St. Augustine, Fla.----The Wingate University men's golf team climbed four spots up the leader board to finish seventh in the Spring Kickoff Intercollegiate, hosted by Lincoln Memorial and Wingate at the St. Johns Golf and Country Club Tuesday. The Bulldogs carded a 916 (310-301-305) for the 54-hole event (complete results).
 
Wingate senior team captain Philip Coles had a one-over-par 73 to lead the Bulldogs in Tuesday's third and final round. Coles tied for 25th place at 229. Bulldog juniors Charles Joubert and Tim Bombosch were one stroke back at 230. Nineteen schools and 105 student-athletes are participated in this year's event.
 
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
 
Spring Kickoff Intercollegiate, Feb. 11-12 (36/18)
The Golf Club of South Hampton (par 72, 7136 yards)
St. Augustine, Fla. (co-hosted by Lincoln Memorial and Wingate)
 
#21 WINGATE LEADER BOARD
 
7-Wingate 310-301-305=916
T25-Philip Coles, 77-79-73=229
T28-Charles Joubert, 75-76-79=230
T28-Tim Bombosch, 80-72-78=230
T33-Nicolas Brown, 78-78-76=232
T41-Darius Choveaux-Gros, 80-75-78=233
85-Anthony Parziale, 83-82-78=243
T97-Humza Rafique, 81-88-83=252
 
WINGATE/TOURNAMENT NOTES
 
-Wingate completed the darkness-halted second round Tuesday morning with a 301.
-Bombosch had Wingate's best second-round score with an even-par 72.
-The number 21 Bulldogs posted a 305 in Tuesday's third round.
-Coles led the way with a one-over-par 73 in the third round.
-The South Atlantic Conference swept the team and individual trophies. On the team charts, Queens won the event with an 891. The Royals edged SAC foe Lincoln Memorial by one stroke.
-Coker senior Wanjoo Lee earned medalist honors with a three-under-par 213. He outdistanced Queens graduate student Jonathan Noble by two strokes.
-The top 10 squads on the team leader board were Queens (891), Lincoln Memorial (892), Carson-Newman (895), Barton (898), Palm Beach Atlantic (901), Flagler (908), Wingate (916), Coker (920), Mount Olive (920), Hillsdale (922) and North Greenville (922).
-Nine of the 11 South Atlantic Conference schools participated in this year's event.
 
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
 
Wingate head men's golf coach John Hackney: "We never really made a big push today, but I was proud of how the guys finished round two and how we held off about six teams to claim seventh place. We are building character with each event…and although we didn't have our best stuff this week, we were able to play solid down the stretch."
 
"Philip really saved us (Tuesday) with an excellent round of one-over 73, which was superb in the windy conditions with super slick greens. He chipped the ball well, had two bunker saves and putted much better. Philip finished with two birdies and three bogeys."
 
Wingate senior team captain Philip Coles: "The tournament was a grind for everyone, but what I like is that we moved up from 11th to seventh with our final two rounds. The take away from today is that we can handle any challenge presented to us. We got off to a poor start, but were still able to finish in seventh and put pressure on some other teams."
 
NEXT ON THE AGENDA
 
The Wingate men's golf team heads west for its next tournament. The Bulldogs will participate in the Las Vegas Desert Classic March 3-5. The University of Missouri-St. Louis is hosting the event at the Royal Links Golf Club.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
A comprehensive, independent and growing university, Wingate serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Founded in 1896, the University offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as graduate and professional programs. Wingate is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences. Wingate blends in-class exploration with out-of-class application to deliver an uncommon and life-changing educational experience.
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 12 years. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 106 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 115 lifetime Academic All-America® honorees. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com. Current news and videos can be found at www.wingate.edu.