May 21, 2010
Cougar Golf Wins NJCAA National Championship
Goodyear, AZ---South Mountain Community College claimed it’s second NJCAA Division II men’s golf championship Friday, and the first title under 3rd-year coach Jake Harrington who graduated from SMCC while playing golf for the Cougars in 2002 where they finished 5th in the nation as a team at ironically the same golf course that would give him his first NJCAA title as a head coach.
The Cougars would open the tournament with a share of the lead after shooting 1-over par 289, with Darton College who won the National Championship in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Local rival Mesa Community College would end the day at 291 just 2 shots back of the lead. Davis Garner lead the Cougars in the opening round by posting a 1-under total of 71 while his fellow Sophomores, Trent Ka’ahanui and Branden Barron would post even par rounds of 72, and Freshman Nick Umholtz would card a round of 2-over 74. More
May 2, 2010
Back to Back NJCAA Region I Champions
Goodyear, AZ--- The SMCC men’s golf team, under direction of 3rd-year coach Jake Harrington will be making their second straight trip to the NJCAA Division II National Championship after claiming back-to-back NJCAA Region I Championships this past week at Palm Valley Golf Club
The conditions at Palm Valley were some of the windiest and toughest conditions the Cougars had faced all year, with winds blowing for two days at over 50 mph and the other two days seeming calm in comparison with gusts between 15-20 mph. More
2010 Update
Men's Golf Ranked #1 in the Country!
April 19-20, 2010
SMCC Men’s Golf wins 3rd straight tournament at Eastern Arizona Invitational. Trent Ka’ahanui and Nick Umholtz tie for 1st place individually, Davis Garner finishes in 3rd place, Branden Barron and Scott Spiewak tie for 18th place. More
April 12-13, 2010
SMCC Men’s Golf wins 2nd straight tournament at the Gateway CC Invitational. Sophomore Davis Garner wins again individually, Trent Ka’ahanui finishes 2nd, Jordan Burgess finishes in 9th place, Branden Barron and Scott Spiewak tie for 18th place. More
April 5-6, 2010
SMCC Men’s Golf flies back to Meridian, Mississippi and wins the Lou Hart Invitational. Sophomore Branden Barron leads the Cougars by finishing in 2nd place individually and Davis Garner finishes in 5th place. More
March 29-30, 2010
SMCC Men’s Golf finishes in 2nd place at Paradise Valley Invitational. Sophomore Branden Barron wins individually and Nick Umholtz and Trent Ka’ahanui finish in 4th and 7th place respectively. More
March 18-19, 2010
SMCC Men’s Golf wins the Glendale CC Invitational. Sophomore Davis Garner wins the tournament individually, Branden Barron finishes in 3rd, Jordan Burgess finishes in 6th place, Trent Ka’ahanui finishes in 8th place, and Nick Umholtz and Scott Spiewak tied for 12th place. More
March 15-16, 2010
SMCC Men’s Golf finishes in 3rd place at Chandler-Gilbert Invitational. Freshman Nick Umholtz leads the Cougars by finishing in 10th place individually. More
March 1-2, 2010
SMCC Men’s Golf finishes in 2nd place at Scottsdale CC Invitational. 4 Cougar golfer finish in the top 10 with Freshman Jordan Burgess finishing 2nd, Freshman Nick Umholtz tied for 3rd with teammate Trent Ka’ahanui, and Branden Barron finished in 7th place. More
February 13-14, 2010
SMCC Men’s Golf finishes in 4th place at Western New Mexico University’s tournament in Ruidoso, NM playing in a field that included 4-year NCAA schools University of Arizona, New Mexico State University, Grand Canyon University, and Western New Mexico University. Sophomores Branden Barron and Trent Ka’ahanui finished in 2nd place and 7th place respectively. More
Oct. 20, 2009 - Cougars Finish 2nd in MGCCC Invitational
Gulfport, MS--The final tournament of the fall season for the Cougars brought them to beautiful Gulfport, MS where they would come in as the defending champions at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Invitational. Windance Country Club where the event is hosted is also the site for the Adams Tour Championship which traditionally finishes a couple of days before the participants in the MGCCC Invitational take to the course. This year’s field was another strong field with teams comprised from NJCAA Division I and II schools as well as a couple strong NAIA teams. Out of those 15 teams 8 of the teams are ranked in the top 10 in their respective divisions.
