Tuesday, May 03, 2005

            JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 3, 2005) - Southern Conference golfers have to be glad to see ETSU sophomore Rhys Davies (Bridgend, Wales) and the rest of the Buccaneers head to the Atlantic Sun Conference at the end of this season.

On Tuesday, Davies was named the SoCon Golfer of the Month for April, marking the fourth SoCon individual weekly or monthly honor he has won this season. Davies, who was selected as a golfer of the week twice in March en route to his first golfer of the month award, made it back-to-back GOTM honors thanks to his 10-stroke individual victory in the Southern Conference Championships back on April 19. Davies' efforts also led the Bucs to their first team championship in four years, which includes yet another trip to the NCAA Regionals for the traditionally strong ETSU program.

Davies, who was also named the SoCon Player of the Year after posting a score of 8-under-par 208 at the SoCon championships, is the No. 3-ranked player in the country having won a school record four individual championships this season and posting a stroke average of 71. He has fired a remarkable nine sub-70 rounds so far in 2004-05, and has finished in the Top 3 in seven of nine events this year. His 10-stroke advantage at the SoCon Championships was the greatest margin of victory in that event since 1983 when Furman's Brad Faxon won by 11 shots.

The 2004-05 season for Davies and the rest of the Buccaneers continues on May 9 at the UK Derby Invitational in Lexington, Ky., followed by the NCAA Regionals on May 19.