NEED TO KNOW:
Piedmont Leader: 2nd: Doug Gugel, 71-74-72 = 217 (+1)
As a Team: 1st of 6
Event Information: 6 teams; 30 golfers
The Course: Dalton Golf and Country Club (Dalton, Ga.): Par 72; 6,790 yards

DALTON, Ga. - Piedmont men's golf erased an eight shot deficit to track down rival Huntingdon and take home the Collegiate Conference of the South Championship Title on Wednesday afternoon in Dalton.


 

Hey Gugel, who are the CCS Men's Golf Tournament Champions? ??@GolfLions posts a remarkable final round 285 to win by three strokes, overcoming an eight stroke deficit entering the final day! pic.twitter.com/EnQlOOBtVD

— Piedmont Lions (@PiedmontLions) May 1, 2024

The Lions blitzed the course with a blistering final round team score of 285 (-3), the best for the team over the entire 2023-24 season. Piedmont counted three of the four rounds at par-or-better with a 75 as the final counting score.
 

Senior Eric Penland delivered his career-best round of 4-under 68 on Wednesday. Penland caught fire down the stretch, playing his final nine holes in 4-under without a single bogey after going out in even par 36. The hot closing stretch for Penland moved him into solo third place on the individual leaderboard.


 

?? POURS. IT. IN. ??

Penland with a final round 68 ???? pic.twitter.com/mnCN2x6R26

— Piedmont Golf (@GolfLions) May 1, 2024

Connor Lane also played his best golf when it mattered most, going out first on Wednesday and setting the pace with a birdie at the first. Then after making five consecutive pars to begin his back nine, Lane drove the green on the par-4 15th and rolled in the eagle putt to vault the Lions into a three-shot cushion late. He then made another birdie at the 17th and closed with par for a career-best round of 2-under 70.

 

Entering the day just two shots off the individual lead, freshman Doug Gugel joined the birdie barrage at No. 1, chipping in from off the green to set his day off on the right foot. Although the freshman made four bogeys on the day, he followed the final three of those with a birdie to bounce back.


 

The freshman delivered in the clutch!

Hear from Doug Gugel after his 2nd place finish ?? pic.twitter.com/gpzxmyXOCI

— Piedmont Golf (@GolfLions) May 1, 2024

After Gugel made a bogey at the par-4 17th, he found the fairway with his drive at the last. With the Lions leading by two shots and a tough approach over water coming, he stepped up, and found the green.


 

Another ?? is headed back to Demorest!!!

Gugel drains the birdie at the last to slam the door ???? pic.twitter.com/JxUup8AZF8

— Piedmont Golf (@GolfLions) May 1, 2024

Needing just to three putt to secure the title for the Lions, the freshman poured his birdie putt right in the center to put the exclamation mark on an outstanding day for the Lions.

 


Adam Rogers finished with a 3-over 75 and then won a three-man playoff on the second playoff hole to earn the fifth-place All-Tournament Team prize.

Josh Hebrink birdied his first hole and fired a 7-over 79 on Wednesday.

Huntingdon's Stephen Baker held off Gugel with a final round 72 to claim the individual trophy at 1-under par.

This marks Piedmont's first CCS Title in the conference's second season of competition and its second conference title in the past four seasons.

LIONS ON THE LEADERBOARD:
 

1	Piedmont University	293	301	285	879
2	Doug Gugel (5)	71	74	72	217
3	Eric Penland (4)	76	74	68	218
T5	Adam Rogers (2)	72	75	75	222
T8	Connor Lane (3)	76	78	70	224
14	Josh Hebrink (1)	74	79	79	232

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Penland's 4-under 68 marked his first career round in the 60's at Piedmont and was a career best.
- Lane's 2-under 70 was also his career-best round in a Piedmont uniform.
- Gugel earned solo second place, bookending his even par 72 with birdies at the first and last.
- Rogers won a three-man playoff to earn fifth place and CCS All-Tournament honors.

COACH'S CORNER:
- Head Coach Dustin Meadows led the Lions to a CCS Tournament in his first full semester at the helm.

"First I want to say Huntingdon is so well coached by Coach Schreyer. You need a rival to bring the best out of you, and they did that. They will regroup and have a great showing at nationals. 
I told my brother yesterday if we are within ten shots we'd win in a playoff, well they proved me wrong and I'm glad they did I couldn't take too much more. 

I mean this might be the single grittiest performance in a championship I've ever seen. Connor set the tone for us. He's been a leader for us all year and he goes out and birdies the first 2/3 and I just see red numbers going up..and then we had the lead.

That team, these men, the whole team have been through a lot this year. As we saw today they showed up for each other, and I think that's juiced our guys that type of love and support. I'd be remiss if I didn't shout out Coach Peeples. He was an X factor as our assistant out here. I offered him a contract to be the full time assistant. 

We will enjoy this and grow from it. Piedmont golf isn't going anywhere.

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