Mack GordonThe Ole Miss men’s golf team returned to action this week, placing fourth as a team in the Shoal Creek Invitational at the Shoal Creek Club in Birmingham, Alabama. The Rebels finished strong in their final rounds and had the same finish they achieved in the 2017 Shoal Creek Invitational.
Ole Miss kicked off the tourney with a first-round 288(E), highlighted by solid play from several Rebels. Freshman Jackson Suber fired a first round 70(-2) , finding himself in T7 after 18 holes. Sophomore Cecil Wegener had a solid start with a first-round 71(-1), good enough for T12 after the first of three rounds. Senior Braden Thornberry shot a first-round 72(E), placing him in T16 after the first round in the tournament he won last season. Freshman Jack Gnam didn’t show any nerves in his first collegiate start, shooting a first-round 72(E), placing him in T16. The Rebels were in sixth as play finished Monday afternoon, eight strokes back from first.
Weather once again played a factor this week, as second-round play was suspended late Monday afternoon because of severe weather around the Birmingham area. The Rebels came out early Tuesday morning to finish off their second round, shooting a team total of 289(+1).
Suber and Thornberry led the Tuesday morning charge, both shooting a second-round 71(-1) to lead Ole Miss. Wegener continued his solid play, firing a second-round 73(+1). Senior Josh Seiple bounced back with a second-round 74(+2). Redshirt freshman Charlie Miller shot a second-round 75(+3).
The Rebels combined to shoot a team total of 293(+5) in round three as conditions on the course continued to worsen on Tuesday, following the rain from the night before. Thornberry led the Rebels, shooting a final-round 71(-1). Miller improved on his total with a final-round 73(+1). Suber fired a final-round 74(+2). Wegener and Seiple both shot a final-round 75(+3).
Ole Miss finished fourth overall, with a three-round total of 870(+6). The Rebels were one of three SEC teams that finished in the top five at the Shoal Creek Invitational, joining Texas A&M and Vanderbilt, which finished first and third, respectively.
The Rebels will be back in action next week, competing from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 in the Erin Hills Intercollegiate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the historic Erin Hills golf course. Following the Erin Hills Intercollegiate, Ole Miss will finish three straight weeks in action as the team travels to Nashville to play in the Franklin American Mortgage Intercollegiate at The Grove.
