Ole Miss golf 2018: The GAME OF THORNBERRIES comes to the Carolina low country

Red Cup Rebellion is a golf blog now … at least it will be for the duration this spring as writer-crawlt-out-of-whatever-rock-he-was-under Bunkie Perkins loops for the Ole Miss Golf Team during their Spring 2018 season. This feature will preview the tournament, the courses, the Ole Miss golfers, and the field each week, but more in-damn-portantly, this feature will chronicle the exploits of Ole Miss’ REGINING, DEFENDING, NCDOUBLEA INDIVIDUAL LARGE ADULT GOLFING CHAMPION AND BY GAWD NUMBER ONE COLLEGE GOLFER IN THE SEVEN KINGDOMS ... BRADEN THORNBERRY, FROM CLUBHOUSE OXFORD, FIRST OF HIS NAME, KING OF THE 19th HOLE AND THE FIRST TEE, MAKER OF BIRDIES, THE BREAKER OF PARS, THE RULER AND PROTECTOR OF AN EXPEDITED PACE OF PLAY … LONG MAY HE DRIVE.

The last time we saw our heroes:

The team continued its west coast swing, this time stopping off at the San Diego Country Club to defend their title at the Lamkin San Diego Classic. Repeating as champ was going to be tough given the fact that nine of the top 50 teams would be in the field. As it turned out, there could have been all 50 of the top 50 and it wouldn’t have mattered because Oklahoma State showed up to chew bubble gum and make birdies, and they were all out of bubble gum, shooting a hilarious -44 under and outpacing the field by 32 (THIRTY TWO!) strokes.

Seriously, everyone in college golf is paying for second this year. The NCAA finals are in Stillwater and given the results thus far there’s no real reason to think that the Cowboys aren’t going to birdie everyone to death on their home damn course in May. You might as well mail them the trophy now and skip the formalities.

That ridiculousness aside, the Rebels put up a really nice effort down the stretch, making 17 birdies and two eagles on the final day to jump up to a 4th place finish. Individually, BRADEN THORNBERRY, ESQUIRE registered another workmanlike Top 10 finish at -4 under. The biggest and most pleasant surprise was the play of Freshmen Cecil Wegener. The Jackson Prep product (I’m fairly sure it’s university policy to have someone from Prep or JA on one of the “country club sports” teams at all times), finish with a T-22 finish at +1. That effort earned him his second SEC Freshmen of the Week honor.

Golfweek Rankings:

Team: 41st; Individual: SIR BRADEN THORNBERRY: 14th. Such disrespect.

This Week’s Tournament:

LETS ALL FEEL OLD AND REALIZE THAT EVERY PLAYER IN THIS TOURNAMENT WASN’T BORN YET WHEN THE CRACKED REARVIEW ALBUM CAME OUT. The Hootie at Bulls Bay. Charleston, SC. The Rebs finished second in this tournament in 2017.

The Course:

Bulls Bay Golf Club. Big fairways and penal hazards make up a good part of this Mike Strantz design. The unique course often requires a map to get around, as the probability that you’ll get lost on the property is fairly high. Why would someone do this you ask? Well look at this picture of Mike Strantz I found.

That guy lives in the woods and wants you too as well; you might as well be trying to get in 18 holes while you’re there.

The Ole Miss Team:

BRADEN HOLDMYHANDBERRY (Jr, Olive Branch, MS): Finished T-10 at the Lamkin Sand Diego Classic, including a team low 69 in the first round. Was selected to represent the UNITED DANG STATES OF THESE AMERICAS in the Arnold Palmer cup. The Ryder Cup-style event will be played in July in France. I for one cannot wait to see MONSIER THONRBERRY make that French course surrender in the name of the RED, WHITE, and BY GOD BLUE. The good news keeps on coming for our guy, as it was announced this week that he will also receive a sponsor’s exemption for the Web.com Tour event that is being played at the Country Club of Oxford in April.

Kerry Sweeney (Sr., Melbourne, FL): Bookended some really nice rounds in San Diego, including a -2 under (70) in the final round. Finished T-32.

Chip Getz (So., Paradise Valley, AZ): Great start to the tournament with a -1 under (71) followed by a couple of rounds he’d probably like to forget, so lets just forget about them. Steadfastly, a golfer named Chip.

Cecil Wegener (Fr., Ridgeland, MS): Just a great three days in San Diego for the freshmen. Finished the tournament T-22 at +1, his best finish as a Rebel.

Beau Briggs (Jr. , Covington, La): Sandwiched some nice scores in Rounds 1 and 3 in San Diego to finish T-51 at +6.

Josh Seiple (RS Jr., Castle Rock, CO): Started slow on the week but showed some nice signed of resilience by registering a cumulative +3 in Rounds 2 and 3. Finished T-71.

The Field:

No. 36 South Carolina, College of Charleston, No. 6 Auburn, No. 39 Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky, Georgia St., Wofford, No. 38 Missouri, No. 44 Louisville, Wisconsin, Georgia Southern, No. 40 NC State, Iowa St., and No. 33 Kent St.

Top individuals who are playing for second behind HOOTIE AND THE THORNBERRIES include: No. 10 Stephen Franken – NC State; No. 16 Steven Fisk – GA Southern; No. 26 Hayden Buckley – Missouri; No. 32 Brandon Mancheno – Auburn; No. 39 Jovan Rebula – Auburn,

If you want to follow the action as the Channel 4 News Team defends its title: For whatever reason, Golfstat doesn’t have a link for this week. Follow the up to date results on the Ole Miss Men’s Golf Twitter.

Next Tournament:

The Gary Koch Intercollegiate, Gastonia, North Carolina. If every player doesn’t yell BETTER THAN MOST after every putt then what’s the point of even playing in something with Gary Koch’s name on it.