Railsplitters Take LMU Fall Invitational Via Team Tie-breaker
October 20, 2009
TAZEWELL, TN - Although it came down to technicalities, the Lincoln Memorial University men's golf team took the championship of the 2009 LMU Fall Invitational Golf Tournament following Tuesday's final round play at Woodlake Golf Course in Tazewell, Tennessee.
LMU paced the field of 13 teams following the first day's action with a team score of 287, narrowly holding off NCAA Division II opponent North Greenville University who filed a team score of 288 on Monday.
As Tuesday's final round action got underway, it was clear that LMU was again having a solid day however, North Greenville stayed strong as well and was able to make up the stroke they were down to the Railsplitters after day-one to finish tied with LMU in a tie with a two day total 576 for even par.
With the team scores on the book, the 2009 champion was determined by each team's fifth man final round score. LMU's Jamie Chapman who placed 25th in the tournament was the deciding factor. Chapman turned in rounds of 72 and 77 for a two-day total 149 which was five strokes over par for the tournament. Chapman's score was good enough to edge North Greenville's fifth place man, Tyler Batts who finished 37th overall with rounds of 75 and 78 for a two-day total 153.
Medalist honors also finished in a dramatic fashion. After two days of play, LMU's Eric Kennedy and Tusculum College's David Talley were tied with a score of 140, both having shot rounds of 69 and 71 for the event. Although Kennedy and Talley went neck-and-neck throughout both rounds, it was Talley that edged Kennedy for the medalist title when he eagled the playoff hole. Kennedy mounted an impressive effort, birdieing the hole but it wasn't enough and Talley took the medalist title.
While Lincoln Memorial University and North Greenville University both posted scores of 576, South Atlantic Conference opponents Tusculum College and Catawba College finished third and fourth respectively with scores of 580 and 585, while NAIA opponent Tennessee Wesleyan College rounded out the top-5 with a 587.
Lenoir-Rhyne College (598), the LMU Gray Team (601), Limestone College (601) King College (609) and Walters State Community College shaped the field of six thru ten, while Brevard College (620), Mars Hill College (637) and Young Harris College (638) completed the remainder of the pack.
With the 2009 portion of the schedule now behind them, the Railsplitters turned in first place finishes in four of their five fall outings. That being said, when the 2010 spring schedule gets underway, the LMU men will surely be considered one of the front-runners to make a bid for the South Atlantic Conference title.
