ponte Verda Beach, Fla. for the Jacksonville Invitational, played at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course.

After moving up to as high as 6th on the team leader board, Mercer (904) would finish in 8th, two shots behind East Carolina and ten behind Wake Forest. Heavyweight Florida (858) would take the tournament cup by 25 strokes over 2nd place North Florida and UF’s Bank Vongvanij (-5, 69-69-73) would finish as the low medalist, taking the tournament’s individual title.

“We got off to a great start at TPC and really put ourselves in a great position with about 9 holes to play,” said head coach Andrew Tredway. “Unfortunately we ran into a few problems at the end, but I have to give our team a lot of credit for getting themselves there.”

Mercer’s five-man lineup saw the debut of Hans Reimers (+11, 72-72-81), who played exceptionally well during his opening two rounds to finish in a tie for 28th. Reimers had a chance to finish within the top 10 on the final day before four bogeys, a double and a triple bogey pushed his final round to +9. Nevertheless, the redshirt freshman from Oregon showed great ability during the opening stages. Stefan Labuschagne’s (+10, 78-76-72) third-round 72 helped solidify his position as the team’s low scorer as he would finish 24th in the event standings. Labuschagne would drain three birdies during his final 18 holes for his best round of the tournament.

“Stefan had a very good final round. There was some wind out there and he got off to a great start on one of the most difficult courses in the world. Seventy-two on the final day was a very good round of golf and we were happy for him,” said Tredway.

“Hans had a great start to his college career and we can’t say enough about the job he did for us,” the head coach added. “Seventy-two to 74 over the opening 36 holes was great playing and #17 got him during the final round. It happens to the very best players in the world, but he hit a great shot and that’s all you can really ask for—the wind just kind tricked us all.”

Teammates John Gregory Joseph (+12, 77-77-74) and Josh Cone (+12, 78-70-80) would finish in a tie for 32nd as Cone would shot the low round of the tournament during his second round -2. Mookie DeMoss (+16, 74-78-80) would round out the men’s lineup with a 45th place finish.

“We were in position to beat some premier programs, but we let it slip away with 10 or 11 holes to go,” said MU head coach Andrew Tredway following the tournament. “Overall, we saw some positive things out of some of the guys, but this shows us there is still plenty of work left to do and with our depth. We need to find the right mix of players for the next event,” he added on MercerBears.com.

Looking at the final standings, Mercer would finish behind A-Sun rival UNF (2nd) but topped other conference programs like ETSU (9th), Florida Gulf Coast (10th) and host Jacksonville (T-13th) in the 15-team tournament. As of the latest GolfWeek.com rankings from mid-November, Mercer was ranked #111 in the country and 6th best in the Atlantic Sun.

“This event had some of the best teams in the nation there, and it’s easy for people to look at eighth and not think too much of it,” Tredway added. “There were 10 top 100 teams in the field including, #1 and #21 in Florida and Wake Forest. These are teams that will be right in the thick of it come June at the NCAA Championship. I believe we are really close, and all we have to do is keep doing the things that our players did this week: put themselves in a position to be successful.”

Tredway’s team will travel next to Philadelphia, Miss. for the Frito Lay Intercollegiate at the Dancing Rabbit Golf Club on Feb. 20 and 21.