MADISON, Miss. — A runner-up finish by sophomore Adam Hofmann led the Commodore men’s golf team to third place at the 2009 Reunion Intercollegiate, hosted by Ole Miss.
The 15-team field included six teams from the Southeastern Conference as the league prepares for its annual championship, which begins on April 17 in Sea Island, Ga. All of the SEC teams at the Reunion finished in the top half of the field.
Cold, windy conditions and fast, firm greens elevated scores for the entire week, with team champion LSU scoring 25-over for the three-round event. Arkansas came in second place at 28-over, eight strokes in front of third-place Vanderbilt at 36-over.
“It’s important to see how you fare against SEC teams throughout the year,” VU Head Coach Tom Shaw said. “We know we can certainly play with anybody going into next week’s championship.”
Hofmann was the only individual under-par entering Tuesday’s third and final round on the 7,416-yard, par-72 layout of the Reunion Golf and Country Club. The Pittsburgh native shot a three-over 75 to finish three strokes behind Andrew Landry of Arkansas, but was four strokes clear of the next closest competitor.
“Adam had all facets of his game working this week,” Coach Shaw noted. “He’s been working extremely hard on his game. It’s nice to see a young player step up and show that he can play on an SEC level.”
Commodores Hudson Johnson and Jon Curran also earned Top 15 finishes in the field of 75 golfers. Johnson went three-under on the back nine Tuesday to shoot an even-par 72 and move into a tie for ninth place. Curran carded a three-over 75 in the final round to finish in a tie for 14th.
Senior Tyler Matthews finished his tournament with a birdie on the final hole — one of only six birdies recorded all week on the treacherous 462-yard, par-four 18th hole. Matthews finished in a tie for 28th.
Coach Shaw’s Commodores will return to Nashville Tuesday night and have a week to prepare for the 2009 SEC Championship in Sea Island, Ga.
