Senior walk-on claims individual Sun Belt title, Coastal Carolina aims for NCAA berth

Over his first three years at Coastal Carolina, Morgan Deneen was a business student in the school’s PGA Golf Management program, longing to be on the men’s golf team.

This year, as a senior who was finally given a chance to walk onto the team by first-year coach Jim Garren, he’s a conference champion.

Deneen followed up his record-breaking 63 on Monday with a 4-under 67 on Tuesday to run away with the Sun Belt Conference’s individual title, winning by seven shots with a 10-under 203 at the par-71, 6,887-yard Raven Golf Club at Sandestin Resort in Florida.

“I’m definitely living out a dream right now,” Deneen said. “It is a little bit surprising but I knew it was out there on the course. ... I knew my game was there and I was ready for it.”

Deneen’s 8-under 63 Monday set the Sun Belt Conference Men’s Golf Championship 18-hole round scoring record and matched Zack Byrd’s CCU 18-hole program record, and his 10-under 203 set a new conference tournament record.

“It was a pretty rough night knowing I had a three-shot lead going into the final round. It was a position I hadn’t been in before at this level,” Deneen said. “What calmed me down was thinking how I could contribute to the team score, because that was our main goal coming down here.”

Deneen’s performance helped Coastal earn the top seed in Wednesday’s match play final four that will determine the conference’s team champion, which will earn an automatic berth into an NCAA regional.

The Chants finished 54 holes of stroke play 26 shots ahead of runners-up Texas-Arlington and Georgia Southern at 7-under 845 following an 8-under 276 in the third round, and will face fourth-place South Alabama in the match play semifinals beginning at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern) Wednesday. Semifinal winners will play for the title Wednesday afternoon.

“The Job’s not finished yet,” Deneen said. “We’re anxious to go. A lot of us are playing really good golf. ... It’s really promising. Tonight’s going to be tough. There’s a little anxiety with the guys, looking forward to hopefully a 36-hole day and having it end with a ring on our fingers.”

Deneen, of Tustin, Calif., made a three-putt bogey Tuesday on the second hole, but followed it up with a 15-foot birdie putt on the third hole and additional birdies on holes 5, 8, 10, 13 and 14 before a closing bogey. Deneen posted 20 birdies for the championship, which was five more than any other player, and qualified as an individual for an NCAA regional with his conference win..

“This was a truly special day for Morgan,” said Garren, who inherited just five players when he was hired to take over the program last summer. “Not just what he did this week, but his whole story is just tremendous. To think that guy was sitting on our campus as a regular student for three years waiting to be found. He put on an absolute clinic today. He played high-level golf and never let the situation get to him to win in dominating fashion.”

CCU sophomore States Fort of Evans, Ga., has been nearly as impressive this week. After opening with an 80, Fort closed stroke play with rounds of 67 and 65 to earn a tie for third at 1-under 212, two shots behind runner-up Tripp Summerlin of Appalachian State.

Fort made nine pars on the front nine and birdied six of his final nine holes for his career-best 6-under 65. He had only had two rounds in the 60’s before this event and his 212 total is a career-best by five strokes.

Thadd Obecny II tied for ninth at 2-over 215, Luis Ruiz, who tied for medalist honors after 54 holes last season, tied for 17th at 219 and Daniel Overas tied for 37th at 225.

The 54-hole team win is CCU’s first since claiming the 2013 Big South Championship, and the 845 team total is the fourth-best 54-hole score in school history.

“As great as the last three days have been, a new golf tournament starts tomorrow,” Garren said. “We have to look past what just happened and focus on South Alabama.”

This story was originally published April 24, 2018 at 8:03 PM with the headline "Senior walk-on claims individual Sun Belt title, Coastal Carolina aims for NCAA berth."