University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Eagles Win Raising Cane Classic By 20
9/10/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
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Eagles Win Raising Cane Classic By 20
Hattiesburg, Miss. - Coach Steve Johnson and his Golden Eagle golfers ran away with the championship at the 3rd Annual Cellular One Raising Cane Classic at the Canebrake Golf Club, winning the 17-team, 54-hole event by 20 strokes with team rounds of 287-282-279--848. It did take Michael Soroka a little longer to claim medalist honors.
He and teammate, Justin Emil, finished the tournament with identical three-under-par 210 totals, and Soroka needed three extra holes to claim the title. Both players bogeyed the first sudden death hole, both birdied the second and Soroka birdied the third to win. He finished the event at 71-67-72--210, and Emil was at 70-70-70--210. Teammate Shane Rushing finished in a fourth place tie at one-under-par 71-72-69--212.
Justin Elliott (76-73-71--220) finished in a tie for 22nd, and Matt Wofford (76-72-76--224) in a tie for 42 to round out Golden Eagle scoring.
Southern Miss won the tournament last year by a stroke, 850-851, over Jacksonville State, behind medalist Tim Yelverton's 206 total. Louisiana-Lafayette won the first event two years ago.
Sam Houston State (288-283-297--868) and Jacksonville State (293-285-290--868) tied for second and Memphis (294-294-281--869, and Tulane (289-287-295--871) rounded out the top five.
Louisiana-Lafayette's Brett Ashmore finished third at 69-72-70--211, and Arkansas-Little Rock's Jeremiah Shields tied Ruffin at 71-72-69--212, to round out the top five.
Johnson felt his Eagles were playing well early. "We all got off this morning and the first time I checked, we were four under as a team after four holes," he said. "So I thought we had a chance to shoot a really good number. It's an good indication that you're being consistent when you post the best round all three days of the tournament. This was a strong field, and I'm really encouraged about the direction our program is headed. We made some errors during the tournament and that gives us something to work on, but, all-in-all, we played well."
