March 6, 2007

Results

By Matt Crouch
www.SIUSalukis.com

JACKSON, Tenn. - Posting his third top-10 finish of the season, senior Andrew Gwinup led the Southern Illinois University men's golf team with a 4-over-par 220, but it was not enough as the Salukis slipped five spots from Monday's first round to finish seventh at the Grover Page Classic.

Hosted by the University of Tennessee at Martin, the Grover Page Classic was a 54-hole tournament that took place at Jackson Country Club in Jackson, Tenn. The par-72 course played at 6,783 yards.

The tournament is named in honor of long-time UT Martin men's golf coach Grover Page.

As a team, SIU struggled after its opening-round score of 7-over-par 295 in the first round. The Salukis carded a 16-over 304 in the second round before closing out the tournament with a 26-over-par 314 in the final round to finish seventh out of the 16 teams in the tournament with a tournament-total 49-over 913.

Gwinup finished the first day of action in a tie for seventh and retained his position to lead the Saluki squad with a 4-over 220.

Freshman Blake Driskell finished the first round in a tie with Gwinup, but had a hard time carrying over from his first-round 72 as he finished in a tie for 24th with a 12-over-par 228. After his even-par first round, Driskell carded rounds of 76 and 80 to finish out the tournament.

Finishing one stroke and two spots behind Driskell is senior Daniel Tomlin. He tallied rounds of 74-76-79--229 to finish in a tie for 26th.

Making his first appearance as a Saluki, Brandon Vagner finished fourth for SIU, posting a 20-over-par 236 to finish in a tie for 54th overall. Vagner posted the low final-round score for Southern Illinois, coming in with a 5-over 77.

Rounding out scoring for the Salukis was senior Mark Schmitz with a 262, finishing 86th overall.

Also playing this week, but competing as an individual, was Doug Showers. He carded rounds of 88-82-85--255 to finish 84th.

The University of North Alabama led wire-to-wire in the 54-hole tournament, capping it off with a tournament-total 4-over-par 868 for the team win.

Tennessee Tech's Scott Stallings and North Alabama's West Smith finished the tournament with identical 8-under-par 208s. Stallings won on the third hole of the scorecard playoff to take individual medalist honors.

The Southern Illinois men's golf team returns to action March 12-13 at the Samford Intercollegiate at Limestone Springs Golf Club in Oneonta, Ala.

JACKSON, Tenn. -- Final results from the Grover Page Classic hosted by the University of Tennessee at Martin at Jackson Country Club. Par: 72. Yardage: 6,783.

TEAM SCORING
1 - University of North Alabama - 288-291-289--868 (-4)
2 - Tennessee Technological University - 302-291-290--883 (+19)
3 - Murray State University - 303-297-293--893 (+29)
4 - University of Tennessee at Martin - 295-305-294--894 (+30)
T5 - Morehead State University - 307-304-295--906 (+42)
T5 - Lewis University - 302-306-298--906 (+42)
7 - Southern Illinois University - 295-304-314--913 (+49)
8 - University of Central Arkansas - 305-304-309--918 (+54)
9 - Chicago State University - 318-297-305--920 (+56)
10 - Centenary College - 303-320-298--921 (+57)
11 - Loyola University-Chicago - 305-311-309--925 (+61)
12 - University of Cincinnati - 315-313-299--927 (+63)
13 - Lipscomb University - 310-305-313--928 (+64)
14 - Union University - 314-308-316--938 (+74)
15 - Tennessee State University - 301-328-322--951 (+87)
16 - Kentucky Wesleyan College - 327-323-315--965 (+101)

INDIVIDUAL SCORING
T7 - Andrew Gwinup - 72-70-78--220 (+4)
T24 - Blake Driskell - 72-76-80--228 (+12)
T26 - Daniel Tomlin - 74-76-79--229 (+13)
T54 - Brandon Vagner - 77-82-77--236 (+20)
84 - Doug Showers * - 88-82-85--255 (+39)
86 - Mark Schmitz - 87-84-91--262 (+46)
* - Competed as an individual