The course which received enough rain the week before, to force the tournament to be played as a 36-hole event and to have the participants play the ball as lift clean and place in the fairways and have the rough playing extremely tough. The opening round would find a local team from Mississippi, Meridian Community College, unfazed by the conditions as they were the only team to break 300 in the 15 team field, as they posted a 1-under 287 total. In second place after day 1, was defending NJCAA Division II National Champion John A. Logan College at 302, and close behind them in 3rd place where the Cougars who opened up with a disappointing round of 304. The Cougars were lead by Sophomore Trent Ka’ahanui who fired a 1-over round of 73 and Sophomore David Gonzales who shot a 3-over 75. The other Cougars in the field were Davis Garner who fired a 77, Nick Umholtz who shot 79, and Scott Spiewak shooting an 82. More
Sept. 21, 2009 - Ka’ahanui and Spiewak Finish 1st and 2nd, Lead the Cougars
Ruidoso, NM--The opening tournament of the year is always interesting at the junior college ranks since every year teams typically lose half their team to 4 year schools. That was no different for the #1 ranked South Mountain Community College Cougars Men’s Golf team who sent their top three players from last years 3rd place finish at the NJCAA National Championship to NCAA Division I schools on scholarships. However, the Cougars showed their strength and depth being led by two returning Sophomores Trent Ka’ahanui and Scott Spiewak.
After the morning 18 holes at the Links at Sierra Blanca in Ruidoso, NM, the Cougars posted a 6-under par 282 which was good enough for 4th place after New Mexico CC and Wayland Baptist University posted rounds of 10-under 278. The Cougars were led by Trent Ka’ahanui who opened with a round of 67, Freshman Nick Umholtz fired a round of 70, Scott Spiewak shot 71, Sophomore transfer David Gonzales shot 74, and Freshman Jordan Burgess shot 76. More
Sept. 29, 2009 - Cougars Win Southwestern Arizona Invitational
Phoenix, AZ--South Mountain’s Men’s Golf Team kept up their winning ways this week at Papago Golf Course playing in the 1st Annual Southwestern Arizona Invitational. The invitational was sponsored by a local NAIA team Southwestern AZ and the field consisted of 4 nationally ranked community colleges, and an NCAA Division II school in Western New Mexico University.
The opening round the Cougars got out to an early lead behind solid play from Sophomore Scott Spiewak who opened with a 2-under par 70 to give himself the round 1 lead and redshirt sophomore Davis Garner who shot an even par round of 72. The Cougars were rounded off with Sophomore Anthony Depalma shooting 75, and Nick Umholtz and Trent Ka’ahanui shooting 76 which gave the team a 5-over total of 293 and a 7 shot lead on the field. More
May 28, 2009-Men's Golf Recap of Season
BY JIM RICHARDS
With turnover the way it is at two-year junior colleges, few teams ever get the chance to knock the chips off their shoulders from the previous seasons.
The South Mountain men's golf team did just that over the 2009 season.
Week by week and invitational by invitational, Jake Harrington's men's golf team took matters one step at at time in an effort to bounce back from a disastrous 2008 regional.
And one by one, it was turning into the greatest season in South history.
First, the Cougars captured an amazing 5 of 6 ACCAC invitational titles,losing their only invitational when a national tournament was scheduled the same days, dividing the squad.
They also ended Scottsdale CC's amazing 29-year reign as ACCAC champions.
