(LENOIR CITY, Tenn.) – The No. 1 University of North Georgia men’s golf team finished in second place at the Lincoln Memorial Tennessee River Rumble while graduate student Jack Vajda won the event. UNG had all five competitors finish in the top-25 of the event on its way to the second place finish.
The Nighthawks combined for a three-round score of on-over-par 865, finishing one shot shy of No. 2 LMU which rallied to win the event as a team. UNG finished eight shots clear of third place Union (Tenn.)
Vajda, a native of Canton, Ga., was propelled by a five-under-par 67 in his opening round at Windriver Golf Club to his first victory of the season. In round one, Vajda recorded six birdies and only one bogey which included a stretch of three straight birdies on holes 14, 15 and 16. Vajda posted rounds of 72 and 73 in the final two rounds of the event to win by two strokes over four other competitors. In the final round, three birdies on the front nine helped him post a 33 at the turn. Those three holes helped Vajda outlast a trio of bogeys on the back nine to hang on for the win.
Behind Vajda for the Nighthawks were grad student Will Chambless and junior Ethan Day. The duo finished T17 with total scores of 219 at three-over-par.
Chambless went for rounds of 72, 71 and 76 while Day posted scores of 73, 70 and 76.
Junior Hughes Threlkeld and sophomore Hunter Smith rounded things out for UNG with a T23 finish for each golfer.
Threlkeld shot 68, 73 and 78 while Smith shot 71, 70 and 79.
Now the Nighthawks will head on the road for the UWF Argonaut Invitational, hosted by No. 17 West Florida. The tournament takes place at Pensacola Country Club in Pensacola, Fla. on Monday, Apr. 8 and will finish the following day on Tuesday, Apr. 9.
