If you’ve been following Paladin golf at all this year, you know it’s been an uncharacteristically slow start to the season.
Yes, the teams are loaded with young talent, but so far that has yet to manifest itself on the links and on the scoreboard.
The men’s squad has had an especially difficult start to the year, and that trend continues.
Friday kicked off the Bank of Tennessee at Blackthorn Intercollegiate hosted by East Tennessee University. After two rounds the Paladins found themselves in twelfth place out of 13.
After the first 18 holes, Furman’s team was a combined +14 strokes over par, seven strokes behind the next closest team, Pepperdine, and a whopping 22 strokes behind field leader, University of Tennessee, ranked thirty-first nationally.
After the second round, Furman moved up one spot, surpassing Pepperdine by four strokes. Senior Matt Brown paced the Paladins with an even 70 par in the first round, and sophomore Josh Chay lead the team on Saturday with his career-best 71.
The Lady Paladins are currently sitting in the middle of the pack in seventh place, at 19 over par, after the opening round of the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate in Knoxville, TN.
The ladies are lead by veteran senior Laura Wearn, who leads the team at seventh place individually with six strokes under par.
“Laura was just really solid and hit a lot of greens today” said first-year Furman head coach, Kelley Hester.
“This course sets up well for her, and I feel she’s been playing really well and building up to being in the hunt going into the last day,” Hester continued.
Furman teed off Sunday morning at 9 a.m. and hoped to carry their momentum into the final round of play.
Results could not be obtained for this issue, but they can be found at www.furmanpaladins.com.