SALISBURY, N.C. --- Due to heavy rains overnight in the Salisbury area, Monday's play at the 2017 South Atlantic Conference Men's Golf Championship has been cancelled.
The tournament committee met Monday morning and the decision was made to complete the SAC Championship as a 27-hole event. Over four inches of rain has accumulated over a 24-hour span, resulting in flooding on the back nine of the Country Club of Salisbury. A majority of the holes on the back nine, especially holes 11-14 are still underwater and have been deemed unplayable.
In Sunday's opening round, 49 of the 60 competitors completed play with 11 golfers still needing to finish. Those players will complete their rounds beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
The final round, which has been shortened to nine holes, is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. on Tuesday with groups teeing off on Hole No. 1. Tee times for the final round have been established based on the current standings.
Tusculum was one of the nine teams to finish play on Sunday as the Pioneers posted a score of 297 and are currently tied for sixth place in the 12-team field.
Tusculum senior Cameron Dugger carded a two-under par 69 and shares the first round lead.
Carson-Newman, who is one of the three teams still on the course, currently leads the overall competition as the Eagles are at even par.
Queens University of Charlotte is in second place as the Royals finished Sunday's round with a team score of 288 (+4). Newberry is also at four-over par as the Wolves have four golfers yet to complete their opening round. Coker is fourth at 290 (+6), while Lincoln Memorial is in fifth place at 11-over par with four players still on the golf course.
Tusculum and Brevard are tied for sixth at 297, followed by Wingate (301), Anderson (302), Mars Hill (308), Catawba (315) and Lenoir-Rhyne (319).
Dugger shares the clubhouse lead with Gilberto Pena of Queens who also fired a two-under par 69. There is a six-player logjam at one-under par, while nine players overall are within two shots of the lead.
Dugger posted a one-under par 34 on his outward nine with birdies on two of his first three holes and a bogey on the fifth hole. He recorded birdies on three of his first six holes on his inward nine, but suffered a double-bogey six on the par-four 16th hole. He bounced back with back-to-back pars on his final two holes to post a one-under par 35 on his second nine.
Tusculum's David Whinery posted a 74 and is tied for 19th place in his SAC Championship debut. The senior duo of Taylor Smith and Preston Tucker each posted rounds of 77 and are tied for 35th place. Senior Chris Hutson shot 81 and is tied for 52nd to round out the Tusculum scoring.
Tuesday's final round will be the final SAC Championship for Tusculum head coach Bob Dibble, who will be retiring next month after 28 years at the helm of the TC golf program.
