University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Yelverton Closes With A Rush
5/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Yelverton Closes With A Rush
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss golfer Tim Yelverton saved his best round of the tournament for closing day and took another four shots off his Friday 74, with a two-under-par 70 in Saturday's final round of the NCAA East Regional Tournament at Ansley Golf Club's Settindown Creek Course in Roswell, Ga. His score matched the best round of the final day.
The Golden Eagle senior finished in 66th place in the 141-player field that included 27 teams and six individuals. Yelverton improved throughout the elite event that featured several top-10 teams as well as many of the top individual college players in the country. He went from 136th, after his opening round 84; to 105th, after Friday's 74; and to 66th, after shooting in the best score of the final day. South Alabama's Gareth Maybin matched Yelverton's 70.
Yelverton found today's round satisfying. "I was happy with the way I played today," he said. "I played well from the start of the round. There really wasn't a turning point in my round. I had a lot of birdie opportunities, and made a few putts. It could have been a better round, because I hit 17 greens and had to get up-and-down only once. I started on the back side, had four birdies and two bogeys on the round and birdied my final two holes to get to two under.
"I think the course actually played a little tougher today than it did the first two rounds. I just hit the ball so much more solid today than I did that first day. Coach (Steve) Johnson and I were talking about that first round, and I really don't think I was nervous. I just didn't hit the ball very well, and on that course, it's hard to score if you don't strike the ball well."
D.J. Trahan claimed medalist honors with three-straight sub-par rounds, 69-70-71--210, and top-ranked Georgia Tech came from behind to take an early lead on the final day, but saw Clemson come back to earn a first-place tie, both teams finishing with 12-over-par 876, three-round team totals.
Johnson says Yelverton's improvement shows what kind of player he is. "Tim could have let his first-day 84 ruin his entire tournament," Johnson said. "Instead, he fought back and improved his level of play every day. He started to get accustomed to the course and the grass, and his finish is a testament to the tenacity that has marked his entire Southern Miss career."
