Whitney, Texas – Senior Andrew Bennett (Bossier City, La.) claimed the individual title at the 2024 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships on Tuesday by firing a 2-under par 70 as he becomes the first Centenary men's golfer in the division III era to win an individual conference title as he finished at 4-under par 212 on the New Course at White Bluff Golf Resort.
Championship Central: https://www.scacsports.com/tournament/spring/golf/24championships/index
Full Recap courtesy of the SCAC: https://www.scacsports.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/releases/day_3_men
The Gents earned a fourth-place team finish (+76 – 940) which is their best at the event since finishing fourth in 2014. Bennett's individual win is the Gents' first since former All-American and PGA star Hal Sutton in 1979 and 1980.
Bennett finished nine shots ahead of Jacob Mason of Trinity University (+5 – 221) as he claimed his second-career victory after he won the individual title at the UMHB Men's Invitational this past Fall. He was the Gents' top finisher last season in the SCAC Championships as he finished in a three-way tie for sixth place at 6-over par 222 to earn Second-Team All-SCAC honors.
Bennett entered Tuesday's final round in third place and one shot behind 36-hole leader Jacob Mason of Trinity University. He fired identical 1-under par 71 rounds on Sunday and Monday at the par-72, 6,918-yard course. He posted under par scores (71, 71 and 70) in each of his three rounds, becoming just the third player in conference championship history to do so, and his three-day total of 212 is tied for the third-lowest finishing score in conference history.
Bennett, who tied for 19th at the conference championships in 2022, now has two individual wins, three top-five finishes, and a top-15 finish this season. Centenary's previous best individual finish in the championships was Richard Polan in 2022 as he finished third in Blanco, Texas.
Freshman Aubrey Snell (Shreveport, La.) finished third at 8-over par 224 as he and Bennett were named to the All-SCAC First Team following Tuesday's play. Snell shot a 3-over par 75 in round one to sit in a tie for 10th place and followed with a 3-under par 69 in round two on Monday - the second-lowest round shot all day behind Mason's 67.
Senior Devan Martin (Watson, La.) finished 32nd at 40-over par 256 (86-79-91), sophomore Jeffrey Borchert (Katy, Texas) placed 33rd (45-over par 261) after shooting 93-85-83, and junior Tyler Jones (Stonewall, La.) was 34th after shooting rounds of 85-91-86 to finish at 46-over par 262.
2024 All-SCAC Men's Golf First Team
1. Andrew Bennett, Centenary - 71-71-70--212
2. Jacob Mason, Trinity - 74-67-80--220
3. Aubrey Snell, Centenary - 75-69-80--224
T4. Drew Hermesmeyer, Schreiner - 73-73-79--225
T4. Matthew McKenzie, Schreiner - 73-76-76--225
2024 All-SCAC Men's Golf Second Team
6. Rex Soulliere, Dallas - 72-76-79--227
7. Tobey Wills, Texas Lutheran - 74-78-76--228
8. Jake Sitterle, Schreiner - 75-80-74--229
T9. Zach Allen, St. Thomas - 74-76-80--230
T9. Cameron Curtis, St. Thomas - 74-82-74--230
2024 SCAC Men's Golf Tournament Medalist
Andrew Bennett, Centenary College
See the Gents' complete season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/mgolf/2023-24/schedule
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