Photo by: UT Martin Sports Information
VETERAN SKYHAWK GOLF LINEUP MAKES BEST OF SHORTENED SEASON WITH A LONG-AWAITED OVC TITLE
5/12/2021 9:29:00 AM | Golf
MARTIN, Tenn. – To truly soak in the thrill of the University of Tennessee at Martin's second Ohio Valley Conference golf championship in school history, you have to go back in time.
In October of 2019, the Skyhawk golf team was rolling. UT Martin had just won its fourth tournament in a row to close out the fall portion of the 2019-20 schedule. The Skyhawks had established themselves as legitimate OVC championship contenders.
"When the fall season ended in 2019, that was when I knew that the group we had was capable of winning the league," said UT Martin head coach Austin Swafford, who at that time was an assistant coach under Jerry Carpenter at his alma mater. "The way the team played that fall and the success we had – you could just see that all come to fruition. Going into the spring of the 2019-20 season, we had a lot of excitement."
The Skyhawks added their fifth win of the 2019-20 campaign at the Grover Page Classic on March 10. The victory aided UT Martin's OVC-best 286.2 scoring average as the team geared up for two final tournaments of the regular season before setting its target on the league championships.
Approximately 48 hours after the final putt was sank at the Grover Page Classic, the NCAA announced it was cancelling the remainder of its winter and spring championships. It seemed as if the COVID-19 pandemic had erased a potential dream season and robbed the UT Martin seniors of a chance to go out on top.
"Figuring out COVID-19 and what the 2020-21 season would look like, there were a lot of questions," Swafford said. "We were left thinking what could have been – we felt like we had as good of a shot as anybody to win the OVC championship with the way our season had gone up to that point."
The NCAA provided relief for its spring student-athletes on March 30, granting a blanket waiver that would allow an extra year of eligibility for those who had their 2020-21 seasons cut short. Jack Story and Ross Redmont – both fresh off All-OVC campaigns – had already accepted post-graduation job opportunities but decided to take advantage of the NCAA's ruling – pledging to make one more run at a championship ring.
That decision firmly entrenched the Skyhawks as one of the OVC's clear-cut frontrunners in 2020-21.
"When Jack and Ross decided to come back and go to graduate school and we knew Nick Wolf and Tate Chumley would still be here, we knew we were going to have a solid, experienced team," Swafford said. "You're talking 15 years of collegiate experience between those four right there. Our goal was to try to keep that momentum going from 2019-20 – it was basically going to be the same group."
Continue the momentum from 2019-20? Did they ever.
Despite a shortened 2020-21 schedule that didn't get started until March, UT Martin roared out of the gates for four tournament victories in six tries during the regular season. There was a noticeable hunger evident – the desire to come together as a group and finish the task of bringing home another trophy to the Rhodes Golf Center.
The mission was completed on April 27 in Muscle Shoals, Ala. Following three days of historical golf – the Skyhawks set a school record for the best 54-hole performance in the OVC Championship event – Story tapped in a putt on the 18th green to not only clinch a share of individual medalist honors but also securing the program's first OVC team title since 2016.
Mission accomplished.
With a championship on their 2020-21 résumé and knowing a NCAA Regional berth was soon ahead, UT Martin took a break from the links to focus on academics.
"We took the rest of the OVC Tournament week and weekend off," Swafford said. "We tried to enjoy it for a couple of days while finals were coming up the next week and then we just had graduation this past weekend. We had guys out here practicing but there have been a few events going on that we don't typically have during our season so we've had to figure out how to navigate our schedule."
After the NCAA Selection Show announced on May 5 that UT Martin was one of 13 teams to take part in the Noblesville (Ind.) Regional, the wheels were set in motion for practice opportunities that could simulate the Sagamore Club, a par-72 course that was designed by Jack Nicklaus that plays at 7,173 yards.
The Skyhawks played a competitive round at Greystone Golf Club in Dickson, Tenn. on Monday and will have another practice opportunity at Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau, Mo. on Friday.
