No. 16-ranked Alabama men’s golf finished in sixth place at the Maridoe Collegiate in Carrollton, Texas, with a team score of 43-over-par.
“We choose to play at Maridoe each year because it is a championship-type venue that really challenges you and shows you exactly where your game is and what you need to work on,” head coach Jay Seawell said. “Some other courses may mask that, but this course takes you out of your comfort zone, which is something we needed to have happen.”
The wind howled all tournament long in Texas, averaging 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph, making playing conditions extremely difficult and leading every team in the field to shoot over par.
Sophomore Williams Jennings led the way with a fourth-place finish, 1-over-par. In Round 1, he shot a 2-over-par 74, followed by a 2-under-par round of 70, then concluded his tournament with a 73, 1-over-par.
“William did another great job playing consistent championship golf, which is something he’s done week-in and week-out,” Seawell said. “He had a chance to get a third win on the year and just needed a shot to fall here or there. He continues to put himself on top of the leaderboard consistently.”
Brycen Jones, a junior, finished in ninth place with an 8-over-par. Jones got off to a hot start with a 1-under-par round of 71. In Round 2, he shot a 3-over-par round of 75, before limping to the finish line in Round 3 with a 6-over-par round of 78 to fall outside of the top 10.
Graduate student Connor Brown finished 17-over-par in 42nd place. In the first round, he shot 5-over-par 77, followed by an 8-over-par round of 80, and finished his tournament with a 76, 4-over-par.
The captain, senior Jonathan Griz, finished in 48th place with an 18-over-par for the tournament. In the first round, he shot a 5-over-par of 77, then followed that up with a 6-over-par 78, and he finished his tournament with a 7-over-par 79.
Sophomore Nicholas Gross came in 57th place with a 21-over-par. Gross began his tournament with a 6-over-par 78, followed by a 7-over-par 79, and then concluded his tournament with an 8-over-par 80.
Junior Jack Mitchell competed for the Crimson Tide individually and finished in 19th place with a 9-over-par. In Round 1, he shot a 74 of 2-over-par, followed up by a 1-over-par 73, and finished his tournament with a 6-over-par 78.
“William’s performance and consistency are things that I hope will trickle down to the rest of the guys and motivate the rest of our team,” Seawell said. “We have a path, but we need others to contribute to get to where we want to go.”
The Crimson Tide will be back in action at the Mossy Oak Collegiate on April 13 and 14 in West Point, Mississippi.
