RESULTS | ABOUT CHATTANOOGA GOLF
 
PALM CITY, Fla.---The Chattanooga Mocs turned in the day's low round completing the UNCG Martin Downs Collegiate with a 9-under par 279. The Mocs 863 total was six clear of VCU in fifth and 12 ahead of sixth-place Samford.
 
Freshmen Dominic Jones and Leon Bader led a strong team effort. Jones and Bader turned in their finest collegiate cards to date. Jones tallied seven birdies in shooting 5-under par 67. It was the sixth time this year a Moc recorded seven or more over 18 holes and the 67 ties for the seventh-best score.
 
While Jones became the fifth different Chattanooga golfer to shoot 67 or better this season, Bader put together a 3-under 69. It marked the fourth time a pair of Mocs shot rounds in the 60s on the same day. It's also the fourth different pair to do it, but the first without Oliver Simonsen attached.
 
Simonsen and Etienne Brault rounded out the counting cards. Brault's 1-under 71 included five birdies. Simonsen's level-par 72 was a bit of a roller coaster. He was even through 10 holes before back-to-back double bogeys on holes 14 and 15 dropped him to 4 over.
 
He drove to 104 yards out on the par 4 16 before holing out with his 54-degree wedge. Simonsen followed that by reaching the par 5 17th in two with driver-9 iron making a 15 footer for consecutive eagles getting back to even. He parred his last four holes for his 72.
 
Connor Nolan had the tough luck drop tally with a 1-over par 73. The individuals included 77s by Moritz Lammel and Lake Johnson, while Will Porter shot 84.
 
Simonsen earned his fourth top 10 in six tournaments tying for ninth at 1-under 215. Bader was one behind him tied for 14th with level-par 216. Nolan tied for 24th at 3 over, while Brault (+5) and Jones (+7) also ended up in the top 40 tying for 33rd and finishing 39th, respectively.
 
Host UNCG claimed the win shooting 850. Mercer was second with 856 just ahead of James Madison (859). Chattanooga and VCU rounded out the top 5. The Spartans' Nick Lyerly was the medalist with 9-under 207.
 
Today's 279 is the second-best total of 2018-19. The Mocs turned in 277 (-7) to open play at the Hummingbird Intercollegiate in October. 9 under is the lowest score vs par this season and the best since 10-under 278 in the second round of the Furman Intercollegiate on March 25, 2017.
 
The 19 birdies on the counting cards matched a season high. Chattanooga also posted 19 over the final 18 winning the Memphis Intercollegiate in September. Forty-one total birdies marks the fourth time in six tournaments with 40 or more and the third event in a row.
 
The Mocs take two weeks off before returning to competition at the Tiger Intercollegiate. Auburn hosts the event Feb. 24-26 (Sun-Tue) at the Grand National Lake Course in Opelika, Ala.
 
LINEUP
Team: 4th of 13 | 294-290-279=863 (-1)
T9) Oliver Simonsen: 74-69-72=215 (-1)
T14) Leon Bader: 71-76-69=216 (E)
T24) Connor Nolan: 76-70-73=219 (+3)
T33) Etienne Brault: 73-77-71=221 (+5)
39) Dominic Jones: 81-75-67=223 (+7)
T49) Moritz Lammel (Ind): 76-74-77=227 (+11)
T53) Lake Johnson (Ind): 79-72-77=228 (+12)
T71) Will Porter (Ind): 78-74-84=236 (+20)
 
3 NOTES TO KNOW

• Connor Nolan's 73 ties for the lowest drop score of the season…previous 73 (+1) dropped was by Oliver Simonsen and Moritz Lammel from the second round of the Autotrader Collegiate on Oct. 15, 2018.
• The four counting cards were par or better…last time that occurred was the second 18 at the 2017 Furman Intercollegiate (278: Wes Gosselin 67, Brooks Thomas 68, Phillip Hickam 71, Etienne Brault/Stuart Thomas 72)…last time there was a par or better card dropped was that day with Brault's and Thomas' 72.
• 10 under on the par 5s today is a season best…turned in 7 under three times…20 under for the tournament is also the top mark this year topping 18 under at the Hummingbird Intercollegiate.

 
TEAM LEADERS
Par 3 (Counting Cards: +6): Leon Bader -1
Par 4 (+13): Oliver Simonsen E
Par 5 (-20): Simonsen/Connor Nolan -6
Eagles (3): Simonsen 3
Birdies (41): Bader/Dominic Jones 11
Pars (132): Moritz Lammel 38
 
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