Western Carolina overcame a seven-stroke deficit on Wedneday, April 21 to finish third overall, while two Catamounts finished within the top five at the 2009 Southern Conference Men’s Golf Championship.
Junior Tanner Briele finished tied for second place at one-under 71 on the final round for a 211. Ricky Stout recovered from six positions from behind to record a career-best, fifth place finish. Briele’s 211 was the third-best 54 -hole score recorded by a Catamount this season.
The WCU team’s 864 ranks as the fifth-best, three-round tournament this year and in school history. This score also holds a record for the best total for WCU at a conference championship. Western also tied it best-ever finish at the conference tournament with its second consecutive, third-place finish.
The 2009 All-Southern Conference team announced WCU senior Andres Cuenca, with his third honor, which matches former Catamounts Matt Cook and Brett D. Miller records of three or more recognitions.
Cuenca also led the Catamounts during the regular season. Cuenca (220) dropped three spots in the final standings with a one-over, 73, on Tuesday while classmate Dustin Furnari (220) advanced five spots in the final standings with an even-par 72 as the duo finished tied for 19th. Freshman Martin Summer finished tied for 32nd, shooting his tournament-best round of two-over, 74, on the final 18 holes for a three-day score of 227.
Stout matched his tournament-low opening round of 69 on Tuesday with a second three-under to improve his career-best finish of sixth a year ago by one position amidst a three-way tie for fifth. He finished the three-round event at 213, three strokes off the leader.
Chattanooga’s team clinched its third-straight Southern Conference title, barely holding back Georgia Southern by two strokes, 852-to-854.
