9.14.2011

FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood University opened its 2011 men's golf campaign at the Springhill Suites Intercollegiate September 12-13 hosted by Francis Marion University.  The Lancers finished 12th among 15 teams at the 54-hole tournament, posting 299-289-294--882 at the Country Club of South Carolina in Florence, South Carolina.  Fifteenth-year head coach Kevin Fillman will take his program to the Bucknell Invitational this weekend, Sept. 16-17, a 54-hole event at the Bucknell Golf Club in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

A Look Back At The Springhill Suites Intercollegiate
Longwood was led by senior Ross Sumner|Callao (Northumberland) with his two-under par total of 76-69-69--214 at the 7,062-yard, par 72 layout that tied for eighth in the field of 80.  Sumner posted the fifth-lowest score of the final round (69) and was followed closely by classmates Kenny Leech|Boca Raton (Grandview Prep) (74-73-74--221, t-37th) and Austin Gray|Midlothian (Monacan) (71-75-76--222, t-44th), along with freshman Blake Carter|Bassett (Bassett) (78-72-75--225, t-60th) and sophomore Dylan Jensen|Martinsville (Carlisle) (78-75-78--231, t-72nd).  Carter was playing in his first collegiate tournament.  Furman University won the event with its 856 (288-283-285), and Paladin Matthew Broome took individual medalist honors at eight-under par 68-69-71--208.

Head Coach Kevin Fillman
“We're obviously disappointed with how we played at Francis Marion.  We started Monday morning pretty badly (12 over the first 28 holes counted), and when you dig a hole like that it's difficult to dig back out.  Although we were far from where we want to be, we kind of settled down and played more the way we're capable of over the final two-and-a-half rounds.  As I told the guys, I was very proud of the way we battled.  It could have snowballed into a really bad situation.  Ross was great after a rough start.  He played five-under with just one bogey over his final 38 holes.  That's pretty impressive on a golf course rated at 75.  The Bermuda putting surfaces killed us.  We just didn't make a lot.  Of the four teams (Longwood, seventh-place Radford, 13th-place Appalachian State and 14th-place Western Carolina) that aren't used to that grain, the results show that three of us really struggled.  I'm sure our guys won't be upset about not seeing another Bermuda green until the spring.

“I know two things about going to Bucknell right away.  First, it will be nice to putt on greens with the kind of grass we're used to putting on.  Secondly, it will be an advantage to be the Southern-most team in the field instead of the Northern-most one.  We'll need to have a short memory.  We'll be ready to play.”

A Look At The Bucknell Invitational
The two-day, 54-hole tournament will include 36 holes on Friday and 18 holes on Saturday.  The Bucknell Golf Club is an approximate 6,400-yard, par 70 layout, though it may seem longer this weekend due to all of the recent rain in East-Central Pennsylvania.  In addition to two Bucknell teams, the rest of the field is expected to consist of Army, Canisius, Colgate, Fordham, Hampton, Lafayette, Laval, Lehigh, Longwood, Messiah, Navy, and Ottawa.  The Lancers will take Ross Sumner, Kenny Leech, Austin Gray, and Dylan Jensen who each competed in South Carolina, along with freshman Jason Schumacher|Glen Allen (Deep Run) who will make his collegiate debut.

Summer Successes
Kenny Leech tied for seventh at the Oglethorpe Invitational (68-71-73--212).  He was an alternate at the U.S. Amateur Qualifier (74-69--143) as well.  Ross Sumner tied for 32nd at the SunTrust State Open of Virginia (73-77-73-71--294).  He, along with Austin Gray, Blake Carter, and Jason Schumacher each qualified for the Virginia Amateur.  Gray also finished ninth at the USGA Club Championship (71-72--143).  Carter finished as a semifinalist at the 21st Virginia State Golf Association (VSGA) Junior Match Play Championship after qualifying for match play with his rounds of 72-71--143. Schumacher tied for fifth at the Virginia Junior (71-71-76--218), and tied for sixth at the USGA Club Championship (71-71--142).  Dylan Jensen competed at the Eastern Amateur (73-68-71-73--285), and Fox placed ninth at the Oahu Invitational (72-78-71--221).

Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Academic Awards
Longwood was a recipient of the 2011 All-Academic Team Award by the GCAA. The Lancers were one of 59 Division I teams recognized for their team grade point average (GPA) above 3.0 this past academic year, posting an impressive 3.34 GPA. DePaul University (3.66) took the top GCAA Division I honor, while only five other DI programs attained a 3.5 or better team GPA for the past year. Longwood is one of just 20 Division I programs to garner this academic distinction for all three years of the award.  Individually, Gray and recent graduate Michael Young were named Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars for NCAA Division I by the GCAA. Gray and Young were among only 138 Division I golfers nationwide to achieve this prestigious academic honor for 2010-11.

Up Next
Longwood will participate in the William and Mary Invitational, a 54-hole tournament at the Colonial Heritage Golf Club on October 4-5 in Williamsburg.