Ole Miss men’s golf finished the General Hackler Championship in 8th place on Tuesday afternoon after sophomore golfer Veeti Mahonen’s hole-in-one pushed the Rebels forward in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The sophomore helped the Rebels move from 11th place to eighth on the final day.
The Rebels finished next to East Tennessee State University (ETSU), earning a team score of 879 (290-297-292). ETSU also finished with a total of 879 (290-289-300). North Carolina State topped the championship, posting a total score of 852 (279-278-295), and the University of North Florida followed behind in second place, totaling 860 (284-283-293).
“Today was certainly a step in the right direction toward playing the level of golf that we are capable of,” head coach Chris Malloy said through Ole Miss Athletics. “We were way too sloppy around the greens this week to compete to win. We will get back and put in the work necessary to be successful next week at Old Waverly.”
In the final round, the Rebels posted a 292 (+4), making it the third-best round on the final day of the championship with 15 teams competing. Landing right above the Rebels on the scoreboard was Indiana University, scoring an 876 (284-302-290).
As individuals, the Rebels had one player place in the top-10 of the tournament. Junior Jackson Suber led the Rebels, placing in eighth place with a score of 215 (68-72-75). Suber was able to overcome the par-72 course difficulty and ended the tournament with two birdies. After the competition, he earned his tenth top-10 finish in his 25 tournaments as a Rebel.
Also leading for the Rebels was junior Jack Gnam.He fired a 1-under 71 on the final day to help the Rebels to their final score. Gnam’s strong finish of shooting under par for the final round helped push his overall final placement to 32rd of 222, moving 35 places upward.
Beside Gnam on the board at 32nd place was Mahonen, who also finished with a 222 (72-75-75). The sophomore ended with an ace on the par-3 ninth, making this the junior’s first hole-in-one in his Rebel career.
Redshirt freshman Brett Schell and junior Sarut Vongchaisit tied for 49th place at the tournament, with Schell finishing with a score of 225 (78-73-74) and Vongchaisit with a 225 (76-77-72).
Junior Cecil Wegener competed as an individual and finished with a score of 230 (75-75-80) and tied at 68th place.
The Rebel golf team will now prepare for the Old Waverly Collegiate Championship in West Point on March 26-28.
