Louisville stays hot by taking title in Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate; Penn State finishes 12th, Villanova 15th

   Continuing to build on last spring’s run to the NCAA Championship, Louisville had to go really low and did so to capture the team title in the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate, which wrapped up Sunday at the Blackthorn Club at the Ridges in Jonesborough, Tenn., for its second straight tournament success.

   The Cardinals, out of the Atlantic Coast Conference, finished up with a 12-under-par 276 over the 7,147-yard, par-72 Blackthorn Club at the Ridges layout to finish a whopping 34-under with an 830 total to hold off host East Tennessee State by five shots. It’s the first time Louisville has won two straight tournament titles since it captured team crowns in its first two events of the 2006-’07 season.

   The Bucs, behind individual champion Jack Rhea, a junior home boy from Jonesborough, Tenn., fired the best team round of the weekend, a 19-under 269, in Saturday’s second round to take the lead before falling back a little in the final round with a 3-under 285 to finish at 29-under 835.

   Tennessee, out of the Southeastern Conference, matched East Tennessee State’s final round of 3-under 285 to finish two shots behind the Bucs in third place at 27-under 837.

   Mississippi, another SEC entry, was four shots behind Tennessee in fourth place at 23-under 841. North Carolina Wilmington finished in fifth place at 21-under 843 after posting a 5-under 283 in the final round.

   Penn State’s youthful team got it under par with a final round of 2-under 286 as the Nittany Lions, out of the Big Ten, ended up in 12^th place at 1-under 863. Villanova, out of the Big East, was last in the field of 15 with a 917 total after closing with its best round of the weekend, a 13-over 301.

   Louisville was led by Jiri Zuska, a sophomore from the Czech Republic, and John Murphy, a senior from Ireland, both of whom landed among a trio of players tied for fifth place at 10-under 206. Zuska sparked Louisville’s final-round surge with a sparkling 7-under 65. Murphy opened with a 66 and added a 1-under 71 before closing with a solid 2-under 69 in Sunday’s final round.

   Backing up the top two for the Cardinals was Matthias Schmid, a junior from Germany who matched Murphy’s final-round 69 to end up among the group tied for 18^th place at 5-under 211. Schmid finished in a tie for second in last spring’s NCAA Louisville Regional to lead the Cardinals’ charge to a berth in the NCAA Championship at The Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark.

   Keegan de Lange, a redshirt senior from South Africa, and Trevor Johnson, a senior from Brentwood, Tenn., rounded out the Louisville lineup as they both landed in the group tied for 26^th place at 3-under 213. Johnson’s final round of 1-over 73 was a counter. De Lange struggled a little in the final round with a 3-over 75, but his back-to-back 3-under 69s in the first two rounds put the Cardinals in position to make their final-round run to the title.

   East Tennessee State’s Rhea captured his first collegiate individual title behind a scintillating 9-under 63 in Saturday’s second round. He had opened with a 5-under 67 and closed with a 1-under 71 to finish with a 15-under 201 total.

   UNC Wilmington’s Segundo Oliva Pinto, a sophomore from Argentina, and North Carolina State’s Benjamin Shipp, a senior from Duluth, Ga., chased Rhea home and finished in a tie for second at 13-under 203.

   Pinto, who had opened with a 66, finished up with a 7-under 65 while Shipp, who had opened with a 65, closed with a 5-under 67.

   Tennessee’s Spencer Cross, a junior from Sevierville, Tenn., finished alone in fourth place at 12-under 204. Cross’ final round of 5-under 67 was his third round in the 60s as he opened with a 68 before adding a 69 in Saturday’s second round.

   Joining Louisville’s Zuska and Murphy in the trio tied for fifth at 10-under 206 was Old Miss’ Jackson Suber, a sophomore from Tampa, Fla. Suber’s weekend was highlighted by a 7-under 65 in Saturday’s second round.

   There were a lot of birdies being made at the Blackthorn Club at the Ridges and Penn State head coach Greg Nye didn’t feel like his Nittany Lions got enough of them.

   But Ryan Davis, a senior from Berkeley Heights, N.J., got it going in the final round with a 6-under 66 that tied his collegiate low round and vaulted him into the group tied for 15^th place at 6-under 210. Davis, winner of the 2018 Met Amateur, had opened with a 1-under 71 before adding a 1-over 73 in Saturday’s second round.

   Fellow senior Alec Bard of New Bedford, N.Y. opened with a 3-under 69 and added a 1-under 71 before closing with a 2-over 74 to finish in the group tied for 32^nd place at 2-under 214. Junior Lukas Clark, a Council Rock South product, finished among the group tied for 63^rd place at 5-over 221 after closing with a 3-over 75. Clark had a pair of 73s in the first two rounds.

   Freshman Brady Pevarnik, who finished in a tie for ninth in the PIAA Class AAA Championship to wrap up his scholastic career at Greater Latrobe a year ago, made his college debut for Penn State as Nye has continued to give members of his strong freshman class a chance to get into the lineup. Pevarnik finished a shot behind Clark in the group tied for 67^th place after adding a pair of 73s to his opening-round 74.

   Rounding out the Penn State lineup was James McHugh, a junior from Rye, N.Y. who closed with his best round of the weekend, a 1-under 71, to finish in the group tied for 71^st place at 226.

   Another member of Nye’s freshman class, Ben Smith, who also closed out his scholastic career at West Perry in last fall’s PIAA Class AAA Championship, made his college debut as he competed as an individual in the Bank of Tennessee. Smith shook off the nerves in the final round with his best round of the weekend, a 2-over 74 that left him among the group tied for 76^th place at 228.

   Villanova might have been in a little over its head at the Blackthorn Club at the Ridges, but head coach Jim Wilkes likes to challenge his players and playing against some top-notch Division I competition will only help the Wildcats down the line.

   Reb Banas, a junior from Winnetka, Ill., led the way for Villanova as he followed up a pair of 77s with a final-round 78 to end up in the group tied for 76^th place at 228. Mark Benevento, a redshirt senior from Ocean City, N.J., was a shot behind Banas in the group tied for 79^th place at 229. Benevento’s best round of the weekend was a 2-over 74 in Saturday’s second round before he struggled to a final-round 79.

   Matt Minerva, a freshman from Elmsford, N.Y. who has had a successful start to his college career this fall, closed with a 3-over 75 after posting a pair of 78s in the first two rounds to finish among the group tied for 83^rd place at 231.

   Jack O’Hara, a sophomore from Loudonville, N.Y., finished alone in 85^th place with a 235 total after carding a final-round 77. O’Hara’s best round of the weekend was a 4-over 76 in Saturday’s second round.

   Noah Peck, a sophomore from Hunt Valley, Md., rounded out the Villanova lineup. Looks like he was a no-card in the opening round before posting a 4-over 76 in Saturday’s second and closing with a 3-over 75.