"Those courses feature similar yardages and have bentgrass greens so it will be similar to what we'll see in Indiana," Swafford said. "We mainly want to get used to playing golf courses at that length."
Occupying the No. 1 spot in UT Martin's scoring lineup at the upcoming NCAA Regional will be Story. The lefty out of Dickson, Tenn. tied three others for the best 54-hole score in OVC Championship history (204, -12) following three consecutive 68's on the scorecard. Over the last two seasons, he has delivered 29 even-par or better rounds (in 46 tries) and won three tournaments en route to a pair of All-OVC accolades.
"Jack is someone who has the potential to go low and make a lot of birdies," Swafford said. "The potential has always been there but the last two seasons, his golf game has flourished. He's one of the best leaders and motivators that I've seen in my short time of being a coach. He leads by example and does the extra work to be successful."
Wolf will fill the No. 2 slot in the Skyhawk lineup at the NCAA Regional as the Murfreesboro, Tenn. native ranks second in the OVC with a 70.8 stroke average. One of just three players in school history to earn an All-OVC nod on three different occasions, Wolf won two tournaments this season and did not finish any lower than 15th place in all seven events.
"Nick has been consistently our best player this season," Swafford said. "He's just so steady – you watch him play a round and you wouldn't know if he was playing well or having a rough day. He never gets too high or too low – that's one of many facets of his game where he really excels."
Holding down the No. 3 spot for UT Martin is Chumley, who nabbed his first career All-OVC honor in 2020-21. Hailing from Murfreesboro, Tenn., he began his season with 15 consecutive countable rounds and produced four top-10 tournament finishes behind a 72.1 stroke average that ranked sixth in the OVC.
"Tate has really stepped his game up – he earned our 'Most Improved' award this year for the team," Swafford said. "He was close to breaking through in the 2019-20 season. Being postponed in the fall, we did a few intersquad matches trying to keep the guys competitive and engaged and Tate was our best player, hands-down. So going into this spring, he had a lot of confidence and it showed."
A two-time All-OVC honoree, Redmont is slotted into the No. 4 position for the Skyhawks. His storied career includes eight top-five finishes, 13 top-10 placements and 19 top-20 finishes as the Memphis, Tenn. native came away with 12 countable scores in 14 opportunities in 2020-21.
"Ross is the captain of the team for a reason," Swafford said. "He's a behind-the-scenes leader who is always around par. I know I can always count on a very solid, respectable round from Ross and that's so important in collegiate golf."
Jacob Uehlein played his way into a starting role in each of the last five tournaments of the 2020-21 campaign and will once again crack the lineup at the NCAA Regional. As the youngster in the group, the sophomore from Tullahoma, Tenn. enters the postseason with eight consecutive countable rounds – three of which came at the OVC Championship.
"Jacob was an All-OVC Newcomer last season and he continues to develop," Swafford said. "I've seen him take his game to the next level from a consistency standpoint and I think that simply comes from experience. He's worked extremely hard in the weight room and he's been able to learn from his older teammates."
One trait the 2020-21 Skyhawks have consistently displayed is team chemistry, which Swafford said made his job easy during his first season at the helm.
"It's one of the main reasons we've had so much success," Swafford said. "In the van on the way to a tournament or in the hotels having our team meeting at night, everybody's laughing and in a good mood. They're excited to go play golf together. The team chemistry has been off the charts and it's been really fun to watch."
For Swafford, the recipe for success at the NCAA Regional is easy – do what UT Martin has done all year: don't let the moment overwhelm you and don't get away from your strengths.
"We want to keep it as close to the same routine as we can," Swafford said. "Obviously, it's a big stage but we don't want to be starstruck and not prepare like we would any other week. Our gameplan has got us here, which has been to keep it simple and not let the results define who you are. That's played a big role for us. There's no question that this is going to be the best field that we have played all year – it's an exciting opportunity to play against some of the top teams and players in the country. With that said, this group is capable of doing big things – they've got the experience and the correct mental state. If we stick to the gameplan for each player and it times up right for us to have three good days, we have a good shot at finishing in the top-five and advancing on."