And with one of the deepest and strongest teams ever assembled at South Mountain, the Cougars rode a whopping 32-stroke victory at the 2009 NJCAA Region I Div.II Tournament to a spot in the NJCAA national tournament, where they held a slim lead after three of four rounds. More
May 22, 2009-Men's Golf Team Finishes 3rd at National Championship
Scottsboro, Al – The NJCAA National Championship was held from May 19 -22, 2009 at the Goosepond Colony Golf Course in Scottsboro, Alabama. The week was full of ups and downs for the Cougars as they looked to defend their #1 ranking entering the tournament and riding a win streak of 5 tournaments in a row with their most recent coming at the NJCAA Region I Championship where they lapped the field winning by 32 shots. More
May 3, 2009-Cougars Claim Region Championship by 32-shots, Brace Medalist
Phoenix, AZ – The #1 ranked South Mountain Community College Cougars are on their way to the NJCAA National Championship in Scottsboro, Alabama after a dominating performance at the NJCAA Region I Championship this week. With a 72-hole total of 1141 (289-284-286-282), the Men’s Golf Team ran away with a 32-shot victory over Chandler-Gilbert Community College to claim their 7th ACCAC Region Title in the last 9 years. Sophomore Scott Brace earned individual medalist honors for the Cougars with a final round 67 to beat out teammates Trent Ka’ahanui and Adam Winwood who finished in second and third place respectively.
“This week was a very good week for South Mountain golf,” said Head Coach Jake Harrington, “I am very proud of the way the guys played this week. They have worked so hard all year to accomplish this goal and they all stepped up and proved that they wanted it more then anybody else.” More
April 21, 2009-CGCC Invitational and Conference Champions!
Mesa, AZ -- The final round of play Tuesday was one for the record books. The South Mountain Community College Cougars came away with a big back nine to shoot a final round of 6-under par, 282 giving them a two day total of 18-under par and the CGCC Invitational Team Championship and most importantly the 2009 ACCAC Conference Championship. For the last 29 years the Artichokes from Scottsdale Community College have claimed the ACCAC Conference Title before being knocked off this year by the South Mountain Community College Cougars.
It was not an easy round this afternoon for the Cougars as they turned the front nine with their top 4 players at even par and the rest of the field making a move. However, they would once again receive a much needed boost from Freshman Scott Spiewak who started off playing the first 8 holes at 1-over par but would hit his favorite stretch of the golf course and would birdie 5 holes in a row from 9-13 to move him to 4-under par for the day before dropping 2 shots coming in at the 18th to finish at 2-under par 70 for the day but in a T2 at 8-under, 136 for the tournament. Also, helping to lead the charge was Sophomore Scott Brace who turned at 1-under and kept adding to his total as he shot 2-under 34 on the back side, carding a 3-under 69 putting him in a T7 at 4-under 140 for the tournament. Freshman Trent Ka’ahanui would bounce back from an even par front side with a 2-under back nine helping him fire a round of 2-under 70 and a 2-over 146 total. Sophomore Adam Winwood played the back nine in even par giving him a 1-over 73 total for the day and an even par 144 for the tournament. Sophomore Rob Murray would finish at 1-under 143 for the tournament with a 74 on Tuesday and Sophomore Chace Nathe finished at 1-over 145 with a 75 on Tuesday.
“I am very proud of the way this team battled not only today but the way we have battled the entire year. It is a great accomplishment to finish Conference play with a win and to be Conference Champions after falling short in the final conference tournament last year. This was one of our team’s main goals all year and something we have all worked really hard to achieve” said Coach Jake Harrington.
The Cougars will be back in play next week as they play in the NJCAA Division II Region I Championship at Vistal Golf Course in Phoenix, Arizona on April 30, 2009 – May 3, 2009, were the top 2 teams will advance to the NJCAA Division II National Championship.
April 20, 2009-Spiewak’s 66 Helps Cougars Jump Out In Front
Mesa, AZ - - Toka Sticks Golf Course is the site for the final ACCAC Conference Tournament of 2009. Coming into the tournament the South Mountain Cougars were leading the conference with 4 out of 5 Conference Wins this season and the Thunderbirds of Mesa close behind and needing a win to have hopes of catching South Mountain Community College.
