RAMS FINISH 3rd AT PINE NEEDLES
February 28, 2006

SOUTHERN PINES, NC:  The Texas Wesleyan University men’s golf team kicked off its spring season with a 3rd place finish in the Pfeiffer University Invitational at Pine Needles.

Methodist College took the team title with a combined score of 599.  Texas Wesleyan sat in sixth place after shooting 309 in the first round, but the Rams shot the low team round of the tournament (294) on Tuesday to move into third place just four strokes out of the championship.

Texas Wesleyan’s Justin Smith, who was playing as an individual, finished in a three-way tie for medalist.  Smith shot a combined 147 (76, 71) and was tied with Berry College’s John Maupin and Greensboro College’s Rocky Manning.  Manning took the tournament championship after winning a playoff on the first hole with a birdie on the par five hole number one.

Reino Deetlefs led the charging Rams on Tuesday, by shooting the low round of the tournament (69) and finishing with a combined 150.  Dan Hahn also shot 150 and Lance Vasquez led the team with a card of 149.  Mitch Hendon shot 154 and Will Woording shot 164 to round out the Rams’ scores.

Head coach Kevin Millikan was pleased with his team’s performance in their first tournament of the spring.  “I am extremely proud of Justin [Smith].  He was in a tough situation playing as an individual, but obviously he played a great tournament.”  Millikan went on to comment, “We were just a couple of mental errors from winning, but we played pretty well for our first tournament.

Texas Wesleyan will return to action at the UST Texas Intercollegiate Tournament held at Hawks Creek, March 20-21.

Player               Score

T-1 Justin Smith*    76, 71, 147

Lance Vasquez        72, 77, 149

Dan Hahn             75, 75, 150

Reino Deetlefs       81, 69, 150

Mitch Hendon         81, 73, 154

Will Woodring        85, 79, 164

Team                 309, 294, 603

* - Played as an individual.