In October of 2019, the Skyhawk golf team was rolling. UT Martin had just won its fourth tournament in a row to close out the fall portion of the 2019-20 schedule. The Skyhawks had established themselves as legitimate OVC championship contenders.
"When the fall season ended in 2019, that was when I knew that the group we had was capable of winning the league," said UT Martin head coach Austin Swafford, who at that time was an assistant coach under Jerry Carpenter at his alma mater. "The way the team played that fall and the success we had – you could just see that all come to fruition. Going into the spring of the 2019-20 season, we had a lot of excitement."
The Skyhawks added their fifth win of the 2019-20 campaign at the Grover Page Classic on March 10. The victory aided UT Martin's OVC-best 286.2 scoring average as the team geared up for two final tournaments of the regular season before setting its target on the league championships.
Approximately 48 hours after the final putt was sank at the Grover Page Classic, the NCAA announced it was cancelling the remainder of its winter and spring championships. It seemed as if the COVID-19 pandemic had erased a potential dream season and robbed the UT Martin seniors of a chance to go out on top.
"Figuring out COVID-19 and what the 2020-21 season would look like, there were a lot of questions," Swafford said. "We were left thinking what could have been – we felt like we had as good of a shot as anybody to win the OVC championship with the way our season had gone up to that point."
The NCAA provided relief for its spring student-athletes on March 30, granting a blanket waiver that would allow an extra year of eligibility for those who had their 2020-21 seasons cut short. Jack Story and Ross Redmont – both fresh off All-OVC campaigns – had already accepted post-graduation job opportunities but decided to take advantage of the NCAA's ruling – pledging to make one more run at a championship ring.
That decision firmly entrenched the Skyhawks as one of the OVC's clear-cut frontrunners in 2020-21.
"When Jack and Ross decided to come back and go to graduate school and we knew Nick Wolf and Tate Chumley would still be here, we knew we were going to have a solid, experienced team," Swafford said. "You're talking 15 years of collegiate experience between those four right there. Our goal was to try to keep that momentum going from 2019-20 – it was basically going to be the same group."
Continue the momentum from 2019-20? Did they ever.
Despite a shortened 2020-21 schedule that didn't get started until March, UT Martin roared out of the gates for four tournament victories in six tries during the regular season. There was a noticeable hunger evident – the desire to come together as a group and finish the task of bringing home another trophy to the Rhodes Golf Center.
The mission was completed on April 27 in Muscle Shoals, Ala. Following three days of historical golf – the Skyhawks set a school record for the best 54-hole performance in the OVC Championship event – Story tapped in a putt on the 18th green to not only clinch a share of individual medalist honors but also securing the program's first OVC team title since 2016.
Mission accomplished.
With a championship on their 2020-21 résumé and knowing a NCAA Regional berth was soon ahead, UT Martin took a break from the links to focus on academics.
"We took the rest of the OVC Tournament week and weekend off," Swafford said. "We tried to enjoy it for a couple of days while finals were coming up the next week and then we just had graduation this past weekend. We had guys out here practicing but there have been a few events going on that we don't typically have during our season so we've had to figure out how to navigate our schedule."
After the NCAA Selection Show announced on May 5 that UT Martin was one of 13 teams to take part in the Noblesville (Ind.) Regional, the wheels were set in motion for practice opportunities that could simulate the Sagamore Club, a par-72 course that was designed by Jack Nicklaus that plays at 7,173 yards.
The Skyhawks played a competitive round at Greystone Golf Club in Dickson, Tenn. on Monday and will have another practice opportunity at Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau, Mo. on Friday.
"Those courses feature similar yardages and have bentgrass greens so it will be similar to what we'll see in Indiana," Swafford said. "We mainly want to get used to playing golf courses at that length."