However, Monday found the Cougars playing well and opening the Chandler-Gilbert Invitational with a round of 276, 12-under par giving them a 4-shot lead on Paradise Valley who shot 280, 8-under, 5-shot lead on Gateway who shot 281, 7-under, and an 11-shot lead on Mesa and Chandler-Gilbert who both fired rounds of 286, 1-under par. To lead the way for the Cougars was Freshman Scott Spiewak, who was 2-over par thru 8 holes of play and then rattled of 6 birdies in a row from holes 9-14 and capped a great round off with a couple birdies coming in including a birdie on the difficult 18th hole. Other Cougar notables on day 1 were Sophomore Rob Murray who fired a round of 3-under 69, Sophomore Chace Nathe shot 2-under 70, and Sophomore’s Scott Brace and Adam Winwood both shot 1-under 71.
April 14, 2009-Cougars One Step Closer To Conference Title
Mesa, AZ -- This weeks the Men’s golf team was in action at the Mesa Invitational at Longbow Golf Course where they wrapped up another impressive victory, beating the host school Mesa Community College by 12 strokes Tuesday afternoon.
After the opening round on Monday the Cougars shot an impressive 285, 1-over par to end day one with an 8 shot lead over Scottsdale Community College and 15-over Mesa Community College. Leading the way for the Cougars was Sophomore Scott Brace who carded a 4-under 67 to lead all players. In addition, Sophomore’s Rob Murray and Chace Nathe fired strong rounds of even par 71, and Freshman Trent Ka’ahanui and Sophomore Adam Winwood rounded out the team score with a round of 76.
On the final day Longbow Golf Course and Mother Nature teamed together to create very hard scoring conditions. The Cougars would shoot a team score of 303, 19-over par, however increase their team lead and claim the team championship by 12-shots over runner-up Mesa Community College who shot 300, 16-over par on the final day.
The Cougars would end up with 3 of their players finishing in the top 5 in the field with Rob Murray shooting 74 to finish in a T2 at 3-over par 145, and Scott Brace and Chace Nathe finishing in a T5 at 5-over 147. In addition, Trent Ka’ahanui finished in 8th Place at 150 and Adam Winwood in a T14th place at 155.
The Cougars will be back in action next week at the final ACCAC Conference Tournament of the year at the Chandler-Gilbert Invitational at Toka Sticks GC in Mesa, Arizona.
Mar 31, 2009-Cougars Erase 7-Stroke Deficit to Win Phoenix Invitational
Phoenix, AZ – Encanto Golf Course served as the site for this weeks ACCAC Conference tournament hosted by Phoenix College where the 10 junior colleges from around Arizona met up, which included 6 of the top 10 teams in the country according to Golfstat.
The Cougars would have all they wanted in the opening round, facing windy conditions and struggling to find their groove on the golf course. Sophomore Rob Murray didn’t seem too bothered by the conditions as he fired an opening round 67, 3-under par to end the day as the first round leader, sophomores Scott Brace and Chace Nathe shot 72, and sophomore Adam Winwood carded a 73 leaving the Cougars at 4-over 284 which left the Cougars at the end of the day in 3rd place, 7-shots back of conference foe Mesa Community College and 2-shots back of Gateway Community College.
The final round on Tuesday had a completely different feel from the opening round as the Cougars knew they had their backs against the wall with MCC 7 strokes ahead and a chance to move in solo 1st place in the conference standings with only 2 conference tournaments left. However, this Cougar team has had experience coming from behind with 4 of the sophomores being on last years team that erased a 10-shot deficit to win the Paradise Valley Invitational. “I told the team that we needed all 6 players to show up strong today if we had a chance at beating Mesa, knowing that they were playing some great golf” said Coach Harrington. More
Mar 21, 2009-Winwood Takes 2nd Place at 8th Annual Spring Fling in Alabama
Scottsboro, AL – The Men’s Cougar golf team traveled to Scottsboro, Alabama to take place in the 8th Annual Spring Fling, the site of this year’s national championships to take place May 19-22, 2009.
