KIAWAH, S.C. – Georgia Southern senior Scott Wolfes shot a Turtle Point Golf Course record 63 in the final round to win co-medalist honors, and Georgia Southern carded a team score of 278 and took second at the Wendy’s Kiawah Classic Tuesday, November 4th, 2014.
Wolfes’ score topped the old mark of 65, set by Georgia Southern alum Aron Price at the 2003 Kiawah Intercollegiate, and is also tied for the lowest in Georgia Southern history with Spence Fulford, Travis Mobley, Richie Bryant and Fred Benton.
Georgia Southern’s team score was the lowest round of the tournament, and the Eagles (+4) had the low round for the second straight day. Georgia Southern finished four strokes behind tournament winner Winthrop (E) in a field of 20 teams.
Whereas the Eagles struggled coming in on the first two days, they played their last five holes at 8-under-par today.
“I’m very proud of the fight we put in today,” said Georgia Southern coach Carter Collins. “We fought through some adversity in the middle of the round, and 10-under is a great way to finish strong and finish the fall on a high note.”
Wolfes (-6) turned in a clean card with nine birdies, including five in a row at one point, and six total on the back nine. It was his fourth individual collegiate win, his 12th top-5 finish and his 19th time in the top-10. He tied Ryan Cornfield of USC Upstate for first place.
Archer Price (-3) shot a 1-under 71, including birdies on his final two holes, to tie for 5th. The freshman was a stroke behind Winthrop’s Zach Seabolt (-4), who placed fourth, and two back of Jacksonville State’s Tomasz Anderson (-5), who took third.
“Congrats to Scott on another individual win and the new course record,” said Collins, “and congrats to Archer on his first top-5. He played very well all week with only five holes above par on a very tough course.”
Matt Mierzejewski shot a 69, and Kim Koivu posted a 75. Charlie Martin finished with a 78. Mierzejewski was a birdie-making machine with seven on the day, including three in a row on the front nine. A triple bogey on hole 10 kept the senior from the lowest round of his career.
Koivu was even after 10 holes and after a bogey on hole 11, ran into trouble with a triple on hole 13. The senior rallied for a birdie on 17 to tie for 35th (+8). Martin was rolling along with eight straight pars to start his day, a birdie on hole 9 and then three more pars, but the senior struggled in the home stretch.
“We’re disappointed not to join Scott in the winner’s circle, but I saw a lot of positives this week that should bode well for us the rest of the season,” said Collins. “To have the low round yesterday and today is a nice way to finish a tournament the right way.”
The Eagles wrapped up the fall portion of their season with three top-5 team finishes and a match-play win in Scotland. The spring opens, as it usually does for Georgia Southern, at the Gator Invitational February 14th-15th, 2015, at Mark Bostick Golf Club in Gainesville, F.L.