Youngest team in the NCAA postseason?
Not a problem at all for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s golf team.
Seeded 11th going into the region, the Mocs fought their way through a loaded field to finish third, qualifying for the NCAA championships after finishing the two-day, three-round event at 23-under par, placing behind fourth-ranked Texas (45-under par) and 27th-ranked Texas A&M (40-under par) in Bryan, Texas.
UTC also finished ahead of ninth-ranked North Carolina and 16th-ranked Tennessee, the last of the five teams to qualify for the NCAA Championships at La Costa Spa and Resort in Carlsbad, California, from May 28-June 2. It will be UTC’s fourth trip to the finals.
(READ MORE: Mocs ready to compete in NCAA golf regionals this week)
The second day featured 36 holes of golf, with UTC shooting 276 and 279, respectively, on the day.
“Going into it, we knew it was going to be a long day,” UTC golf coach Blaine Woodruff said. “Thirty-six hole days are long enough as it is, but then you add the pressure of regionals onto that, but this team is the grittiest team I’ve ever had.
“I felt like it was almost an advantage for us. Just the longer we can be out here, the better, and let the other teams kind of falter. Really proud of them. They came out confident and free, which we didn’t do most of the year, but they’ve just grown and grown and they continue to surprise and impress me.
“We just kind of rode it from there.”
(SIGN UP: Get the daily sports newsletter in your email box by clicking here)
Freshman Evan Rogers shot rounds of 65 and a 67 Tuesday to finish tied for fourth overall with a three-round total of 204. Wade Harris was 17th with a 212, Camden Braidech 21st with a 213, Griffin Law 34th with an even-par 216 and Ethan Whitaker three-over at a 219.
The Mocs sport a lineup of a junior, two sophomores and two freshmen.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.