The first round the Cougars shot 2-over, 288 to end the first day 2-shots behind first round leaders Meridian CC, a NJCAA Division I school. Leading the charge for the Cougars was Sophomore Adam Winwood who posted a 5-under, 66 to lead all 123 participants in the field. The Cougars also posted 3 rounds of 74 from Trent Ka’ahanui, Scott Brace, and Rob Murray. Jeff Eggen finished with a round of 75.
The second round the Cougars struggled in some windy conditions shooting 12-over, 296 but ended up staying in 2nd place and pulled within 1 shot of the lead with Meridian posting a 13-over, 297. However, with such a strong field Darton College, who won the National Championship 3 years in a row at Goose Pond Colony pulled into a tie with SMCC and defending National Champions Tyler Community College now was only 1-shot back of SMCC. Trent Ka’ahanui fired a 71, Scott Brace another 74, Adam Winwood 75, and Rob Murray 76. More
Mar 21, 2009-Cougars Finish 4th at Glendale Invitational
Phoenix, AZ – The Cougars have all 11 players in action this week while 5 players battle at Goose Pond Colony for the National Preview in Scottsboro, Alabama the other 6 battled it out at Palm Valley GC for the Glendale Invitational.
The first day of action at Palm Valley found the Cougars for the first time in conference this year trailing the 1st round leaders Chandler Gilbert Community College by 7-shots. The Cougars opened with an 8-over 296 lead by Sophomore Chace Nathe who fired an even par 72, Freshman Branden Barron 2-over 74, Freshman Scott Spiewak and Anthony Depalma shooting 3-over 75, Sophomore Ryan Busbee shooting 78, and Freshman Travis Graves shooting 79. More
Mar 3, 2009-
Brace and Cougars Win Convincingly at South Mountain Invitational
Phoenix, AZ – The South Mountain Community College men’s golf team wrapped up their second conference tournament of the spring on Tuesday with a team score of 280, 4- under for the day and a first place finish at the South Mountain Invitational hosted at The Legacy Golf Resort.
The Cougars 4-under team score on Tuesday was the best team score of the day by 9 shots and helped the Cougars cruise to victory as they lengthened their lead and won the tournament with a team total 554, 14-under par total and 22 shots clear of runner-up Mesa Community College 576 and 23 shots clear of Scottsdale Community College 577.
South Mountain sophomore Scott Brace received medalist honors by firing rounds of 64-69 for a 9-under par total of 133 with sophomore teammate Rob Murray finishing in 2nd Place with rounds of 68-70, 4-under par total of 138.
Freshman Trent Ka’ahanui finished tied for 4th Place after carding rounds of 70-70, 2-under par total of 140 and sophomore Adam Winwood finished tied for 8th Place with rounds of 72-71,1-over par total of 143.
Freshman Branden Barron competed in his first tournament of the year after struggling with knee problems early in the season and finished the tournament in the top 20 after firing rounds of 77-71, 6-over par and Anthony Depalma rounded out the rest of the Cougar golfers with rounds of 76-75, 9-over par.
The Cougars will be back in action the week of March 16th with the team playing with a split squad at the National Preview in Scottsboro, Alabama and at the Glendale Community College Invitational in Phoenix, Arizona.
Mar 2, 2009-Men's Golf Update
Brace’s 64 Leads Cougars to 12-Shot Lead
Phoenix, AZ – The Legacy Golf Resort is the site for this week’s South Mountain Invitational where the Cougars have started off another conference tournament red hot and with something to prove by shooting a team total 274, 10-under par which gives the Cougars a 12 shot lead over Scottsdale Community College 286, 2-over par and 13 shots ahead of Mesa Community College 287, 3-over par.
