The Ole Miss Men’s Golf team competed in the Mason Rudolph Championship from Friday, April 5, through Sunday, April 7, in Franklin, Tenn. Having to face off against Vanderbilt, who was No. 1 in the overall rankings, there was some tight competition this weekend.
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Furman, Cincinnati, Ball State, Middle Tennessee State, Charlotte, Northern Illinois, South Alabama, Kentucky, College of Charleston and Alabama also competed in the championship tournament.
On the first day of play at the Vanderbilt Legends South Course, the Ole Miss Men’s Golf team completed the first 18 holes with three top-10 finishes, tying for fourth place on the team leaderboard by scoring a 285 (+1). The Rebels fell only three strokes behind second place with momentum to potentially move up the board on day two.
Tom Fischer chipped four birdies on day one to finish one under par. He ended the day tied for eighth place, looking for his second top-10 finish of the year. Tied with Fischer was Patton Samuels, another Rebel, who fired off a 70 to get a one-under. Samuel also shot the only eagle of the day and hit three birdies.
Kye Meeks concluded round one with an even 70 and tied for 15th place. After Hitting three over par, Cameron Tankersley finished day one at 41st place. Additionally, Tim Tillmans shot six over par to tie for 66th place.
Thanks to his zero bogeys and five birdies, Kye Meeks secured a career-low round of 66, tying for third place and securing one of the day’s best rounds.
Day two ended with a 276 (-8) from the men’s team, putting them in second place once again after 36 holes.
As a team, the Ole Miss Rebels made 21 birdies on day two, making for one of the best rounds out of the 14 teams in the field.
Samuels was three under par for his second-round score. He made his second eagle of the tournament on the par-five hole 17, heading into the final round in fifth place and a four-under overall. Tankersley also scored a 68 (-3), shooting up 30 spots on the leaderboard. After five birdies on day two, he sat tied at 11th place.
Michael La Sasso ended his second round with a 72 (+1) score, tied for 11th place alongside Tankersley. Tillmans secured a bogey-free back nine to improve his score from round one to a 70 (-1), which placed him at 41st. Fischer ended day two with a 74 (+3), tied for 22nd place.
The Rebels wrapped up the Mason Rudolph Championship on Sunday, securing second place on the team leaderboard with a shooting score of 840 (-12).
The team will now focus on the Mossy Oak Collegiate Championship, held in state at the Mossy Oaks Golf Club in West Point, Miss., on April 15-16.
