Strong final round results in sixth place finish for Bonnies at Atlantic 10 Championship :: Payne earns All-Conference honors with top 5 finish

May 4, 2008

Final Results|Tournament Statistical Leaders|Media Results

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - They say a team should be a direct reflection of its head coach. In Sunday's final round of the Atlantic 10 Championship at Orange County National Golf Center, St. Bonaventure was exactly that, as it showed the hard work and determination of its leader Steve Campbell.

Striding the par 72, 6,882-yard Panther Lake Course along side Campbell for the final time, the Bonnies sent their coach out in style with their best round of the weekend and the second-best round of the day with a four-under par 284 to finish in sixth place on Sunday.

The Bonnies were within two strokes of third place late in the round, but slipped back to their final spot during a close finish over the final three holes. Second place through sixth place were separated by just nine strokes.

"I'll remember this weekend for the rest of my life," said Campbell following Sunday's round. "Not just because of how proud I am of the way we competed over these three days, but for getting to spend time with this team. I couldn't have dreamt up a better way to end things than to be with these players, these coaches and their families."

Charlotte claimed its third straight A-10 crown, finishing at 27-under par (837) for the tournament. Dayton (860) started the day in second place and held on thanks in part to the play of Rob Chappell (64-73-68/205) who earned medalist honors. Rhode Island was the only other team to finish under-par and wound up in third. Xavier (284) and Richmond (283) recorded the other two low rounds of the day playing with the Bonnies and finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Junior Brennan Payne concluded a marvelous tournament with a three-under par 69 to finish in a tie for fifth place individually. Payne's top five finish earned him A-10 All-Conference honors on his birthday. The Arcade, N.Y. product was amongst the tournament leaders in nearly every statistical category. Payne played the course's par 5s (#2, #7, #10, #14, #18) at five-under par and was just one of five players to play the par 4s (#1, #3, #5, #8, #9, #12, #13, #16) at under par. He was team's most consistent player over the weekend, finishing under par all three rounds 71(-1)-71(-1)-69(-3)/211(-5) thanks to 37 pars and 11 birdies.

"Brennan was on top of his game from start to finish this weekend and his All-Conference honor is well deserved," said Campbell. "St. Bonaventure golf is in good hands with Brennan as a senior next season."

Fittingly, seniors Andy Whalen and Ryan Swanson finished their illustrious four-year careers with nearly identical scores throughout the weekend. The duo has helped produced 10 tournament titles during their time wearing the Brown and White. Individually, they have combined for 32 top 10 finishes and 37 top 20s, participating in every event in their careers.

"It's hard to put into words what Andy and Ryan have meant to not only the program, but me as a coach," Campbell said. "These two were thrown into the mix from the minute they came to campus and like everything they do, they handled it with pride and class. I'm awfully proud of the men they've become and for having the honor to coach them."

Whalen concluded his final round as a Bonnie with back-to-back birdies on No. 17 and No. 18 to finish the day at even-par 72. Whalen's three-round 74(+2)-72(E)-72(E)/218(+2) put him in a tie for 17th overall. The Conklin, N.Y. native carded 12 birdies in the tournament to finish fourth amongst the field and was one of nine players under-par (-2) on the par 3s (#4, #6, #11, #15, #17).

Swanson made his living on the par 5s, finishing the course's longest holes at five-under for the weekend. The Sherman, N.Y. native produced rounds of 74(+2)-72(E)-73(+1) for a three-round total of 219(+3) that put him in a tie for 22nd. Swanson was just one-over par on the par 3s and was the lone Bonnie to make an eagle over the 54 holes.

Combined with the play of Payne, sophomore Nathan Peck and freshman Chris Stoddard continued to prove that the future of St. Bonaventure golf is bright. Peck put on a clinic for the first 14 holes on Sunday, playing the course six-under without a bogey. The final four holes caught up to Peck as he finished with his best round of the tournament at two-under par 70. Like Whalen, Peck finished with 12 birdies on the weekend leading the team in par 5 scoring (-6). Peck's solid finish moved him up to 27th position with a 54-hole score of 221 (74-77-70).

Stoddard's arsenal of ability was on display on Sunday as he carded his best score of the weekend with a one-over par 73. Stoddard finish second on the team with 36 pars in 54 holes at his first A-10 Championship. His three-round 76(+4)-78(+6)-73(+1)/227(+11) put him in a tie for 37th.

St. Bonaventure concluded its final season under the 15-year reign of Campbell with three tournament wins in the fall, marking the third consecutive season with at least three wins.