Sports

Cavaliers leading home tourney

• The three-time defending national champion Darton College golf team leads its only home tournament of the season by six strokes after Day 1.

Scott Chancey

ALBANY - Darton College golfer Matt Smith received some encouraging words from coach Dale Dover on Friday.

After struggling with his confidence for most of the year, the former Colquitt County standout scored his best round of the spring, carding a 1-under-par 71 to tie Georgia Southwestern's Adam McKenney for the first-round lead in the Darton Invitational on Saturday at Stonebridge Golf & Country Club.

Darton, the three-time defending NJCAA Division II champion, leads the team competition with an 8-over 296, ahead of GSW by six strokes. At stake is Darton's third victory this spring after placing second in three others. The Cavaliers won their previous match in the Andrew College Spring Collegiate Tournament.

Smith, who birdied the first and fourth holes but three-putted at No. 15 for bogey, even had a flair for the dramatic at No. 4. He holed out from the greenside bunker and it went in for that second birdie.

"It was one of those shots you just hit and say, 'Wow, that's a good shot,' " Smith said. "I had been struggling for about eight months now. And (Saturday), I had a glimpse of what I could do."

McKenney, who earned medalist honors last fall at a home meet against Darton, had four birdies and two bogeys. Both Smith and McKenney fared relatively well on the greens, finishing with 28 and 29 putts, respectively.

"Lately I've been struggling with my putter, but after birdieing the first hole, that made me think it might be a good day," McKenney said.

McKenney even had an eagle attempt at No. 5, missing from 50 feet and settling for birdie from eight. And on No. 9, he sank a 30-footer for his final birdie.

Georgia Southwestern coach Stan Shurling, whose team also beat Darton at last fall's home meet, likes McKenney's chances this weekend, however.

"He's a good putter," said Shurling, whose team concludes its season today.

"He had been struggling and had been frustrated about his putts lipping out.

They've been rolling good, I just told him to keep rolling them that they would fall."

The Cavaliers' Chesley Gunn is tied for second at 72 with teammate Andy Lewis, who entered the tournament as an individual. Gunn, who had 34 putts, felt he just had bad luck on the green.

"I hit the ball really well, I just couldn't make the putts," he said. "(Today) is another day, though. Maybe they'll fall in."

Lewis, during his round, finished with five birdies as well as five bogeys, including two bogeys on par 5s along the back nine. He did, however, like his short game, converting on 8-of-10 up-and-down opportunities.

"My putting saved me," said Lewis, who had 27 putts and made a 40-footer at No. 15 with a ball that had landed between the fringe and the rough's first cut.

Although Smith played well as Darton's No. 5 player and Gunn at No. 2, top-seeded player Coleman Calhoun - a first-team All-American last season - shot a 4-over 76 and No. 3 Jin Chung shot one shot worse at 77.

Fourth-seeded Aaron Elrod finished at 79.

What made things even more stressful for Dover were the scores posted by Lewis and Evan Hanna (74), that would have counted toward the team totals had they not been playing as individuals.

"We could have used them (Saturday), couldn't we?" he quipped. "We don't know who our No. 1 player is."

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