Sophomore Scott Brace fired an opening round 64 (-7), just one shot off the course record and leading all individuals ahead of sophomore teammate and best friend Rob Murray who shot 68 (-3) and is T2 with Andrew Augustyniak of Mesa Community College. Freshman Trent Ka’ahanui continued his steady play for the Cougars by opening with a round of 70 (-1) which has him T4, sophomore Adam Winwood shot 72 (+1), freshman Anthony Depalma 76 (+5), and freshman Branden Barron 77 (+6).
The final round of the South Mountain Invitational will begin tomorrow at 10:44am with the SMCC Cougar golfers beginning play at 12:15pm.
Feb 16, 2009-Men's Golf Tournament
By Jim Richards
The No.1-ranked SMCC men's golf team returned to the scene of the crime this week and came away with a much better taste in their mouths than the last time they left Nogales' Rio Rico Resort and Country Club.
Led by individual medalist Trent Ka'ahanui's 69-75--149, the Cougars captured the first ACCAC invitational of the year--the Pima CC Invitational--by 13 strokes over second place Scottsdale.
For the Cougars, the victory cleared a big, early-season mental hurdle. The course was the same in which SMCC faltered at last season's NJCAA Region I Div.II Golf Tournament, where they finished in third place, cutting short an outstanding year.
Only the top two teams went on to the NJCAA national tournament. More
Feb 15, 2009-Pima Invitational
Cougars run out to an early 10-shot lead
Rio Rico, Arizona --- In the opening round of the 2009 ACCAC Conference play, the Cougar Men’s golf team has run out to an early 10-shot lead over Phoenix College and the rest of the field. After the day started off with an hour frost delay it seemed like it could be a long day, however, the Cougars wasted no time at all as they recorded a team total of 283 5-under par, led by Freshman Trent Ka’ahanui shooting 69 and Sophomore’s Adam Winwood and Scott Brace, firing 69 and 71 respectively.
The final round is set to begin play tomorrow morning at 8am, with South Mountain Community College teeing off in the last waive of play beginning at 9:37am. More
Oct 24, 2008-Men’s Golf Team Finishes 1st at Miss Gulf Coast Invitational
Gulfport, MS – The Men’s Golf Team traveled to Gulfport, Mississippi this past weekend to take part in the 54-hole, Mississippi Gulf Coast Fall Invitational at Windance Country Club. The 4 days before the tournament, Windance Country Club hosted the Adams Golf Tour Championship and was in great shape with tight tree lined fairways and undulated greens protecting the 6,700-yard course.
According to Golfstat, the SMCC Cougars entered the tournament ranked #1 in the nation and were accompanied by 8 other Division I and II NJCAA schools ranked in the top 16 in the country, including:
- #4 Darton College (II),
- #7 John A. Logan (II),
- #10 Rend Lake (II),
- #12 Miss Gulf Coast,
- #13 Meridian CC (II),
- #4 Central Alabama CC (I),
- #10 Wallace (I), and
- #16 Faulkner State (I).
Adam Winwood and Scott Brace helped the Cougars run out to a 1-shot lead over Central Alabama CC and 7-shots ahead of Darton at the end of 36 holes and the first day of competition. Both players fired even par rounds of 72 -72 -144 and sat in 3rd place individually after day 1. In addition, Trent Ka’ahanui added rounds of 71-78- 149 and Chace Nathe fired opening day rounds of 77-73-150 leaving the Cougars at 11-over par.
The final day of competition found South Mountain and Central Alabama going back and forth all day, as both teams struggled to try and separate themselves from one another. In the final round, South Mountain rode the coat tails of Sophomore’s Adam Winwood and Robert Murray who both fired final rounds of 73, Nathe 75, and Brace 78 which was good enough to hold on to a 1-shot victory over Central Alabama and lengthened their lead on Darton to 9-shots, which was the next closest team in the 16 team field.
