BLUFFTON, SC-It has only been a couple of months since the USCB men's golf team completed their third season of competition with a fourth place finish at the NAIA National Championship at the TPC Deere Run in Silva,IL. With all five golfers back from that team, the Sand Sharks will kick off their four meet fall competitions on Monday at the 36 hole USC Aiken Intercollegiate Tournament at Kiawah Island.
Chris Cuneo has taken over the men's team after a two year stint of as the women's coach. Shane LeBaron turned over the reigns to Cuneo after being named USCB's Director of Golf.
The Sand Sharks will send the same line-up to Kiawah that competed at the national meet in May. Leading the way for the Sand Sharks will be seniors
Jon Pannone,
George Thacker, and
Chris Lane. Pannone made the NAIA National All Tournament team after posting at 72 hole total of 296. Thacker finished one stroke behind Pannone while Lane was another two shots back.
“The three seniors continued their great play this summer,” said Coach Cuneo, adding “Pannone made the quarter-finals at the prestigious North South Amateur at Pinehurst, while Thacker participated in the Lee Westwood Tournament in his native England and Lane recently won the Hilton Head Amateur with a one under par finish.”
Rounding out the first tournament field for the Sand Sharks will be national veterans junior
Jack Bingham and
Luke McClellan who had top finishes at both the South Carolina Amateur and the Carolina Amateur.
Cuneo's team recently completed 90 holes of qualifying for the first tournament at their new home course at Chechessee Creek in Okatie with the top five qualifying for the first event. Pushing the top five were junior
Mark Phillips, sophomore
Travis Cashion and freshman
Coley Davis from Bluffton. Look for these three to play in tournaments later in the fall.
After Kiawah, the Sand Sharks will travel to Lake Wales, FL for the Webber Fall Invitational on September 19th and 20th, then conclude their fall season with tournaments at Flagler in St Augustine, FL and the Wilmington Island Tournament in Georgia.
