Photo by: UT Martin Sports Information
UT MARTIN GOLF OPENS GROVER PAGE CLASSIC WITH RECORD-SETTING PERFORMANCE ATOP THE LEADERBOARD
9/18/2023 10:38:00 PM | Golf
JACKSON, Tenn. – A school-record seven eagles in the opening round of the Grover Page Classic set the tone for a historic day for the University of Tennessee at Martin golf program as the Skyhawks are sitting in first place through 36 holes at the 20th annual event held at Jackson Country Club.
On the day, UT Martin accumulated a whopping 39 birdies and eight eagles in two rounds – helping the Skyhawks take a four-stroke lead into the final day of the tournament tomorrow. UT Martin shot a 274 (-14) in Round 1 and followed that with a 283 (-5) this afternoon. The Skyhawks' cumulative score of 557 (-19) is one of six team scores under par, leading SIUE (561, -15), Presbyterian (563, -13), Missouri State (564, -12), Belmont (569, -7) and Tennessee Tech (569, -7).
UT Martin's eight eagles topped the 14-team field while the Skyhawks also posted the best par-4 scoring average (4.02, +2) through the first two rounds.
"I am super proud of how the guys played today," UT Martin head coach Austin Swafford said. "Any time you can post two under-par rounds – whether it's a course you're familiar with or not – you have to be pleased. We did a lot of things well but we also need to clean up some mistakes we made at the end of Round 2. We are excited to be in this position – this is why we play and compete. We'll stick to our gameplan and strategy – we are looking forward to the challenge of winning a golf tournament tomorrow."
Gallery: (9-18-2023) Golf at Grover Page Classic (Day 1)
On the player leaderboard, Jacob Uehlein and Jonathan Xoinis are tied for fifth place out of 93 competitors with matching scores of 138 (-6). Dax Isbell (139, -5) trails closely behind while Bryson Morrell (140, -4) ranks just outside the top-10 as the fourth Skyhawk to card an under-par score. Missouri State's Hampus Wijkstrom managed a 132 (-12) to pace the field through two rounds of play.
UT Martin's Round 1 scorecard was paced by Isbell, who tapped in three eagles and four birdies on the way to tying a career-best score of 67. Grant Phillips (two eagles, four birdies) and Xoinis (one eagle, four birdies) each shot identical 68's for career-low tallies while Uehlein (one eagle, two birdies) secured a 71 to complete the team scoring. Luke Caldwell – the Skyhawks' fifth member of the lineup – generated a team-best five birdies and scored a 77.
Morrell's 71 with four birdies led four UT Martin representatives who are competing as individuals. That list included Ethan Ray (74, three birdies), Jackson Twerdahl (76, two birdies) and Garrett Chumley (80, one birdie).
Round 2 saw Uehlein go off for six birdies during a seven-hole stretch in addition to a front-nine eagle, emerging with a career-best 67 in the process. Xoinis chipped in four birdies as part of a 70 while Isbell (team-high six birdies) and Caldwell (three birdies) rounded out the team scoring with a 72 and 74, respectively. Two costly holes affected Phillips' score (80) as the freshman registered one birdie and 12 pars.
Individually, Morrell was responsible for four birdies as part of an impressive 69 in Round 2. Chumley's 73 included a trio of birdies while Ray (three birdies) and Twerdahl (one birdie) both tallied 75's.
Overall, Isbell leads the entire tournament in eagles (three) and par-5 scoring (3.88, -9) while ranking sixth in the field with a team-high 10 birdies. Uehlein and Morrell are tied for third in the event in par-3 scoring (2.88, -1) while Xoinis ranks third in the field with a 3.90 (-2) scoring average on par-4's. Twerdahl ranks fifth in the tournament with a team-best 25 pars.
The Skyhawks are paired with SIUE and Presbyterian for tomorrow's third and final round of the Grover Page Classic, which begins with an 8:15 a.m. shotgun start. The five members of UT Martin's scoring lineup will tee off on Holes No. 1-3 while the four Skyhawk individuals will open their day on Holes No. 17-18.
On the day, UT Martin accumulated a whopping 39 birdies and eight eagles in two rounds – helping the Skyhawks take a four-stroke lead into the final day of the tournament tomorrow. UT Martin shot a 274 (-14) in Round 1 and followed that with a 283 (-5) this afternoon. The Skyhawks' cumulative score of 557 (-19) is one of six team scores under par, leading SIUE (561, -15), Presbyterian (563, -13), Missouri State (564, -12), Belmont (569, -7) and Tennessee Tech (569, -7).
UT Martin's eight eagles topped the 14-team field while the Skyhawks also posted the best par-4 scoring average (4.02, +2) through the first two rounds.
"I am super proud of how the guys played today," UT Martin head coach Austin Swafford said. "Any time you can post two under-par rounds – whether it's a course you're familiar with or not – you have to be pleased. We did a lot of things well but we also need to clean up some mistakes we made at the end of Round 2. We are excited to be in this position – this is why we play and compete. We'll stick to our gameplan and strategy – we are looking forward to the challenge of winning a golf tournament tomorrow."
On the player leaderboard, Jacob Uehlein and Jonathan Xoinis are tied for fifth place out of 93 competitors with matching scores of 138 (-6). Dax Isbell (139, -5) trails closely behind while Bryson Morrell (140, -4) ranks just outside the top-10 as the fourth Skyhawk to card an under-par score. Missouri State's Hampus Wijkstrom managed a 132 (-12) to pace the field through two rounds of play.
UT Martin's Round 1 scorecard was paced by Isbell, who tapped in three eagles and four birdies on the way to tying a career-best score of 67. Grant Phillips (two eagles, four birdies) and Xoinis (one eagle, four birdies) each shot identical 68's for career-low tallies while Uehlein (one eagle, two birdies) secured a 71 to complete the team scoring. Luke Caldwell – the Skyhawks' fifth member of the lineup – generated a team-best five birdies and scored a 77.
Morrell's 71 with four birdies led four UT Martin representatives who are competing as individuals. That list included Ethan Ray (74, three birdies), Jackson Twerdahl (76, two birdies) and Garrett Chumley (80, one birdie).
Round 2 saw Uehlein go off for six birdies during a seven-hole stretch in addition to a front-nine eagle, emerging with a career-best 67 in the process. Xoinis chipped in four birdies as part of a 70 while Isbell (team-high six birdies) and Caldwell (three birdies) rounded out the team scoring with a 72 and 74, respectively. Two costly holes affected Phillips' score (80) as the freshman registered one birdie and 12 pars.
Individually, Morrell was responsible for four birdies as part of an impressive 69 in Round 2. Chumley's 73 included a trio of birdies while Ray (three birdies) and Twerdahl (one birdie) both tallied 75's.
Overall, Isbell leads the entire tournament in eagles (three) and par-5 scoring (3.88, -9) while ranking sixth in the field with a team-high 10 birdies. Uehlein and Morrell are tied for third in the event in par-3 scoring (2.88, -1) while Xoinis ranks third in the field with a 3.90 (-2) scoring average on par-4's. Twerdahl ranks fifth in the tournament with a team-best 25 pars.
The Skyhawks are paired with SIUE and Presbyterian for tomorrow's third and final round of the Grover Page Classic, which begins with an 8:15 a.m. shotgun start. The five members of UT Martin's scoring lineup will tee off on Holes No. 1-3 while the four Skyhawk individuals will open their day on Holes No. 17-18.
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