September 21, 2008-
Sophomore Scott Brace Leads Cougars at the High Country Shootout
Ruidoso, NM - The South Mountain Community College Men’s Golf Team started off their 2008-2009 Season with steady play in the High Country Shootout, which was held at the Links at Sierra Blanca. After the first round of play on Sunday, SMCC found themselves in 1st place with a team score of 12-under 276 closely followed by Western Texas College, Odessa, and defending National Champions Midland College. Sophomores Scott Brace and Adam Winwood led the way for the Cougars with scores of 65 and 69 respectively. Freshmen Trent Ka’ahanui shot 2-under 70 and Anthony Depalma played steady at 72.
The second round Sunday had a little different feel for the Cougars posting a 1-under total 287, leaving them at 13-under for the day, however, trailing Midland, Odessa, and Western Texas College. Brace and Winwood continued their solid play shooting 2-under 70 leaving them at 9-under and 5-under respectively. Depalma continued to play well with a round of 72 leaving him at even par at the end of the day with Travis Graves posting 3-over 75 and Ka’ahanui 76.
The Final 18 holes on Monday started with the Cougars bunched up at the top only 5-shots back of the lead but in 4th place. The morning started off cold and with the team struggling to get the ball in the hole making the turn at 2-over par on the day. However, the team would battle back on the backside lead by Brace and Ka’ahanui. Ka’ahanui was dialed in with great iron play making the turn at 1-under and picking up 2 more at #13 and #16 leaving him at the end of the day with a round of 69. Brace kept firing away on the field turning the front nine at 3-under and then picked up birdies at #13 and #15 coming in, to put him at 5-under 67 on the day. Winwood finished at 3-over 75, and Graves 4-over 76.
The Cougars finished the High Country Shootout in 4th Place behind Western Texas, Midland, and Odessa College. Brace finished the tournament in T2nd Place at 14-under 202, followed by Winwood (T16) at 2-under 214, Ka’ahanui (T19) at 1-under 215, Depalma (T43)10-over 226, and Graves (T50)14-over 230. Representing South Mountain Community College and playing individually in the tournament was Robert Murray, a red-shirt from the 2007-08 season, played his first college tournament shooting 75-75-76 leaving him (T43) at 10-over 226.
September 13, 2008-Brace Storms Back and Finishes Tied With Barron 1 Shot Back of Low Amateur Title
Carefree, AZ –Saturday proved to be an exciting day at the Apache Course with Sophomore Scott Brace making waves by storming back from his T60 position and passing half the field with a great round of 5-under 67 leaving him at 4-under for the tournament. When asked about his round Brace said “I saw Coach (Harrington) at the turn and I told him I was 1-under on the day and he told me to keep plugging away and get a couple more back. “ Brace apparently took the challenge to heart and birdied his next 3 holes, made a couple pars and found one more birdie coming in to shoot 4-under on the back and 5-under 67 on the day, leaving him at 4-under 212 for the tournament.
Freshman BrandenBarron continued his solid play on Saturday, making the turn at 2-under and then coasting in with 9 straight pars on his back-nine topped off by a disappointing 3 putt par on his 18th hole to finish tied with Brace at 4-under 212 for the tournament and one shot back of the prestigious low amateur title. Sophomore Adam Winwood was the other Cougar golfer to make the cut. Winwood played a consistent roundbattling back from a disappointing 2-over front nine to shoot 1-under on the back nine putting him at 1-over 73 the final day and Even par 216 for the tournament.
Catching up with Coach Harrington after the final round Saturday he said “ I am very proud of all three of these guys for battling it out and making the cut this week. Each of them can take a great deal of confidence away from this event and use it as another building block in their golfing careers and prepare them for the upcoming college season.”
