Men’s Golf Looks to Step Forward at N.C. State

Monday, October 2

Raleigh, N.C.

Chattanooga

Wolfpack Fall Invitational - Day 1

Men’s Golf Looks to Step Forward at N.C. State Image

Junior Etienne Brault.

Photo by: GoMocs.com

9/30/2017 3:10:00 PM | Men's Golf

Etienne Brault and the Chattanooga Mocs have a quick turnaround opening the week at the N.C. State Wolfpack Intercollegiate.

SCORING | PAIRINGS | STATS/NOTES

CHATTANOOGA---The Chattanooga Mocs men's golf team has only scratched the surface. Strong rounds on two fantastic golf courses – The Farm & Shoal Creek Club – whet the appetite of Coach Mark Guhne and his charges.

The Mocs matched the best final round in school history at the Carpet Capital Collegiate (288) and then opened with a good start at Shoal Creek. Uneven rounds starting the former and finishing the latter look like wrinkles to be ironed out this week.

Chattanooga begins play at the Wolfpack Intercollegiate Monday on Lonnie Poole Golf Club in Raleigh. It starts with 36 holes on day one followed by a final 18 on Tuesday.

It's the third event and third different starting lineup for Guhne. Luke Long, Lake Johnson and Will Porter are making their third starts, while Etienne Brault returns to the tee after his first last week at Shoal Creek. Freshman Connor Nolan makes his team debut with Phillip Hickam playing as an individual.

Links to live scoring and pairings are available above along with stats and notes. Here's a look at the lineup along with a few extra tidbits for the weekend.

LINEUP
Luke Long (So., 72.33), Will Porter (So., 75.00), Etienne Brault (Jr., 75.00), Connor Nolan (Fr., 75.33) & Lake Johnson (Jr., 76.17). Individual: Phillip Hickam (Sr., 74.17).

3 NOTES TO KNOW

It was a hotly-contested battle for lineup spots. Long and Johnson were exempt so seven players competed for three spots with the fourth-place finisher taking the individual slot. Thirty-six holes at Bear Trace and Black Creek weren't enough. Brault, Nolan, Porter and Hickam entered a four-for-three-spots playoff with Andrew Weathers missing by a single shot. Brault took a spot early, but it took six holes to settle the lineup with a Hickam bogey breaking the tie with Porter and Nolan.
Long has ended with a 217 total in each of the first two events. He has a 71.00 scoring average over his last five cards.
The Mocs have nine individual par or better 18s this season through two events. Those have come from six different performers: Long 3, Porter 2, Hickam, Nolan, Johnson & Brault.

QUOTABLE
Guhne on third different starting lineup:
"Our depth is a definite strength. I would be confident taking Weathers, A.J. Lintunen or Oliver Simonsen too. Any one of our nine are capable of competing at a high level. Getting into the lineup through qualifying may be harder than playing in the actual event. That's what you want as a coach."

Guhne on possible step forward:
"We're close. I think we're very close. We're missing that low round. We have several guys who can take it deep, but we haven't yet. When this group clicks, look out."

When will there be a 'regular' 5:
"I'm not sure there will be. That's a product of the depth we talked about. There's comfort in coaching when you know who the five will be every week. There's excitement in knowing any nine on your roster can get in your top 5 and perform. Once they get in, it's up to them to stay. You never leave home someone who played at a high level (the tournament before)."

FIELD
Chattanooga, Campbell, East Carolina, Francis Marion, George Washington, High Point, James Madison, Loyola (Md.), Maryland, North Carolina, UNCG, N.C. State, USC Upstate, Wofford

COURSE
Lonnie Poole Golf Club – Par 72 – 7,358 Yards

DATES/TEE TIMES (EDT) – ADMISSION IS FREE
Monday, Oct. 2 – TBA (Shotgun Start)
Tuesday, Oct. 3 – TBA

Live scoring and pairing links are at atop this story when available.

HISTORY
Two previous visits to N.C. State's Lonnie Poole facility, both during 2015-16 season. Johnson has a 75.0 average in five rounds there.

2015 Fall: T7th of 16, 292-294=586 | Wes Gosselin: T5, 71-71=142
2016 Spring: 7th of , 294-294-290=878 | Wes Gosselin, T13, 71-71-74=216

DEFENDING CHAMPS
Team: East Carolina, 271-279-287=837 (-15) – Course played as Par 71 last year
Medalist: Timothy Conover, ECU, 67-67-67=201 (-12)

TEAM LEADERS
Scoring Average: Luke Long: 72.33
Par 3: Long, 3.00
Par 4: Long, 4.10
Par 5: Etienne Brault, 4.50
Eagles/18: Long/Phillip Hickam, 0.17
Birdies/18: Brault, 3.67
Pars/18: Hickam, 12.17

GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter. Find out how to join the UTC Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here.

ABOUT CHATTANOOGA GOLF
The Chattanooga Mocs golf program has won six Southern Conference Championships (1987, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013) since joining the league in 1977-78. The Mocs have twice been ranked No. 1 in the nation during the falls of 2008 and 2009. It boasts:
- 4 NCAA Championships Appearances: 1993 (Individual-Neil Connolly), 2009, 2012, 2014 (Individual-Chris Robb).
- 3 All-Americans: Jonathan Hodge (2008), Stephan Jaeger (2012) and Chris Robb (2014).
- 1 NCAA Regionals Team Title: 2012 Bowling Green.
- 1 NCAA Regionals Medalist: Stephan Jaeger (2012 Bowling Green).
- 8 NCAA Regionals Team Appearances: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
- 3 NCAA Regionals Individual Appearances: Neil Connolly (1992, 1993) and Wes Gosselin (2016).
- 2 Top 25 season-ending rankings: 2008 (12) and 2009 (25).
- 1 PGA TOUR Member: Stephan Jaeger (2018).
- 1 United States Amateur Champion: Steven Fox (2012).
- 1 Scottish Amateur Champion: Chris Robb (2014).
- 8 Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars: Derek Rende (2009, 2010), Jaeger (2011, 2012), Gosselin (2016, 2017), Phillip Hickam (2017) and Stuart Thomas (2017).
- 2 SoCon Champions: Donnie Green (1978) and Jaeger (2012).