Senators finish 11th at Chick-fil-A Collegiate

ROME, Ga. — The Walters State golf team struggled in the final round of the Chick-fil-A Collegiate Invitational Tuesday afternoon, firing a team core of 313 to finish the 36-hole event in a tie for 11th place at Stonebridge Golf Club.

The Senators, who shot an opening round 304 Monday afternoon to sit in ninth place entering the final day, ended the tournament with a team score of 41-over par 617, putting them 42 shots behind tournament champion Central Alabama.

Central Alabama shot 1-over par 289 on the day to end the tournament at 1-under par 575, winning the tournament by 10 shots over Berry (585). Oglethorpe was third at 596, followed by LaGrange (600), Emory (600), Berry B (601), Maryville (604), Birmingham Southern (606), Huntingdon (608) and Covenant (612) in the top 10.

Walters State and Piedmont tied for 11th at 617, followed by Shorter (623), Augsburg (624), Sewanee (626), York (627), Milsaps (644), Belhaven (651) and Cleveland State (693) in the 19-team field.

Andrew Linkous paced the Senators with a two-day total of 5-over par 149 (73-76), while Alex Hodge was tied for 39th at 10-over par 154 (79-75). Elliott Smith tied for 51st place at 12-over par 156 (73-83), while Hunter Blanken was tied for 65th at 16-over par 160 (80-80) and Stephen Owen tied for 71st at 17-over par 161 (79-82).

Central Alabama's Reed Love fired a final round 68 to win the tournament with a two-day score of 5-under par 139, besting teammate Noah Dennis (67-74–141), who had led after the opening round.

The Senators will resume their season in the spring. The spring schedule has yet to be announced. Walters State had finishes second at the Bob Dibble Classic in Greeneville, third in the Piedmont Fall Invitational in Georgia and first place in the Walters State Fall Classic this fall.