Vols defeat Sooners 5-3 in match play

NORMAN, Okla. The Tennessee Volunteers men's golf team defeated the Oklahoma Sooners in match play competition this weekend in San Diego, Calif.

The contest featured a four-ball competition at Aviara Golf Course on Friday, and five one-on-one matches at The Crosby National Golf Club on Saturday with eight total points contested.

In Friday's rounds, the Sooners took an early 2-1 lead after Justin Fraley and Shawn LaFontaine defeated the Vols' Ben Spickard and Jonathan Mount, and the team of Brodie Flanders and Phillip Bryan took care of Lloyd Campbell and Charles Ford. Tennessee picked up one point as Tino Weiss defeated Nick Sheedy in a one-on-one match.

On Saturday, the Sooners and Vols played five individual matches with Tennessee coming away with four points and winning the competition 5-3.

Phillip Bryan earned the only points for Oklahoma on Saturday, defeating Charles Ford, 2 and 1.

The rest of the Sooners' squad made things interesting until the end. Two of the final four matches on Saturday came down to the final hole, as Flanders and Fraley fell to Weiss and Spickard, respectively, 1-up.

Campbell defeated Sheedy, 2 and 1, and Mount beat LaFontaine, 3 and 2, to round out the scoring.

“It was a really close match that came down to the last hole in two of the matches,” OU head coach Jim Ragan said. “It was a really great experience and an opportunity to play some wonderful venues. It was good to have some competition early in the season. I think it is very beneficial to our program to have an opportunity to do that. The players really enjoy match play and I feel like we'll be better because of it.”

The Sooners will head to Hawaii, Feb. 8-10 for The Big Island Intercollegiate Invitational.