[Men's Golf] Shamblin leads Cavs as men's golf sets new school scoring record

Loudon, Tenn. – The Montreat men's golf team put together a round for the ages and set a new school record in the second round of the Bojangles Intercollegiate this past week at Tennessee National Golf Club in Loudon, Tenn.

After a sluggish start in the first round of the 54-hole event, the men battled back by a 20-stroke margin to post a new 18-hole scoring record of 299, the first time in program history they have eclipsed the 300 mark. On day two, a final round score of 304 left them in 10th place as a team.

Leading the Cavaliers on the first day was Jacob Shamblin (SO/Matthews, NC) whose first day scores of 74-69 put him in eighth place at -1 par for the 36-hole mark. After a second round 74, Shamblin moved up 3 spots to secure his first All-Tournament Team honor with a top five finish along with a fourth career top-10 finish. Just behind Shamblin was Brandon Mathis (SO/Asheville, NC) who, competing in his first collegiate event, struggled to a first round score of 80, but bounced back with scores of 76-74 to finish 40th overall. Seth Perry (SO/Valdese, NC) and Andrew Stewart (JR/Alexander, NC) were not far behind with scores of 75 and 73, respectively. Caleb Moss (FR/Franklin, NC) rounded out the scoring for the Cavs with rounds of 84-79-86. Playing as an individual, Micah Woolard (SO/Asheboro, NC) fired a new career low round of 77 on the final day.

"This week was definitely a mixed bag as far as the results go. While we didn't play well in the first round or get the overall finish we wanted, to have our guys battle back by 20 strokes to break the 300 mark after playing so poorly just speaks to their mental toughness and fortitude. We've been knocking on the door for a while, so it was really exciting to finally break through," said head coach John Sullivan.

The previous record of 303 was set three years ago at the Appalachian Athletic Conference's Direct Qualifier at Governor's Towne Club in Acworth, GA.

"While I don't want our guys to focus solely on score all the time, we do set goals for ourselves that are measurable and achievable. It was so exciting for me as a coach (and a little nerve-racking) during that second round on day one to know that we were on track to finally accomplish a big goal we've been working towards. The best part of it all is that this isn't even a glimpse of what these guys are capable of, but definitely a confidence builder and great way to close out the year," said Coach Sullivan.

This tournament serves as the conclusion for the fall season. The Cavs will look to begin their spring campaign in early February at the Ninth Annual Winter Invitational hosted by Coastal Georgia at Brunswick Country Club in Brunswick, Ga.