Sports > February 14, 2008

By Greg Mantell | Staff writer

The 18th-ranked Wake Forest men’s golf team demonstrated some impressive resolve in their sixth place finish at the SunTrust Gator Invitational over the weekend of Feb. 8-10.

In their first tournament of the season, the Demon Deacons rallied from last place to post an overall score of 853 (+13), tying them with the Duke Blue Devils and the Tigers of LSU.

But the University of Florida Gators came away with the victory, winning by 12 strokes. This latest victory represents the 22nd time that the Gators have won in the tournament’s 30 year history.

This year, 14 teams competed for the crown in Gainesville at the Mark Bostwick Golf Course, a 6,701-yard par 70 that also acts as Florida’s home course.

Last year, the Deacs placed third behind the Gators and the Seminoles of FSU, and they enjoyed their highest finish in 2005 by coming in second.

However, this year’s event started inauspiciously for Wake Forest as they combined for a score of 288 (+8). It was the third worst round that this year’s team has posted going back to the fall season.

Sophomores Brendan Gielow and Travis Wadkins had the best days among the six Demon Deacon competitors, each shooting a 71 (+1).

But senior Webb Simpson and junior Dustin Groves struggled to find any rhythm on the first day, posting scores of 74 (+4) and 75 (+5) respectively. Head Coach Jerry Haas attributed the poor round to a difficult start.

“We had the shotgun start today and we probably started on the toughest stretch,” Coach Haas said. “It’ll get better. We just didn’t get off to a good start.”

The following day, however, the team found their stroke, shooting an impressive second round 278 (-2). Gielow again led the team by scoring a 68 (-2) and a team-high eight birdies. He would finish the day tied for 15th overall. Both Simpson and Groves also achieved some measure of redemption by posting some impressive scores. Simpson shot an even-par 70, while Groves shot a 69 (-1).

The third round proved to be the toughest day of the tournament, as the top three teams (Florida, Florida State and Mississippi State) were the only ones to post rounds that were under par.

While the weather remained ideal throughout the weekend, difficult pin positions made play particularly difficult.

The Deacons finished with a 287 (+7) on the final day, nine strokes behind the Gators, the eventual champions.

Both Groves and Simpson finished the day with a three-over 73, giving each a total score of 217 and tying for 38th overall.

Wadkins, who struggled on the final day with a 76 (+6), finished the tournament with a solid 218 (+8), placing him 44th overall.

Wake’s top performer, however, continued to shine. Gielow posted a final round score of 69 (-1), giving him a total of 208 for the invitation.

As one of the 15 golfers who finished under par for the tournament, the Muskegon, Mich., native placed ninth overall and was the team’s top finisher for the fourth time this season.

Despite Gielow’s accomplishment, senior Chris McCartin was the most consistent of Wake’s players over the weekend, posting a 72 (+2) in each round of the tournament. His final score of 216 was good enough to place him in a tie for 34th overall.

Michael Schachner of Duke and Zarch Sucher of University of Alabama at Birmingham tied for first overall with scores of -7 overall.

The coaches and officials agreed to forgo a playoff and to award individual medals to both players.

Even though the team salvaged a sixth place finish, Couch Haas still sees room for improvement.

“The scores were good but there just weren’t enough birdies,” he said. “We made too many mistakes. It’s hard to put your finger on.”

Men’s golf will return to action on March 9 and 10 at the General Hackler Championship at the TPC Club of Myrtle Beach.

It will be the first time the Demon Deacons have played in that tournament since 2004.