Occupying the No. 1 spot in UT Martin's scoring lineup at the upcoming NCAA Regional will be Story. The lefty out of Dickson, Tenn. tied three others for the best 54-hole score in OVC Championship history (204, -12) following three consecutive 68's on the scorecard. Over the last two seasons, he has delivered 29 even-par or better rounds (in 46 tries) and won three tournaments en route to a pair of All-OVC accolades.
"Jack is someone who has the potential to go low and make a lot of birdies," Swafford said. "The potential has always been there but the last two seasons, his golf game has flourished. He's one of the best leaders and motivators that I've seen in my short time of being a coach. He leads by example and does the extra work to be successful."
Wolf will fill the No. 2 slot in the Skyhawk lineup at the NCAA Regional as the Murfreesboro, Tenn. native ranks second in the OVC with a 70.8 stroke average. One of just three players in school history to earn an All-OVC nod on three different occasions, Wolf won two tournaments this season and did not finish any lower than 15th place in all seven events.
"Nick has been consistently our best player this season," Swafford said. "He's just so steady – you watch him play a round and you wouldn't know if he was playing well or having a rough day. He never gets too high or too low – that's one of many facets of his game where he really excels."
Holding down the No. 3 spot for UT Martin is Chumley, who nabbed his first career All-OVC honor in 2020-21. Hailing from Murfreesboro, Tenn., he began his season with 15 consecutive countable rounds and produced four top-10 tournament finishes behind a 72.1 stroke average that ranked sixth in the OVC.
"Tate has really stepped his game up – he earned our 'Most Improved' award this year for the team," Swafford said. "He was close to breaking through in the 2019-20 season. Being postponed in the fall, we did a few intersquad matches trying to keep the guys competitive and engaged and Tate was our best player, hands-down. So going into this spring, he had a lot of confidence and it showed."
A two-time All-OVC honoree, Redmont is slotted into the No. 4 position for the Skyhawks. His storied career includes eight top-five finishes, 13 top-10 placements and 19 top-20 finishes as the Memphis, Tenn. native came away with 12 countable scores in 14 opportunities in 2020-21.
"Ross is the captain of the team for a reason," Swafford said. "He's a behind-the-scenes leader who is always around par. I know I can always count on a very solid, respectable round from Ross and that's so important in collegiate golf."
Jacob Uehlein played his way into a starting role in each of the last five tournaments of the 2020-21 campaign and will once again crack the lineup at the NCAA Regional. As the youngster in the group, the sophomore from Tullahoma, Tenn. enters the postseason with eight consecutive countable rounds – three of which came at the OVC Championship.
"Jacob was an All-OVC Newcomer last season and he continues to develop," Swafford said. "I've seen him take his game to the next level from a consistency standpoint and I think that simply comes from experience. He's worked extremely hard in the weight room and he's been able to learn from his older teammates."
One trait the 2020-21 Skyhawks have consistently displayed is team chemistry, which Swafford said made his job easy during his first season at the helm.
"It's one of the main reasons we've had so much success," Swafford said. "In the van on the way to a tournament or in the hotels having our team meeting at night, everybody's laughing and in a good mood. They're excited to go play golf together. The team chemistry has been off the charts and it's been really fun to watch."
For Swafford, the recipe for success at the NCAA Regional is easy – do what UT Martin has done all year: don't let the moment overwhelm you and don't get away from your strengths.
"We want to keep it as close to the same routine as we can," Swafford said. "Obviously, it's a big stage but we don't want to be starstruck and not prepare like we would any other week. Our gameplan has got us here, which has been to keep it simple and not let the results define who you are. That's played a big role for us. There's no question that this is going to be the best field that we have played all year – it's an exciting opportunity to play against some of the top teams and players in the country. With that said, this group is capable of doing big things – they've got the experience and the correct mental state. If we stick to the gameplan for each player and it times up right for us to have three good days, we have a good shot at finishing in the top-five and advancing on."
Players Mentioned
Tuesday, March 17
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Friday, January 23