Sunday, April 21
Miramar Beach, Fla.
All Day
Coastal Carolina University
vs
Sun Belt Championships
Photo by: Todd Drexler/SESPORTSMEDIA.com
Men’s Golf Ready to Defend Title at Sun Belt Championship
4/20/2019 9:08:00 AM | Men's Golf
Conway, S.C. – Coastal Carolina men's golf will look to defend its Sun Belt Championship this week at the 2019 Sun Belt Men's Golf Championship from April 21-24 at the Raven Golf Course at Sandestin in Miramar Beach, Fla.
This year's championship course will play par-71 over all three rounds of play. Round one will play 3,331 yards, while both rounds two and three in the team stroke play portion of the tournament will play 3,371 yards.
Coastal will enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed, behind only the top-seeded Arkansas State Red Wolves. Georgia Southern (No. 3), ULM (No. 4), South Alabama (No. 5) round out the top five with Little Rock (No. 6), UTA (No. 7), Louisiana (No. 8), Texas State (No. 9), Georgia State (No. 10), Troy (No. 11) and Appalachian State (No. 12) round out the tournament field.
"Our number one goal every year is to win the conference championship," commented head men's golf coach Jim Garren. "This is why we play. It's not just 'another' week, it is 'THE' week. We are the defending champions so we better come ready to play because there will be a target on our back and the league is way deeper than it was last year."
The Chanticleers will send out the lineup of No. 1 Zack Taylor, No. 2 Wes Artac, No. 3 Luis Ruiz, No. 4 Morgan Deneen and No. 5 States Fort. Freshman Brady Hinkle will be a substitute if needed.
The only two Chants to play in all 10 tournaments over the regular season, first-year Chants Taylor and Artac will look to help lead Coastal to its second-straight Sun Belt Championship despite playing in their first-ever Sun Belt Championship event this week.
Taylor, who ended the regular season ranked No. 108 overall in the national Golfstat rankings, leads the team with a 71.63 stroke average on the year. The junior has recorded a team-high 16 rounds of par or better, including nine rounds in the 60's on the season and shot a low-round 66 over the second round of play at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate last October. The top Chant golfer in five tournaments this season, Taylor has totaled seven top-25 individual finishes, a team-high, including a runner-up finish at the Northern Intercollegiate with rounds of 74, 68 and 72 for a 54-hole score of 214, -2 under par, and a pair of third-place finishes in back-to-back events at the Furman Intercollegiate and the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational in March.
Artac enters the tournament second on the team with a 72.40 stroke average and a total of 13 rounds of par or better, including five rounds in the 60's on the season. The transfer carded a career-low round 64 in the second round of the Furman Intercollegiate, which is tied for the second-lowest 18-hole round in CCU history, and also shot a 67 over the final round of play at the Maridoe Intercollegiate. The top Coastal performer in three events this season, Artac has posted five top-25 individual finishes overall, including a pair of runner-up finishes. He took second-place overall at the Furman Intercollegiate, leading the Chants to the team title with rounds of 69, 64 and 73 for a 54-hole tournament score of 206, -7 under par, which is tied for the sixth-lowest 54-hole tournament score in CCU history, and earned runner-up honors at the Maridoe Intercollegiate, finishing tied for second with rounds of 74, 74 and 67 for a 54-hole score of 215, +5.
Behind newcomers Taylor and Artac are three Chants that fared well in last year's conference championship and will look to be a huge part of the title defense this season.
A second-team All-Sun Belt selection last season, Ruiz has played in eight events this year, posting two top-20 individual finishes, and has carded a stroke average of 75.00 over 24 rounds of play. The senior, who led CCU in stroke average last year, has tallied five rounds of par or better on the season, including a low round 70 three times, first at the Gopher Invitational, at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate and again at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate. Despite an up-and-down season this year, Ruiz was the Chants' top performer at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate, placing in a tie for 13th overall at the Tucker Intercollegiate with rounds of 74, 70 and 72 for a 54-hole score of 216, even par. He also finished in a tie for 16th with rounds of 73, 74 and 73 for a final tournament score of 220, +4, at the Northern Intercollegiate in the fall.
