#7 Vols Claim #2 Match Play Seed Following 14-Under Stroke Play Showing at SEC Championships

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – The seventh-ranked Tennessee men’s golf team pieced together a solid showing during the final round of stroke play at the SEC Championships to claim the No. 2 match play seed.

The Vols shot 5-under in round three to shoot 14-under overall, tying them for first in the stroke play portion with Auburn.

This marks the second consecutive year that the Vols were amongst the top of the leaderboard and marked back-to-back 14-under showings, which tied a program record at the SEC Championships.

Tennessee is set to take on No. 7 seed Texas A&M in Saturday’s quarterfinal round of match play. The winner of that match will advance to the semifinals later that Saturday afternoon. Semifinal matches can be streamed digitally on SEC Network+. 

Bryce Lewis led UT individually during the stroke play portion of the event after shooting 5-under overall with three rounds of par or better. The Hendersonville, Tennessee, native earned a sixth-place finish for his showing, notching his career-best SEC Championship finish.

Redshirt senior Jake Hall also posted a top-10 finish after shooting 4-under overall and tying for seventh place. Hall was 1-under heading into round three and kicked it into gear for his final stroke play round and shot a 67.

Sophomore Evan Woosley-Reed climbed 29 spots up the leaderboard in round three after shooting a 5-under 65, which was Tennessee’s best third-round score. The Shelbyville, Tennessee, native shot 1-under on his first nine holes of the day then posted a flawless 4-under after he made the turn.

Woosley-Reed shot even-par overall and tied for 23rd.

Redshirt Freshman Bruce Murphy closed out stroke play with a 75 to finish 4-over and tied for 46th. Despite the tough final round score, Murphy provided UT with a 69 and 70 in rounds one and two, respectively.

Redshirt sophomore Lance Simpson shot 6-over in stroke play to finish 48th. Simpson’s best score came in round two where he shot a 2-under 68.

ONE OF THREE: Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt are the only programs to advance to the match play portion in each of the SEC Championships the past five seasons.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (Stroke Play)

6. Bryce Lewis, 69-66-70—205 (-5)

T7. Jake Hall, 69-70-67—206 (-4)

T23. Evan Woosley-Reed, 70-75-65—210 (E)

T46. Bruce Murphy, 69-70-75—214 (+4)

48. Lance Simpson, 75-68-73—216 (+6)

TEAM LEADERBOARD (Stroke Play)

T1. Tennessee, 277-274-275—826 (-14)

T1. Auburn, 274-276-276—826 (-14)

3. Vanderbilt,…