ETSU erases 11-shot deficit on back nine; Ege earns medalist honors

GREENSBORO, Ga. (April 25, 2023) – The Buccaneer Three-Peat is complete!

Facing an 11-shot deficit heading into the back nine, the ETSU men’s golf team kicked into another gear as the Buccaneers rallied past Chattanooga to earn their third straight Southern Conference title on Tuesday afternoon at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Ga.

All week long, the Bucs feasted on the back nine, and it continued today. The Blue & Gold tallied 18 birdies and played the final nine holes at nine-under-par to post a 9-under-par 279 for the round.

The Bucs finished the tournament at 30-under-par 834 en route to finishing five shots ahead of runner-up and in-state rival Chattanooga. ETSU, who has now won three straight titles and six of the last eight, moved its SoCon tournament total to a league-best 23 crowns.

Over the three-day tournament, the Blue & Gold totaled 65 birdies, two eagles and 159 pars, while pacing the SoCon in par-4 scoring (-2) and were second in par-5 scoring (-34).

An interview with @JakeAmosETSU following the Bucs sweeping both the team and individual titles at the @SoConSports Championships❗️#GolfSchool | #ETSUTough pic.twitter.com/P7ShSWdUB4

— ETSUMGolf (@ETSU_MGolf) April 25, 2023

ETSU made it a clean sweep as Mats Ege (Kristiansand, Norway), who was named to the 2023 Palmer Cup earlier on Tuesday, captured SoCon medalist honors for his second collegiate win – both coming this season. Ege finished with a four-shot win over teammate Matty Dodd-Berry (Wirral, England) as he totaled a 54-hole score of 14-under-par 202 (66-68-68).

Ege ignited the Buccaneer comeback following the turn as he birdied three straight, four of the first five and ended with six birdies on the back nine en route to posting a 4-under 68 on Tuesday. The 14-under-par 202 marked Ege’s lowest 54-hole collegiate total. For the tournament, Ege registered a tournament-best 21 birdies and led the field in par-5 scoring – finishing at 11-under-par. Ege also played the par-4s at four-under – marking the second-best total.

The Bucs have now won 18 individual titles following Ege’s win, while ETSU has won the last four individual SoCon titles, marking the first time since 1979-82 the Blue & Gold have accomplished the feat.

We caught up with Mats Ege following his win at the @SoConSports Championship, while also earning a spot in the @ArnoldPalmerCup #GolfSchool | #ETSUTough pic.twitter.com/ZoYBkJljHC

— ETSUMGolf (@ETSU_MGolf) April 25, 2023

Playing in his first SoCon Championship, Dodd-Berry finished runner-up after posting a score of 10-under-par 206 (66-69-71). The Buccaneer freshman finished below par for all three rounds as he etched his best collegiate 54-hole score and tournament finish.

Algot Kleen (Fiskebackskil, Sweden) also provided the spark on the back nine to jump 14 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for 20th at 2-over-par 218. Kleen, who played the front nine at two-under, recorded five more birdies on the back nine to finish with the 67.

ETSU’s final countable score on Tuesday came from last year’s champion, Remi Chartier (Montreal, Canada). Chartier finished with a 1-over 73 in the final round and finished tied for 22nd at 3-over-par 219.

Archie Davies (Carlisle, England) posted a top-20 finish as he placed tied for 16th at 1-over-par 217.

With the win, ETSU earned the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Regional, which will be announced Wednesday, May 3 at 1 p.m. on the Golf Channel. The NCAA Regional will be held May 15-17.  

For more information on Buccaneer men’s golf, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men’s golf page.