Last year's 2018 Sun Belt Champion in the stroke play event, Deneen teed-off in seven tournaments for the Chants this year, four in the fall and three in the spring. He has posted a stroke average of 74.86 over 21 rounds of play on the year, which includes four rounds of par or better, highlighted by a season-low round of 68 over the first round of play at the Florida Gators Invitational to open up the 2019 spring slate. The redshirt-senior finished in a tie for 32nd with a season-low 54-hole score of 215, -1 under par, at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate w
Fort will look to duplicate his top-three finish at least year's championship this week, as the junior has competed in nine events for the Chants on the year, posting a 74.56 stroke average over 27 rounds of play. He has carded eight rounds or better, which ranks third on the team, and has posted three rounds of 60 or better on the season, including a low 68 twice, first at the Maridoe Intercollegiate in the fall and then again at the Mason Rudolph Championship in the spring. Fort was the top performer for the Chants at the Florida Gators Invitational, finishing in a tie for 26th overall with a 54-hole tournament score of 214, +4, (74, 71, 69) and also posted a top-25 finish at the Mason Rudolph Championship, finishing in a tie for 21st with rounds of 68, 71 and 73 for a season-low 54-hole score of 212, -1 under par.
Hinkle has played in six tournaments on the year as a true freshman, competing in three as an individual and three as part of the Chants' lineup. He posted a stroke average of 76.28 over 18 rounds on the year and shot five rounds of par or better, including a low-round 70 in the third round of play at the Pioneer Creek Collegiate. He has turned in a low 54-hole tournament low score of 216, +3, at the Furman Intercollegiate and tallied two top-20 finishes over his first year as a Chant.
"We've had a solid regular season and it's been really good the past month, so we are going to look to continue with that momentum and get in a position to compete for the conference title," continued Garren.
Coastal will tee off rounds one and two on Sunday and Monday at 8:15 a.m. ET with both Arkansas State and Georgia Southern.
Live scoring for the event can be found on Golfstat here while live coverage of the championship will take place on ESPN+.
For complete coverage of CCU men's golf, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalMGolf (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUsports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.
This year's championship course will play par-71 over all three rounds of play. Round one will play 3,331 yards, while both rounds two and three in the team stroke play portion of the tournament will play 3,371 yards.
Coastal will enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed, behind only the top-seeded Arkansas State Red Wolves. Georgia Southern (No. 3), ULM (No. 4), South Alabama (No. 5) round out the top five with Little Rock (No. 6), UTA (No. 7), Louisiana (No. 8), Texas State (No. 9), Georgia State (No. 10), Troy (No. 11) and Appalachian State (No. 12) round out the tournament field.
"Our number one goal every year is to win the conference championship," commented head men's golf coach Jim Garren. "This is why we play. It's not just 'another' week, it is 'THE' week. We are the defending champions so we better come ready to play because there will be a target on our back and the league is way deeper than it was last year."
The Chanticleers will send out the lineup of No. 1 Zack Taylor, No. 2 Wes Artac, No. 3 Luis Ruiz, No. 4 Morgan Deneen and No. 5 States Fort. Freshman Brady Hinkle will be a substitute if needed.
The only two Chants to play in all 10 tournaments over the regular season, first-year Chants Taylor and Artac will look to help lead Coastal to its second-straight Sun Belt Championship despite playing in their first-ever Sun Belt Championship event this week.
Taylor, who ended the regular season ranked No. 108 overall in the national Golfstat rankings, leads the team with a 71.63 stroke average on the year. The junior has recorded a team-high 16 rounds of par or better, including nine rounds in the 60's on the season and shot a low-round 66 over the second round of play at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate last October. The top Chant golfer in five tournaments this season, Taylor has totaled seven top-25 individual finishes, a team-high, including a runner-up finish at the Northern Intercollegiate with rounds of 74, 68 and 72 for a 54-hole score of 214, -2 under par, and a pair of third-place finishes in back-to-back events at the Furman Intercollegiate and the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational in March.
