PSCýs Affleck finishes third at National Golf Tournament

Scottsboro, AL- Potomac State College golfer Brian Affleck came up one hole short on his quest to be the first ever National Golf Champion for the school.  Over the four day event at Goose Pond Colony Golf Club, Affleck posted a tournament best 5 under par 283 but was tied at the end of 72 holes with David Griffin of Rend Lake and Jin Chung of Darton College.  On the first playoff hole Affleck bogied as both Chung and Griffin went on to par.  Griffin later won the sudden death playoff on the second hole with a par.  Affleck was the 54 hole leader by two shots, but posted a 73 to let the other two golfers back in it.  The round was full of chances, as Affleck made the turn at -1 and then posted his only over par score on any nine during the event to finish out the competition.  On the 18^th hole Affleck hit the pin on his second shot which setup a birdie opportunity that could have won the tournament.  He went on to make par and headed to a playoff.  "He played really well," said Potomac State Head Coach Aaron Edwards.  "He had a great game plan all week and coming down the stretch stuck to it.  It just turned out the putts did not fall the last few holes and that is just how golf is sometimes."  Brian still managed to break several Potomac State records along the way and was also named First Team All- American.  He is the first PSC golfer to be awarded this honor.

The PSC team also finished with a school best 1200 over of the four days, and placed 10^th in the Nation.  Both of these marks are also school records.  The PSC team featured 4 sophomores on the team and one freshman.  "This has been a great two years, and we have set many records over this time period.  The group of guys I have had over the past few years have been great, and they have left their mark on the PSC campus and golf program."  Helping Affleck were Freshman Luke Dempsey who finished in 29^th place, Brendan Dillon, Matt Pellillo, and Travis Kidwell.  "The team came into this event with high expectations, and we leave with some great memories and a solid finish," said Coach Edwards.  The Catamounts were ranked 4^th in the nation heading into the event, and while they did not quite reach this ranking, they still managed to shatter the school record and also grab a first ever top ten finish.

The event included many records as Affleck tied the single round record of 68 (-4) that is also held by Thomas Facciani during the 2004 National tournament.  Affleck also went on to break the best finish at the national tournament as well as the 72-hole record.  The team broke the 72-hole record by 31 shots as well as posting the best ever finish at the national tournament. 

Overall, the season featured a strong cast of golfers that will be in the record books for a while, and has brought a lot of excitement to the team.  Next year the Catamounts look to rely on sophomore leader Luke Dempsey as the lone returning player on a team that will feature a very young squad.  The Catamounts look to continue the great success that the past few years have brought and look to continue the great tradition of the program.

The 2009 All-Tournament Team and All-Americans are listed below:

All-Tournament

18.  Jackson Davison, Grand Rapids CC (+6)

17. Ryan Cyplik, St. Clair County CC (+6)

16. Aaron Elrod, Darton College (+6)

15. Travis Shooks, Grand Rapids CC (+4)

14. Lion An, Darton College (+4)

13. Adam Winwood, South Mountain CC (+3)

12. Marcelo Rozo, John A. Logan College (+3)
11. Jim Uelmen, Oakland CC (+2)

10. Scott Brace, South Mountain CC (+1)

  9. Michael Davan, Parkland College (E)

  8. Tyler Ekenberg, John A. Logan College (E)

  7. Ethan Adamsom, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith  (E)

  6. Corey Ward, Mississippi Gulf Coast CC (-1)

  5. Tom McGrane, Chandler-Gilbert CC  (-2)

  4. Matt Smith, John A. Logan College (-3)

  3. Brian Affleck, Potomac State College (-5)

  2. Jin Chung, Darton College (-5)

  1. David Griffin, Rend Lake College(-5)

All-Americans

Honorable Mention

Travis Shooks, Grand Rapids CC

Lion An, Darton College

Adam Winwood, South Mountain CC

Marcelo Rozo, John A. Logan College
Jim Uelmen, Oakland CC

Second Team

10. Scott Brace, South Mountain CC

  9. Michael Davan, Parkland College

  8. Tyler Ekenberg, John A. Logan College

  7. Ethan Adamsom, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

  6. Corey Ward, Mississippi Gulf Coast CC

  5. Tom McGrane, Chandler-Gilbert CC

First Team All-American

 Tom McGrane, Chandler-Gilbert CC

 Matt Smith, John A. Logan College
Brian Affleck, Potomac State College

Jin Chung, Darton College

David Griffin, Rend Lake College