Winthrop Wins 2024 Big South Men's Golf Championship
FRIPP ISLAND, S.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – One day after finishing second in the stroke play portion of the Big South Men's Golf Championship,
Winthrop won the conference’s match play title Sunday with a 3-1 victory over
Gardner-Webb to earn the program’s first-ever Big South men’s golf crown and the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals. In addition, Winthrop’s
Kevin Pendley becomes the first former Big South individual champion (1997 & 1998) to win a team championship as a head coach.
The Eagles endured two weather delays that lasted 96 minutes during the afternoon final. After play resumed at 5:38pm following the second stoppage for lightning, Logan Lutz secured the first point with a 4&3 win over Jack Boyer in the second match to put Winthrop ahead, 1-0. The Eagles extended their lead to 2-0 on Austin Mosher’s 5&4 victory in match four over Bradley Davis Jr. Gardner-Webb earned the next point when Max White won in 19 holes over Mason Tucker in match one, but Winthrop’s Ashton Eubanks clinched the deciding point with a 2&1 triumph over Jules Bondil in match three.
In the morning Semifinals, Winthrop defeated No. 3 seed Radford, 3-1, as Tucker (6&5 in match one), Eubanks (3&2 in match three) and Lutz (2&1 in match two) accounted for the Eagles’ points. Bryce Corbett earned the Highlanders’ lone point with a 6&4 victory against Mosher in the fourth match -- which included a hole-in-one on the 151-yard par-3 No. 12 hole.
Gardner-Webb reached its third Big South Match Play final since 2019 after defeating No. 1 seed High Point, 3-1. After the Panthers tied the match at 1-1, Boyer defeated Charlie Barr, 5&3, in match four, and Davis finished 1UP against Big South Medalist Fred Roberts IV in the third match to send GWU to the final.
Match Play Results - Finals
#2 Winthrop vs. #4 Gardner-Webb (Winthrop wins, 3-1)
Order of finish:
M2: Logan Lutz (WU) defeats Jack Boyer (GWU), 4&3 (WU leads 1-0)
M4: Austin Mosher (WU) defeats Bradley Davis Jr. (GWU), 5&4 (WU leads 2-0)
M1: Max White (GWU) defeats Mason Tucker (WU), 19 Holes (WU leads 2-1)
M3: Ashton Eubanks (WU) defeats Jules Bondil (GWU), 2&1 (WU wins 3-1)
M5: Nick Mayfield (WU) leading Carter Rains (GWU) 2UP thru 15; unfinished
Match Play Results - Semifinals
#1 High Point vs #4 Gardner-Webb (Gardner-Webb wins, 3-1)
Order of finish:
M1: Max White (GWU) defeats Miller Carr (HPU), 5&4 (GWU leads 1-0)
M2: Grady Newton (HPU) defeats Jules Bondil (GWU), 5&4 (match tied 1-1)
M4: Jack Boyer (GWU) defeats Charlie Barr (HPU), 5&3 (GWU leads 2-1)
M3: Bradley Davis Jr. (GWU) defeats Fred Roberts IV (HPU), 1UP (GWU wins 3-1)
M5: Gregor Meyer (HPU) vs. Carter Rains (GWU), All Squared through 15 holes; unfinished
#2 Winthrop vs. #3 Radford (Winthrop wins, 3-1)
Order of finish:
M1: Mason Tucker (WU) defeats Patrick Gareiss (RAD), 6&5 (WU leads 1-0)
M4: Bryce Corbett (RAD) defeats Austin Mosher (WU), 5&4 (match tied 1-1)
M3: Ashton Eubanks (WU) defeats Nathan Piatt (RAD), 3&2 (WU leads 2-1)
M2: Logan Lutz (WU) defeats Bobby Dudeck (RAD), 2&1 (WU wins 3-1)
M5: Nick Taliaferro (RAD) leading Nick Mayfield (WU), 3UP with four to play; unfinished