Golf takes second at Bearcat
No. 3 Bobcats earn runner-up to host Lander in tough field
The No. 3 GCSU golf team finished second out of 16 teams in the Bearcat Golf Classic at Lander University on Mar. 29-30.
The three-round match took place at the par-72, 6,800 yard Greenwood Country Club Course. The Bobcats earned a score of 840 for their three-round total, tying with Armstrong Atlantic for second place. However, the tiebreaker was determined by each school’s best individual round of play. Senior Francisco Bide finished the first round with a 66 and junior Billy Shida finished with a 66 in the second round, while Armstrong Atlantic’s best individual score was 68, giving GCSU the spot of second in the tournament. The Bobcats final score of 840 was just seven strokes behind the winner, host Lander University, which finished with an 833.
“We played solid and we had a couple of
- Senior Francisco Bide stares intently at the green as he reads a putt during the Bearcat Golf Classic this past Tuesday. Bide once again finished first for the Bobcats, and third overall.
real good rounds, head coach Jimmy Wilson said. “We knew going in yesterday that we had to play really well to have a chance to win, we played good but not really well, therefore we finished second.”
Finishing first for GCSU a second time in a row and coming in third overall for the tournament was Bide, who shot a 66 on Monday, a 70 for the second round and a 73 on the final round on Tuesday. His results tied him for third with three other players and earned him the All-Tournament Team honors.
Coming in the top 10 and tying for the 10th place spot were senior Niclas Johansson and Shida, who both finished with a final score of 211. Johansson, who completed every round at-par or lower, shot a 71 in Monday’s opening round, a 68 in the second round, and closed out with a 72. Shida shot a 75 in the first round, then a 66 on Tuesday’s first round, and finished the final round with a 70. The tie for the tenth place slot marks as the sixth time this year that Johansson has finished in the top 10 and the Shida’s third time finishing in the top 10.
“We’ve had different guys step up every week to be our number one player, which is promising,” Wilson said. “We’re dealing with the expectations that come with a high ranking, I think we’re getting better with dealing with that.”
Shooting a total of 214 and finishing in the top 20 was junior Matthew Yontz, with a pair of 71s for the first two rounds and a 72 for the final round, earning him 18th place overall.
Bringing up the rear for the GCSU and finishing just shy of the top 20 was Joe Young, who shot a 72 on the first round, a 73 for the second round and closing out with a 71, giving him a total score of 216 and placing him 22nd overall.
The Bobcats begin playing in the Peach Belt Conference Championship, hosted by Columbus State, April 12-13.
“Everybody’s got their own strengths and weaknesses and we just try to improve on our weaknesses,” Wilson said. “We’re trying to remain on an even keel, with not too many highs, not too many lows, and if we can get to that point we’re going to be just fine.”
Posted by 
