Sophomore golfer Cecil Wegener claimed the individual title at the All-American Intercollegiate in Houston, earning his first medal for Ole Miss. The No. 49 Rebels finished sixth overall out of 14 teams in the tournament.
The Rebels’ biggest question was who would step up in their first major competition without former standout and 2017 NCAA Champion Braden Thornberry, who elected to forego the spring season to turn pro.
Josh Seiple pitches the ball onto the green during a tournament last season. Photo by Josh McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics
Wegener, Jackson Suber and a few new faces more than held their own in the team’s spring debut.
The tournament was scheduled to have three rounds this past Sunday-Tuesday, but because the final round was rained out the results through the second round became final.
Wegener turned in two under par rounds to finish six under par on the weekend.
The Rebels were sitting at eighth overall after the first round on Sunday. Wegener shot a 70 (-2) with two birdies. Freshman Suber shot a 73 on Sunday, with a team-leading four birdies. Ole Miss shot a 293 as a team.
They came back on Monday ready to climb back up the leaderboard. Wegener took the lead with a 68 (-4), adding a few birdies to bring his team-leading tally to eight. The Rebels had a tie with overall leaders Sam Houston State and No. 34 South Carolina for the lowest score in the round at 290 (+2). They were also second in pars with 118.
Suber moved up to a tie for 12, individually shooting an even par 72 on Monday.
The Rebels climbed two spots in the second round but were unable to continue their ascent when the final round was washed out.
“We are certainly disappointed to not have a chance to make a run at the lead today,” head coach Chris Malloy said on Tuesday. “However, that’s golf, and we need to learn to do a better job out of the gates and put ourselves into a better position.”
Wegener’s two rounds under par were enough to win the individual title, while Suber stayed in a tie for 12, finishing one over par and shooting 145 overall.
“This win a huge momentum builder for me going into the spring season, and it could not feel better,” Wegener said. “Momentum is very important in golf, and I am very excited to capitalize on it going forward and help my team be the best it can be.”
Ole Miss shot a 583 overall (+7), 10 shots above overall winner Sam Houston State. The Rebels also came in behind the hosts Houston as well as No. 37 Baylor, No. 34 South Carolina and Charlotte.
“It teaches us the importance of every single shot. I was very pleased with what I saw out of our younger guys this week,” Malloy said. “Certainly, Cecil played great, but our freshmen got better as well. We will build on this and be prepared as we head into a tough stretch of golf with plenty of great opportunities ahead of us.”
The Rebels will travel to Clearwater Beach, Florida, for their next action in the USF-Ole Miss Challenge on Sunday at the Belleair Country Club.
