Spiders Start Season With Win at VCU Shootout

Monday, September 13

Richmond, VA

8:30 AM

University of Richmond

VCU Shootout

09/14/2021 | Men's Golf

RESULTS Photo Gallery

RICHMOND, Va. -- This could be the start of something big.

In their first tournament of the season, the Richmond men's golf team won the 12-team VCU Shootout at the Country Club of Virginia's Creek Course Tuesday, securing the program's first tournament title in four years. Richmond finished the 54-hole event at 20-under par, one shot in front of host VCU. It was the Spiders first team title since winning the 2017 Atlantic 10 Championship.

"I'm proud of this group," said coach Adam Decker. "I said before this week that they've been really motivated since the summer and put a lot of hard work in and I'm so happy to see it pay off. The pay off is a lot earlier than I thought we'd see, but they were due. These are good golfers and they know how to play."

"We've come to this event every year since I started coaching here in 2005. We've had some good finishes, maybe a top three, a top four. But we never really contended. So this is a fantastic way to start," said Decker of Richmond's win, his 10th tournament title at UR.

Sophomore Garrett Clark fired a 6-under 66 Tuesday, matching the fourth-best individual round in program history. He finished with two bogeys, five birdies, and an albatross on the par-5 5th hole. Clark's 3-iron from 220 yards rolled into the cup on the 524-yard hole for his first career albatross.

"I had a little luck on hole 5, so that didn't hurt," said Clark. "I bookended that with birdies and played pretty good golf after that but I got a big boost from that little stretch."

Clark finished the event at 10-under 206, tied for third in the field of 72. The only player in program history to register a better score in a 54-hole tournament is Daniel Walker, who shot 12-under par at the 2013 NCAA Regional at Golden Eagle Club in Tallahassee, Fla.

Senior Michael Childress was right with Clark near the top of the leaderboard for much of the day before making double bogey from inside a row of green-side pine trees on the 16th hole. He recovered with difficult two-putt pars on the 17th and 18th holes to shoot 73 (+1) and finish the event at 210 (-6), a career low and tied seventh on the individual leaderboard.

"It's an awesome feeling," said Childress. "This is my fourth year now and it kind of feels like we've been on the other side of this a lot -- one shot here or there and then we watch and think what could have been. So to really have it come down to one shot and have this group of guys do as well as they did when it matters is so awesome."

Junior Ben Cooper tied for 11th after finishing at 211 (-5), also a career best. Cooper recorded two birdies, two bogeys, and one double bogey Tuesday to shoot 74 (+2). Senior Carter Cook also recorded the lowest tournament score of his college career, shooting 217 (+1) to finish tied for 35th after a 73 (+1) in Tuesday's final round.

Junior Lou Baker, the reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, tied for 57th at 225 (+9) after shooting a second-straight 74 (+2) in Round 3.

Richmond led by as many as 11 strokes during Round 3, but VCU charged down the stretch to tie the Spiders at 20-under par just before the end of play. With many golfers already in the clubhouse, Clark snapped a string of two straight bogeys by making par on the par-5 1st hole, his 54th hole of the event. Clark's par clinched the one-shot win for Richmond when the VCU player in Clark's group bogeyed hole 1.

"I think we learned a ton today," said Decker. "The gap started to narrow here coming down the stretch and I think that's how you learn. You're not in these positions that often in golf. You lose so often in golf. But to be in the heat and pull through with a victory is fantastic. You can't recreate that at home."

A pair of Spiders made their college debuts playing as individuals this week at the Country Club of Virginia. Freshman Patrick Isztwan shot 70 (-2) Tuesday to finish at 226 (+10), tied for 59th place. Sophomore Alex Campbell was one shot back at 227 (+11), tied for 62nd.

Up next for the Spiders is the River Run Collegiate in Davidson, N.C. on September 20-21.

"I think there's a ton to build on," said Decker. "We know we're capable. We have to have the mentality that we can go in and win and contend at any event we play in."

"We're not a program that's going to finish middle of the pack and go home and be OK with it," said Childress of the 2021-22 Spiders. "And we're taking steps to make that our new standard."