For the third straight year, the BJU Bruins men’s golf team captured first place at the Hiwassee College Invitational in Loudon, Tennessee.

BJU freshman Tyler Smith finished -2 under par (70) on the strength of a string of birdies on the back nine. His performance was enough to bring home medalist honors as the lowest round total in the tournament. As a team, the Bruins shot a 318 (Smith – 70, Gold – 81, Counts – 81, Shannon – 86, James – 86) which was enough to beat Bryan College by eight
strokes.

“The golf course was an outstanding venue,” coach Denny Scott said. “It is the type of course that commands the golfer’s fullest attention on every shot.”

Because of the quality work of Tyler Smith and the Bruins’ play as of late, optimism abounds for the rest of the Bruins’ golf season.

“We knew if we played to our potential we would have a chance to come out on top of the field here,” Scott said. “Had we played this course earlier this season we may not have been able to come up with the same result. However, the experiences of the tournament yesterday and our early season tournaments prepared us for a challenge like this. Overall, I feel this weekend has helped us take a step forward in our preparations for regionals.”