Eagles Open Spring with Spectacular Third Place Finish

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Golf opened their 2023 spring season with a third-place finish at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate in Sevierville, Tennessee. The Screaming Eagles used a strong final round to move back into the top three as they finished with a team score of 879 (+15).
 
Sophomore Jason Bannister (Laguna Niguel, California) finished the tournament tied for second with a school tying record 54-hole score of 211 (-5), 68-72-71. Bannister also tied the second lowest 18-hole score after his first round 68. He also became second in USI history with his 36-hole score of 140. He was also just one of eight competitors in the tournament to record an eagle, which he did on his final hole of the tournament, recording a three on the par five third hole. He finished the tournament tied for third in total pars made as well as third in average par-five score, 4.50, and second in average par-three score, 2.75.
 
Bannister was joined in the top ten finishers by teammate senior Zach Williams (Mt. Vernon, Illinois) who used a third round 71 to vault him into a tie for ninth with a score of 218 (+2), 74-73-71. Williams also finished tied for fifth in average par-four score on the tournament, 4.07.
 
Junior Trevor Laub (Edwardsville, Illinois) and freshman Carter Goebel (Breese, Illinois) both finished tied for 32nd on the tournament after finishing with a 225 (+9). Laub finished tied for third in average par-three score, 2.83, while Goebel finished with the second most pars scored in the tournament, 39.
 
Juniors Bryce Kirchner (North Vernon, Illinois) and Jace Day (Bloomington, Indiana) rounded out the tournament for the Eagles. Kirchner finished tied for 51st with a 229 (+13) while Day finished in 58th with a 231 (+15).
 
USI as a team would finish the tournament with the third lowest average par-four score, 4.18, and finished third in total pars scored, 171.
 
Up Next for The Eagles:
USI heads to Gulf Shores, Alabama on March 26-28 to compete in the Craft Farms Intercollegiate hosted by the University of South Alabama at the Craft Farms Golf Club.