Chattanooga Men’s Golf Signs Two

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s golf program announces the signing of two high school student-athletes to compete beginning Fall 2009 on Monday. The in-state duo of Steven Fox and Alex Ratliff are lauded by Head Coach Mark Guhne as the building blocks for replacing a veteran squad after 2009-10.

“We currently play two seniors and two juniors,” said Guhne, three-time reigning Southern Conference Coach of the Year. “It is vital to keep bringing in the caliber of player that has built this program to compete on a national level.

“Steven and Alex both possess the game to make an immediate impact as well to build upon for years to come.”

Fox was a 2008 District Champion at Hendersoville High School. Highly recruited in the Southeast, he held the No. 1 ranking in Tennessee this fall. Fox is a Tennessee State Amateur Junior Champion and has not finished outside the top 10 in a completed tournament in two years. He was named to the National High School Golf Coaches Association Boys All-America team.

Ratliff posted eight wins over the course of the last year in catching Guhne’s eye. The Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett product won the 2008 District and Region Championships and was an all-state selection. Ratliff set a tournament record with a 16-under par total of 200 (69-63-68) at the Ridgefields Invitational over the summer.

The Mocs return to action Feb. 14-15 at the Gator Invitational in Gainesville, Fla. The 54-hole event is hosted by the University of Florida on the UF Golf Course.

Moc Golfers Ranked No. 1 in Golfweek/Sagarin Index

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—The Chattanooga men’s golf team is the top ranked team in the country according to the Golfweek/Sagarin Ratings Index. The No. 1 ranking is a first in the Division I era for any Mocs program.

“This is very special for me,” said coach Mark Guhne. “We have talked about being the best team in the country and trying to build this program to that level, but for it to be actually recognized as such...it is very humbling.

“We still have a lot of work to do, but I could not be prouder of our players because it’s their hard work being rewarded.”

Chattanooga won its first two tournaments of the season with a tournament record 45-under par finish at the Aldila Scenic City Invitational and topping a stellar field at the prestigious Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic at the Farm in Rocky Face, Ga.

The Mocs lead the computer-generated Golfweek ranking followed by Arkansas, Kansas State, Baylor and Tennessee. South Carolina is sixth as Illinois, Clemson, Michigan and Florida round out the top 10. Chattanooga is 4-0 against top 10 teams, 32-0 overall.

It is certainly a team effort for the Mocs, but individually true freshman Stephan Jaeger is No. 41. Seniors Ben Rickett and Jonathan Hodge are No. 66 and 67, respectively.

Chattanooga returns to action on Sunday at the Ping/Golfweek Preview at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. The Preview is played at the site of the 2009 NCAA Championships in May. It includes 15 of the top teams entering this season.

The Ping/Golfweek Preview is a 54-hole event played Sunday, Sept. 28, through Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Chattanooga Golf Earns School’s Highest Ranking

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.-It’s not where they hoped to be ranked, but the Mocs men’s golf team is ranked No. 5 in the country by the Golfweek/Sagarin Ratings Index in the first ratings of the season. It is the highest ranking achieved by a Chattanooga program in the Division I era.

The Mocs opened the season with a bang, winning the Aldila Scenic City Invitational at Council Fire Golf Club with a record 45 under par score of 819. Chattanooga followed by out-classing the Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic field by five shots with an even par 864. The Carpet Capital featured four preseason top 10 teams (including then-No. 1 Georgia) and eight in the top 20.

After such an impressive start, there were visions of No. 1 in the heads of the Mocs faithful.

“Is it disappointing?” asked coach Mark Guhne. “In some ways yes, but I’m not too concerned about being ranked No. 1 in September, especially after two events. We want to play consistently well and earn the top spot throughout the season.

“I could not be prouder of our effort to this point.”

Texas and LSU are tied for the top spot in the rankings followed by Washington, Arkansas and Chattanooga. Tennessee follows at No. 6 with Iowa, South Carolina, Cal and Colorado rounding out the top 10.

Individually, the Mocs feature three top 50 players. Freshman Stephan Jaeger begins his career at No. 24. Senior Ben Rickett is at a career high No. 36 closely followed by Jonathan Hodge at No. 37.

Chattanooga is next in action Sept. 28-30 at the Ping Preview at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. The tournament is played on the same course as this Spring’s National Championship.

Mocs Capture Carpet Capital Collegiate Title

ROCKY FACE, Ga.—It wasn’t easy, but the No. 12 Chattanooga Mocs captured their second title in a week with a five-stroke win at the prestigious Carpet Capital Collegiate at The Farm in Rocky Face, Ga. The field had eight top 20 schools with four ranking in the top 10, including top-ranked Georgia.

Chattanooga had a three-shot lead entering the second round and got off to a rocky start. UTC lost its lead and fell down the leaderboard a bit before righting the ship and doing so in impressive fashion.

If one shot could turn the tide, then freshman Stephan Jaeger’s hole-in-one on the 243-yard eighth hole with a three iron might have sounded the alarm.

“We needed something big there and that did it,” said Head Coach Mark Guhne. “It recharged us and got the juices going.”

The steady play of Jonathan Hodge had its usual impact as he started the day two-over par through six holes before going on to finish his day with a team-low round of 70 (-2).

“Jonathan was fantastic today,” added Guhne. “He continues to prove himself as one of the top golfers in the nation. He was absolutely clutch.”

Chattanooga’s even par 864 topped second-place Tennessee by five shots. No. 13 South Carolina finished in third, six strokes back, while No. 7 Clemson, who played in the final group with UTC, came in fourth by eight shots. The Mocs defeated No. 6 Florida by nine, No. 20 Alabama by 11 and No. 1 Georgia by 12.

“I wish I knew the right words to express how I feel right now,” concluded Guhne. “This is a very special event to me, one I targeted as an event we needed to elevate our program to just be a part of when I took over four years ago. To win it amazes me.

UTC's Hodge, Rende Earn All-Region Honors

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—University of Tennessee at Chattanooga golfers Jonathan Hodge and Derek Rende were named to the PING All-Region for the South Region by the Golf Coaches Association of America. It is the first such honor for a Mocs men’s golfer.

“It is well deserved,” said Head Coach Mark Guhne. “I couldn’t be prouder. It is always gratifying to see your players’ hard work and effort get the recognition it deserves.”

Hodge, a junior, repeated as Southern Conference Golfer of the Year after winning three times in 2007-08 as well as leading the Mocs to five team titles, both school records for wins in a season. A sophomore, Rende earned all-conference honors after winning SoCon Freshman of the Year in 2007.

PING All-South Region

Matt Cook, Western Carolina
Jonas Enander Hedin, Charlotte
Rhys Enoch, East Tennessee State
Brendan Gielow, Wake Forest
Keith Guest, Augusta State
Chesson Hadley, Georgia Tech
Matt Hill, NC State
JONATHAN HODGE, Chattanooga
Phillip Mollica, Clemson
Corey Nagy, Charlotte
Henrik Norlander, Augusta State
Kevin O’Connell, North Carolina
DEREK RENDE, Chattanooga
Sam Saunders, Clemson
Michael Schachner, Duke
Gareth Shaw, East Tennessee State
Webb Simpson, Wake Forest
Kyle Stanley, Clemson
Cameron Tringale, Georgia Tech
Jurrian Vander Vaart, Virginia Tech
Stefan Wiedergruen, Charlotte