University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship
Vols Third After First Round of Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship
February 20, 2005 | Men's Golf
Feb. 20, 2005
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Led by junior Lloyd Campbell's 1-under-par 71, the 24th-ranked Tennessee men's golf team stands third at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship with a score of 291. The tournament is being played at Sawgrass Golf and Country Club (par 72, 6,949 yards).
Campbell opened play on the back nine with four consecutive pars. Following a bogey on 14 he responded with four more pars to make the turn at 1-over-par. The final nine saw him continue his string of pars with three more before a birdie on four and a bogey on five. From there he would record back-to-back birdies on holes seven and eight to end the round at 1-under-par and tied for sixth place.
Senior Ross McGowan and freshman Ben Spickard are next for the Vols in a tie for 13th after recording scores of 72. McGowan struggled to open play with back-to-back bogeys on 11 and 12, but would par the remaining six holes to make the turn at 2-over-par. He recorded his first birdie of the round on hole No. 2, which was followed by a bogey. He would then regroup with two more birdies to end the day at even par.
Spickard, like McGowan, opened with a 2-over-par 38 for the first nine holes due to one birdie on 11 and three bogeys on holes 12, 13 and 16. After a bogey on hole No. 2, he would record three birdies on five, seven and eight to finish with a 72.
Senior David Skinns is in a tie for 50th after carding a 76. After recording a bogey on No. 10 to open play Skinns returned to even-par with a birdie on 14, only to slip on the following hole with a double-bogey to make the turn at 2-over par. The final nine would see him struggle with bogeys on holes two, six and seven, but he improved his score by one with a birdie on eight before closing out the round.
Rounding out the Vol scores is freshman Philip Pettitt in a tie for 78th with an 80. Despite birdies on holes one and 11, Pettitt struggled to get on track for the day, recording two bogeys, a double bogey and two triple bogeys.
Leading the tournament is 25th-ranked South Carolina with a 286. LSU stands second with a 288, followed by the Vols. No. 21 Florida and No. 12 UCLA round out the top teams in a tie for fourth with scores of 292.
There is a five-way tie for first with scores of 70 between John Holmes of Kentucky, Nathan Smith of Duke, Robert Svensson of South Carolina, Ben Taylor of Georgia State and Chris Wells of LSU.
Tournament action continues Monday with the second round of play. A link to live scoring for the tournament is available at www.UTsports.com.
| Place | Team | To Par | Score |
| 1 | South Carolina | -2 | 286 |
| 2 | LSU | E | 288 |
| 3 | Tennessee | +3 | 291 |
| T4 | Florida | +4 | 292 |
| T4 | UCLA | +4 | 292 |
| T6 | Augusta State | +5 | 293 |
| T6 | Kentucky | +5 | 293 |
| T6 | Georgia State | +5 | 293 |
| 9 | Duke | +6 | 294 |
| 10 | Alabama | +9 | 297 |
| 11 | UAB | +11 | 299 |
| 12 | Arkansas | +12 | 300 |
| T13 | North Florida | +13 | 301 |
| T13 | UCF | +13 | 301 |
| 15 | Coastal Carolina | +18 | 306 |
| 16 | Northwestern | +20 | 308 |
| 17 | Florida State | +34 | 322 |
| Place | Individual Leaders | To Par | Score |
| T1 - | John Holmes, Kentucky | -2 | 70 |
| T1 - | Nathan Smith, Duke | -2 | 70 |
| T1 - | Robert Svensson, South Carolina | -2 | 70 |
| T1 - | Ben Taylor, Georgia State | -2 | 70 |
| T1 - | Chris Wells, LSU | -2 | 70 |
| Place | Tennessee Individuals | To Par | Score |
| T6 - | Lloyd Campbell | -1 | 71 |
| T13 - | Ross McGowan | E | 72 |
| T13 - | Ben Spickard | E | 72 |
| T50 - | David Skinns | +4 | 76 |
| T78 - | Philip Pettitt | +8 | 80 |
