Nov. 11, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF men's golf team capped its fall season in fine fashion, finishing first at The Hummingbird Intercollegiate in North Carolina in early November. Head coach Nick Clinard's Knights competed at some of the nation's premier events during the campaign.
Following The Hummingbird Intercollegiate, UCF moved to 29th in the Golfstat NCAA Head-to-Head Rankings. UCF will return to action in mid-February, participating in the Gator Invitational in Gainesville.
The Champions
In their last event of the fall, the Knights claimed the team title at The Hummingbird Collegiate in Sapphire, N.C. Three UCF golfers finished in the top five as the squad completed the 14-team, two-round event at 11-under 557, one stroke ahead of second-place Vanderbilt. David Johnson led the Knights with a second-place finish after posting a two-round total of 8-under 134. Brad Schneider (3rd) and Simon Ward (T-4th) also helped the Knights claim the title. In 2007-08, UCF won a pair of tournament championships.
Strong Showing
David Johnson competed in all five of UCF's events and paced the squad with a 73.14 stroke average. The senior recorded a pair of top-10 finishes, highlighted by a second-place showing at The Hummingbird Intercollegiate. Johnson was named the Conference USA Golfer of the Week after leading UCF to the title at The Hummingbird Intercollegiate.
Facing the Best
UCF finished the nation's premier event in strong fashion, concluding the Isleworth-UCF Collegiate Invitational in October tied for 11th. The tournament at the Isleworth Golf & Country Club in Windermere included seven of the top-10 teams in the country. UCF began the final round in 18th. The Knights recorded an 8-over 296, tying champion Georgia for the low round of the day, to finish tied for 11th (906, +42).
Success Out West
For the second-straight year, the Knights enjoyed success out west, finishing fourth at The Prestige at PGA WEST in La Quinta, Calif., in October. Led by a third-place performance from David Johnson, the Knights finished ahead of six of the top-30 ranked teams in the nation. In 2007, the Knights placed third at the tournament.
Rated Rookie
Blayne Barber competed in four tournaments during the fall of his freshman campaign. The Lake City native posted a pair of top-20 finishes, including a 10th-place showing at the season-opening Carpet Capital Collegiate in Rocky Face, Ga. Barber recorded a 74.86 stroke average. Barber garnered Conference USA Golfer of the Week honors following the season-opening event.
Brad's World
After sitting out the 2007-08 campaign due to an injury, Brad Schneider made a great contribution for the Knights this fall. The redshirt freshman participated in all five of UCF's events. He had four rounds of par or better and concluded the fall with a third-place showing at The Hummingbird Intercollegiate.
Travelling Men
The Knights gained some frequent flyer miles during the fall. All five of the team's events were held in different states. The squad competed in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois and North Carolina.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.