Artac enters the tournament second on the team with a 72.40 stroke average and a total of 13 rounds of par or better, including five rounds in the 60's on the season. The transfer carded a career-low round 64 in the second round of the Furman Intercollegiate, which is tied for the second-lowest 18-hole round in CCU history, and also shot a 67 over the final round of play at the Maridoe Intercollegiate. The top Coastal performer in three events this season, Artac has posted five top-25 individual finishes overall, including a pair of runner-up finishes. He took second-place overall at the Furman Intercollegiate, leading the Chants to the team title with rounds of 69, 64 and 73 for a 54-hole tournament score of 206, -7 under par, which is tied for the sixth-lowest 54-hole tournament score in CCU history, and earned runner-up honors at the Maridoe Intercollegiate, finishing tied for second with rounds of 74, 74 and 67 for a 54-hole score of 215, +5.
Behind newcomers Taylor and Artac are three Chants that fared well in last year's conference championship and will look to be a huge part of the title defense this season.
A second-team All-Sun Belt selection last season, Ruiz has played in eight events this year, posting two top-20 individual finishes, and has carded a stroke average of 75.00 over 24 rounds of play. The senior, who led CCU in stroke average last year, has tallied five rounds of par or better on the season, including a low round 70 three times, first at the Gopher Invitational, at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate and again at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate. Despite an up-and-down season this year, Ruiz was the Chants' top performer at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate, placing in a tie for 13th overall at the Tucker Intercollegiate with rounds of 74, 70 and 72 for a 54-hole score of 216, even par. He also finished in a tie for 16th with rounds of 73, 74 and 73 for a final tournament score of 220, +4, at the Northern Intercollegiate in the fall.
Last year's 2018 Sun Belt Champion in the stroke play event, Deneen teed-off in seven tournaments for the Chants this year, four in the fall and three in the spring. He has posted a stroke average of 74.86 over 21 rounds of play on the year, which includes four rounds of par or better, highlighted by a season-low round of 68 over the first round of play at the Florida Gators Invitational to open up the 2019 spring slate. The redshirt-senior finished in a tie for 32nd with a season-low 54-hole score of 215, -1 under par, at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate w
Fort will look to duplicate his top-three finish at least year's championship this week, as the junior has competed in nine events for the Chants on the year, posting a 74.56 stroke average over 27 rounds of play. He has carded eight rounds or better, which ranks third on the team, and has posted three rounds of 60 or better on the season, including a low 68 twice, first at the Maridoe Intercollegiate in the fall and then again at the Mason Rudolph Championship in the spring. Fort was the top performer for the Chants at the Florida Gators Invitational, finishing in a tie for 26th overall with a 54-hole tournament score of 214, +4, (74, 71, 69) and also posted a top-25 finish at the Mason Rudolph Championship, finishing in a tie for 21st with rounds of 68, 71 and 73 for a season-low 54-hole score of 212, -1 under par.
Hinkle has played in six tournaments on the year as a true freshman, competing in three as an individual and three as part of the Chants' lineup. He posted a stroke average of 76.28 over 18 rounds on the year and shot five rounds of par or better, including a low-round 70 in the third round of play at the Pioneer Creek Collegiate. He has turned in a low 54-hole tournament low score of 216, +3, at the Furman Intercollegiate and tallied two top-20 finishes over his first year as a Chant.
"We've had a solid regular season and it's been really good the past month, so we are going to look to continue with that momentum and get in a position to compete for the conference title," continued Garren.
Coastal will tee off rounds one and two on Sunday and Monday at 8:15 a.m. ET with both Arkansas State and Georgia Southern.
Live scoring for the event can be found on Golfstat here while live coverage of the championship will take place on ESPN+.
For complete coverage of CCU men's golf, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalMGolf (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUsports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.
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