Golf Vols claim Visit Knoxville Collegiate over Ole Miss

It wasn’t the ideal finish down the stretch but Tennessee’s men’s golf team held off a hard charging Ole Miss squad to claim the Visit Knoxville Collegiate at Tennessee National on Sunday afternoon. Tennessee nipped the Rebels by a single shot.

“It’s great to win at home in front of friends and family at a golf course that’s been so supportive of our program since I got to town four or five years ago,” head coach Brennan Webb said. “To seal the deal and go through a little adversity there at the end and be challenged at the end by a great round by the Rebels and come out the other side and learn a lot.”

A day after Evan Woosley-Reed led the team in round two scoring firing a 64, he backed it up with a final round 66 to finish in solo 4th. His round two score tied his career-low 18-hole score in relation to par. The Shelbyville native notched eight birdies en route to his 6-under performance on Saturday before another super round to close out the event.

“Struggled the first day and was a non counter and just pulled up his pants and got to work,” Webb said. “Played an incredible couple of rounds the last 36 holes.

“He’s won a lot during his high school career. He’s won three or four state high schools and a state junior. Guys get used to winning and he is definitely not afraid of it. He gets more focused when he has a chance to win and that’s a great trait.”

Senior Jake Hall fired a 66 on Sunday as well after putting up a bogey-free 67 that included three birdies on Saturday. Hall finished 7-under overall and placed 5th overall.

The final member of Tennessee’s lineup, Caleb Surratt withdrew from the tournament due to illness on Saturday afternoon. That meant there was no room for error as the Vols were left only playing four players with all four counting.

Providing Tennessee with its second-best round of the tournament was Lance Simpson. The Knoxville native shot a 5-under 65 on Saturday that included six birdies and a bogey-free back nine. The redshirt-sophomore struggled on Sunday and a double bogey on 17 pulled Ole Miss within three shots of the Vol lead.