September 12, 2008-3 Cougar Golfers Make the Cut
Carefree, AZ - - After 2 days of play, Desert Mountain’s Apache Course is proving to be a course that is out there for the taking, however, if you get out of your game plan for one shot you can get penalized in a hurry. Fortunately for three Cougar golfers they are playing good enough golf to be hanging around with the pros on the weekend. Barron continues to lead the way for the Cougars following up his 3-under 69 with a 1-over 73 leaving him well below the 1-over cut line. Following closely behind him is Adam Winwood, who has fired rounds of 1-over 73 the first day and 2-under 70 the second day to leave him at 1-under and 1 shot clear of the cut. Last but not least is Scott Brace, who last year was one of only 2 amateurs to make the cut in the Arizona Open, Brace followed up his up and down 2-over 74 with a solid 1-under 71 to leave him at 1-over just squeezing into the weekend, right on the cutline of 1-over.
All 3 golfers will be teeing off in the final round tomorrow morning joined by 7 other amateurs who made the cut by placing in the top 60 and ties.
September 11, 2008-Barron Leads The Way For Cougars At The Arizona Open
Carefree, AZ – South Mountain Freshman Branden Barron plays solid in the first round at the Arizona Open to lead the way for not only the Cougar golfers in the tournament but is tied for low amateur in the Open after round 1. Barron found his touch with the wedge in his hand as he chipped in 3 times from around the green during his afternoon round. Not far behind Barron are Sophomore Adam Winwood firing a 73, Freshman Anthony Depalma at 73, and Scott Brace at 74.
Other Cougar golfers battling to make the cut after Friday’s 2nd round will be Sophomore Chace Nathe who shot 78 and Freshman Travis Graves who equaled Nathe at 78. Results for the 2008 AT&T Arizona Open can be found on www.southwest.pga.com under the tournaments tab.
August 22, 2008-8 SMCC Cougar Golfers Qualify For the Arizona Open
Phoenix, AZ – Every year some of the best amateurs in the state try to compete with the professionals at The Arizona Open, which is a professional golf tournament being hosted this year on September 11-13, 2008 at Desert Mountain’s Apache Course in Scottsdale, AZ. Last year South Mountain Community College’s Scott Brace was one of only 2 Amateurs to make the cut.
This year Brace looks to once again make the cut but could have some teammates pushing him as well. Not only did sophomore Scott Brace (London, England) make it thru qualifying this year, which was held at Vistal GC, but so did 7 other teammates including sophomore Chace Nathe (Grand Junction, Co), sophomore Adam Winwood (London, England), sophomore Rob Murray (London, England), sophomore Ryan Busbee (Prescott, AZ), freshman Branden Barron (Centennial, CO), freshman Anthony Depalma (Grand Junction, CO), and freshman Travis Graves (Tucson, AZ).
Mar 21, 2008-Cougars Get Edged Out at Gateway Invitational
Phoenix, Arizona—After a promising first round lead, the Cougar men’s golf team comes back with a strong second day performance, matching their 2-under team total from day 1, leaving them 4-under for the tournament. However, Mesa CC and Scottsdale CC had the hot sticks on day 2 posting 9-under and 8-under respectively to edge out the Cougars. Sophomore Nic Banfield carded 69 the final day to lead South Mountain. Adam Winwood continued to ride his newly found confidence to a 2-under par final round 70, birdying 2 of his final 3 holes, which was good enough to put him in 2nd place individually at 5-under par for the tournament.
Other notable Cougars were Scott Brace 72-72-144, Nic Banfield 77-69-146, Keenan Holt 72-75-147, and Chace Nathe 73-75-148.
Mar 24, 2008-Cougars Lead After 1st Round
Phoenix, Arizona--The Cougars run out to 1st round lead at the Gateway Invitational at Papago Golf Course by posting a 2-under 286 putting them 1-shot ahead of Scottsdale CC and 2-shots ahead of Mesa CC. Leading the way for SMCC is Freshman Adam Winwood carding an opening round 69 in his first college tournament. The Cougars played consistent all around with Scott Brace and Keenan Holt shooting even par 72, and Chace Nathe carding a 1-0ver 73.
For previous stories, go to Sports News!