University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols on Tour Report
December 18, 2018 | Men's Golf
12 VFLs competed in pro circuits around the world in 2018
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee had 12 men's golf alumni play professionally this season including two on the Web.com Tour and five on the European Tour circuit.
Vol alumni David Skinns and Rick Lamb both had multiple top-25 finishes on the Web.com Tour this season. This included Skinns first career victory on the tour, winning the Pinnacle Bank Championship by two strokes over Sungjae Im in July.
Overall, Skinns finished 41st in the Web.com Tour standings in 2018 playing in 24 events with three top-25 finishes. This included the final event of the season at the Web.com Tour Championship in September. Skinns shot three rounds in the 60s including a final round 65 to help him tied for 21st on the leaderboard.
Fellow VFL Rick Lamb posted two top-25 finishes on the Web.com Tour this season in 14 starts. Off the heels of a top-20 finish at the Rex Hospital Open in June, Lamb landed his four career top-10 finish at the Lincoln Land Championship. The 2013 Tennessee graduate shot 20-under-par to tie for fifth on the leaderboard, carding four rounds of 67 or lower.
Across the pond, 2009 Tennessee graduate Chris Paisley had his best season to date on the European Tour. Paisley had a strong start to the year with three top-five finishes in January carding 11 rounds in the 60s in those events.
Paisley captured his first European Tour win at the BMW South African Open with a 72-hole score of 267 (-21), winning by three strokes over PGA Tour professional Branden Grace. Paisley followed that up with top-five finishes at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
In all, Paisley posted four top-10 finishes and five top-25 finishes on the 2018 season. With the 2019 European Tour schedule already underway, Paisley has finished in the top 25 in both of the events he has played in the month of December.
Ross McGowan, who graduated from Tennessee in 2005, split time between the European Tour and Challenge Tour in 2018. McGowan had a combined five top-15 finishes between the two tours including a runner-up finish at the Challenge de España in May.
His former Vol teammate, Charlie Ford, spent most of the season on the European Tour, making the cut 13 times including three top-25 finishes.
VFLs Garrick Porteous and Lorenzo Scalise also spent time playing in Europe in the 2018 tour season while five other Vol alumni played in different pro circuits around North America.
Vols on Tour
David Skinns – Web.com Tour
Rick Lamb – Web.com Tour
Chris Paisley – European Tour
Lorenzo Scalise – European Tour/Challenge Tour
Ross McGowan – European Tour/Challenge Tour
Garrick Porteous – European Tour/Challenge Tour
Charlie Ford – European Tour/Challenge Tour
David Holmes – MacKenzie Tour
Gibby Gilbert III – PGA Tour Champions
Jim Gallagher – PGA Tour Champions
Mike Nagy – Dakotas Tour/All Pro Tour/West Florida Golf Tour
Chad Merzbacher – Florida Elite Golf Tour
Vol alumni David Skinns and Rick Lamb both had multiple top-25 finishes on the Web.com Tour this season. This included Skinns first career victory on the tour, winning the Pinnacle Bank Championship by two strokes over Sungjae Im in July.
Overall, Skinns finished 41st in the Web.com Tour standings in 2018 playing in 24 events with three top-25 finishes. This included the final event of the season at the Web.com Tour Championship in September. Skinns shot three rounds in the 60s including a final round 65 to help him tied for 21st on the leaderboard.
Fellow VFL Rick Lamb posted two top-25 finishes on the Web.com Tour this season in 14 starts. Off the heels of a top-20 finish at the Rex Hospital Open in June, Lamb landed his four career top-10 finish at the Lincoln Land Championship. The 2013 Tennessee graduate shot 20-under-par to tie for fifth on the leaderboard, carding four rounds of 67 or lower.
Across the pond, 2009 Tennessee graduate Chris Paisley had his best season to date on the European Tour. Paisley had a strong start to the year with three top-five finishes in January carding 11 rounds in the 60s in those events.
Paisley captured his first European Tour win at the BMW South African Open with a 72-hole score of 267 (-21), winning by three strokes over PGA Tour professional Branden Grace. Paisley followed that up with top-five finishes at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
In all, Paisley posted four top-10 finishes and five top-25 finishes on the 2018 season. With the 2019 European Tour schedule already underway, Paisley has finished in the top 25 in both of the events he has played in the month of December.
Ross McGowan, who graduated from Tennessee in 2005, split time between the European Tour and Challenge Tour in 2018. McGowan had a combined five top-15 finishes between the two tours including a runner-up finish at the Challenge de España in May.
His former Vol teammate, Charlie Ford, spent most of the season on the European Tour, making the cut 13 times including three top-25 finishes.
VFLs Garrick Porteous and Lorenzo Scalise also spent time playing in Europe in the 2018 tour season while five other Vol alumni played in different pro circuits around North America.
Vols on Tour
David Skinns – Web.com Tour
Rick Lamb – Web.com Tour
Chris Paisley – European Tour
Lorenzo Scalise – European Tour/Challenge Tour
Ross McGowan – European Tour/Challenge Tour
Garrick Porteous – European Tour/Challenge Tour
Charlie Ford – European Tour/Challenge Tour
David Holmes – MacKenzie Tour
Gibby Gilbert III – PGA Tour Champions
Jim Gallagher – PGA Tour Champions
Mike Nagy – Dakotas Tour/All Pro Tour/West Florida Golf Tour
Chad Merzbacher – Florida Elite Golf Tour
Players Mentioned
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