University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Oklahoma State
Vols Finish Eighth at Match Play
March 20, 2012 | Men's Golf
March 20, 2012
Tennessee wrapped up its fourth match in three days at the Collegiate Match Play Championship with a 4-1 loss Tuesday to Oklahoma State.
The Vols finished eighth at the 16-team tournament in Bradenton, Fla., compiling a 1-3 record in four straight matches as the lower-seeded team. UT, seeded 10th, opened with a win over seventh-seed Liberty before dropping consecutive matches against second-seed California, sixth-seed Indiana and fourth-seed Oklahoma State.
"This was another disappointing tournament for us," UT head coach Jim Kelson said. "The responsibility for getting this turned around rests 100 percent with me. We're going to ensure that our players are going to put forth their maximum effort, and as coaches we're going to put forth our maximum effort.
"If those two things take place and we have great attitudes and mental approaches, then I think we have a chance to be successful."
Rick Lamb claimed Tennessee's only Tuesday victory with a 4 and 2 win over Oklahoma State's Patrick Winther. It was Lamb's third win in four matches for the week.
Jay Vandeventer saw his unbeaten match-play streak end with a last-hole loss to Sean Einhaus. Vandeventer finished with a 2-1-1 record. Garrick Porteous suffered a 2 and 1 loss to Talor Gooch, while Brandon Rodgers (3 and 2) and Marshall Talkington (5 and 4) also were defeated.
Vandeventer and Einhaus went back and forth all day. Tennessee's junior standout led by two holes with five to play but couldn't hold off his opponent. Einhaus won three times down the stretch, with the clincher coming on a par to Vandeventer's bogey at the final hole, a 478-yard par 4.
Porteous rallied from two holes down to tie his match through 12. It was still tied through 14 holes when Gooch won two of the next three for the 2 and 1 decision.
Rodgers led early in his match against Oklahoma State's Brad Gehl, but never by more than one hole. Gehl gained control by winning four consecutive holes through the midway point and finished it out 3 and 2.
Talkington lost the opening two holes to Oklahoma State's Tanner Kesterson. The golfers halved the next three and then Kesterton claimed four to Talkington's one to take command in the 5 and 4 decision.
Top-seeded Arkansas defeated Duke 3½-1½ for the tournament title. California was third and Indiana fifth.
Tennessee's next tournament is the Insperity Augusta State Invitational, March 31 and April 1 in Augusta, Ga.
| Oklahoma State 4, VOLS 1 | ||
| Match 1 | Talor Gooch, Okla. State d. Garrick Porteous, TENNESSEE | 2 and 1 |
| Match 2 | Sean Einhaus, Okla. State d. Jay Vandeventer, TENNESSEE | 1-up |
| Match 3 | Brad Gehl, Okla. State d. Brandon Rodgers, TENNESSEE | 3 and 2 |
| Match 4 | Rick Lamb, TENNESSEE d. Patrick Winther, Okla. State | 4 and 2 |
| March 5 | Tanner Kesterson, Okla. State d. Marshall Talkington, TENNESSEE | 5 and 4 |
Tuesday's Results
Championship
No. 1 Arkansas d. No. 3 Duke, 3½-1½
Third Place
No. 2 California d. No. 5 Chattanooga, 3-2
Fifth Place
No. 6 Indiana d. No. 9 East Carolina, 3½-1½
Seventh Place
No. 4 Oklahoma State d. No. 10 TENNESSEE, 4-1
Ninth Place
No. 7 Liberty d. No. 8 Iowa, 4-1
11th Place
No. 14 Arizona State d. No. 13 Colorado State, 3½-1½
13th Place
No. 15 UNC Wilmington d. No. 16 Washington State, 3½-1½
15th Place
No. 13 Kennesaw State d. No. 12 South Florida, 3½-1½
