Razorbacks Finish 3rd at SEC Match Play; Will Face Ole Miss Wednesday
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Arkansas finished the stroke play portion of the SEC Match Play, hosted by Jerry Pate, by placing third with a 54-hole score of 827 (-25) to rank as the fifth-best, 54-hole score in program history.
The third and final day of the event, played at the par-71 Birmingham Country Club – West, will be one round of match play on Wednesday with the Razorbacks facing Ole Miss in the third/fourth-place match.
Arkansas is 5-0 all-time in match play in the event. The Razorbacks won the team title, going 4-0 in 2021, while defeating Kentucky in a single-round of match play last season.
Sixth-ranked Auburn, the 36-hole leader by two, was 11-under-par and pulled away for the stroke play title. The Tigers finished with a score of 811 (-41) to defeat runner-up and third-ranked Vanderbilt by 13 strokes. The Commodores tied for the second-best round of the day, a 5-under-par round of 279, and leaped Arkansas for second place with a 54-hole score of 830 (-28). The Razorbacks were +3 in the final round and were -25 (827) for the event to finish third and hold off Ole Miss (-24) and Tennessee (-23).
Overall, Arkansas finished ahead of seven top 25 programs including #8 Florida, #12 Tennessee, #13 Alabama, #17 Texas A&M, #21 Mississippi State and #24 Ole Miss.
Arkansas has three golfers finish among the top 20, including Jacob Skov Olesen (T6), John Driscoll III (T11) and John Daly II (T17). For Olesen, it marked his first top 10 of the season and seventh of his career. Driscoll has a ninth-place finish and now an 11th-place finish in two events this year and Daly has placed among the top 20 in both events this fall (16th and now 17th).
For the first time in his career, Olesen carded three rounds in the 60’s for his 9-under-par total of 204 to tie for sixth. The 204 marked his second-best career 54-hole total. In the final round, Olesen opened with birdies on holes 2 and 3 before shooting even par the rest of the way with two bogeys and two birdies.
Driscoll finished with a career-best, 54-hole score of 206 (68-65-73) and tied for 11th at 7-under-par. Daly was even par for the final round, with two bogeys and two birdies, and tied for 17th with a 5-under total of 208 (68-69-71).
Thomas Curry finished T-25 in his collegiate debut. The freshman had an early birdie but fell to 5-over after nine holes. He bounced back to play the back nine at 3-under-par with four birdies and a bogey. Overall, he was 3-under with a score of 210 (668-68-74). Manuel Lozada rounded out the fivesome by placing 51st (73-68-76=217 / +4).
After SEC Match Play on Wednesday, the Razorbacks return to action five days later as host of the Blessings Collegiate Invitational (Oct. 2-4).
SEC Match Play hosted by Jerry Pate
Sept. 25-26 – Stroke Play
Sept. 27 – Match Play
Birmingham Country Club || Birmingham, Ala.
7,226 yards || Par 71
Results Thru Day 2 (54 Holes Stroke Play):
1 #6 Auburn 274-264-273=811 (-41)
2 #3 Vanderbilt 276-269-279=824 (-28)
3 #27 Arkansas 272-268-287=827 (-25)
4 #24 Ole Miss 276-272-280=828 (-24)
5 #12 Tennessee 278-272-279=829 (-23)
6 #17 Texas A&M 270-278283=831 (-21)
7 #8 Florida 285-272279=836 (-16)
8 #13 Alabama 284-279280=843 (-9)
9 #21 Mississippi State 275-282-292=849 (-3)
10 LSU 280-282-288=850 (-2)
11 #20 Georgia 280-286-286=852 (E)
12 Missouri 286-282-286=854 (+2)
13 Kentucky 282-286-292=860 (+8)
14 #43 South Carolina 291-285-286=862 (+10)
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