Alabama
NCAA Athens Regional
Alabama Men’s Golf Finishes Play at NCAA Athens Regional
5/15/2019 3:37:00 PM | Men's Golf
The Crimson Tide fails to qualify for nationals, closing the three-day, 54-hole event in 11th overall
ATHENS, Ga. – The No. 28/30 Alabama men's golf team finished play at the 2019 NCAA Athens Regional in 11th overall, closing with a team score of 891 (302-294-295). This marks just the second time in the last nine years, and the first time since the 2015 season, that the Crimson Tide has failed to reach the NCAA National Championships.
"Well, it wasn't quite how we envisioned how the spring season would end," Alabama head coach Jay Seawell said. "We were ranked third in the nation to start the spring semester with visions of contending for another national championships. We had a lot of kicks in the stomach this spring and I told our guys after today's round that there were things that happened which were outside of their control. Despite that, I thought they handled it well and I was proud of how our guys fought through the adversity that they faced. It was something that no other team had to fight through this year. I am proud of the way they handled things. At the same time, we know we have to play well if we are going to contend for national championships."
Alabama was led on the day by freshman Frankie Capan III, who shot a round of 2-under par 69 during Wednesday's third round – the lowest 18-hole mark by any UA player during regional play. As a result, the North Oaks, Minn., native vaulted up the leaderboard into a 10th-place tie overall with a 54-hole total of 1-over par 214 (72-73-69). Capan led the team with 37 pars and nine birdies on the week, while his average on par-5 holes (4.67, -3) was tied for fourth-lowest of any individual in the field.
Sophomore Wilson Furr tied for 33rd overall, finishing play at 7-over par 220 (74-71-75) on the par 71, 7,253-yard University of Georgia Golf Course. Freshman Prescott Butler tied Capan for the team lead with nine birdies, including five during his final round score of 1-under par 70. The Old Westbury, N.Y., native finished tournament play tied for 51st overall with a 225 (81-74-70), improving each round he played.
Sophomore Jake DeZoort closed the regional tied for 64th overall with a 232 (75-76-81), while senior Alex Green, who replaced Josh Sedeno after the first round, finished with a 165 (83-82) during the two round in which he competed.
"There are a lot of good things to take away," Seawell said." I thought Wilson really stepped up as a leader on this team. We are graduating two players from our current roster and we have no seniors next year, so it was important for him to take that step with him next year. I also was happy with Frankie and how he played at the end of the year. He hit a little bit of a freshman wall, and I think that he got back into his groove about six weeks ago. You could really see it in practice. Finishing in the top-10 of an NCAA Regional is a great accomplish. We are a really young team and we have a lot to build on, so I am certainly excited for the future of our program."
Tournament host and 16th-ranked Georgia claimed the regional title with an 8-under par 844, seven strokes better than No. 9 Duke, which finished at 1-under par 851. The Bulldogs and Blue Devils were the only squads in the 13-team regional to finish the event below par. Fourth-ranked Vanderbilt (853), SMU (868) and No. 22 Liberty (870) rounded out the top-five teams, respectively, which advanced to the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships, which will be played at the Blessings Golf Club, in Fayetteville, Ark. on May 24-29.
For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaMGolf on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
