GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum men's golf team won the inaugural Pioneer Classic with a school record score of 553 (-7), including Sunday's final round 280. The two-day, 36-hole event was held at the par-70, 6,085-yard Nolichucky View Golf Course.
Senior Brad Hawkins led the Pioneers as he captured medalist honors with a school 36-hole record 132 (-8). He followed up Saturday's school and South Atlantic Conference record round 63 with a one-under par 69 on Sunday. Hawkins' 132 bests the TC record 133 he set in the first two rounds of last month's State Farm Intercollegiate.
Tusculum won the team title by 20 shots over second place Tennessee Wesleyan (573). Walters State finished third with 580, followed by Brevard B (605) and Lincoln Memorial B (634).
Hawkins held off a Sunday charge by teammate Nick Forsberg, who finished runner-up with 68-67=135 (-5) for the third-lowest 36-hole score in program history.
The 553 shatters the previous team record of 563 which was established at the Tusculum Fall Classic on three separate occasions, with the latest coming at the 2014 event.
TC junior Taylor Smith joined Hawkins and Forsberg on the All-Tournament Team with 69-70=139 (-1) to finish in fourth place. Preston Tucker worked his way into the top-10 with 73-74=147 to tie for ninth place. Chris Hutson rounded out the team scoring with 73-78=151 for 17th place.
Freshman Zac Bombassi, playing as an individual competitor, also finished tied for ninth with 70-77=147. Also playing as individual competitors were senior Samuel Davis (73-82=155) and Cameron Dugger (82-75=157), who finished 21st and 23rd, respectively.
The Pioneers return to action in the spring as they compete at the Richard Rendleman Invitational (Feb. 29-Mar. 1) in Salisbury, North Carolina.
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