Trojans Claim MVNU Cougar Classic Title
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio. – The Taylor men's golf team played its best golf of the 2014 fall season in a convincing victory at the MVNU Cougar Classic on Saturday.
Freshmen Mitch Lamping and Trey Turner tied for runner-up honors at even par in the 27-hole event to pace the Trojans. Taylor opened the event with a team score of 296 (+8) in the first 18 holes to open up a 7-stroke lead over Huntington and Spring Arbor. Lamping and Turner turned in rounds of even par 72 while freshman Nick Waskom and junior Stefan Fahlen added a pair 76's.
The Trojans extended the lead over the final nine holes as Taylor fired a team score of even par 144. Lamping, Turner, Waskom, and Fahlen were once again the counting scores as each carded even par rounds of 36 over the final nine holes. Taylor's 27-hole total of 440 (+8) was 16 shots clear of Mount Vernon Nazarene, Spring Arbor, and Huntington who finished in a three-way tie for second place.
"It's been a while since we had a tournament victory so this one was really fun," Taylor coach Cameron Andry said. "We got off to a bit of a slow start but we had some guys get hot on our second nine and that really allowed us to pull away from the field."
The tournament title is the first for TU since the Trojans won the IWU Spring Invitational in 2012.
Turner and Lamping finished one stroke behind the medalist, Charlie Phillips from Mount Vernon Nazarene, and each notched the highest finishes of their collegiate careers. It marked the second consecutive top-five finish for Turner who also finished tied for fourth at the Arnie's Intercollegiate last week.
In all Taylor placed four player inside the top ten as Fahlen and Waskom also notched top-ten finishes as their 112 (+4) total was good enough for a tie for ninth place in the 61-player field.
Jordan Hall rounded out the Taylor scoring for the TU "A" team with an 84 in the first round and a 42 on the final nine holes. Senior Nate Scheibe led the way for the TU "B" team with a first round score of 78 followed by a 38 on the final nine holes. Sophomore Seth Neal carded a 77 in the opening round and added a 42 on the final nine while seniors Grant Hall (83-42) and Tucker Fahlen (84-41) rounded out the scoring for the second team.
Taylor will close out its fall season on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 20-21 against a great field at the Kohler Classic at Whistling Straits golf course in Kohler, Wisc.