UNF golf team ranked 19th in the nation

Jeff Wuerth

Assistant Athletics Director

Media Relations

(904) 620-4027

 After an impressive start to the 2009-10 fall season, the University of North Florida golf team is ranked 19th nationally and sophomore Sean Dale second in the initial Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.

Dale shattered the tournament record and captured top honors, and the Ospreys finished second in UNF’s first tournament of the year, the Wolf Run Intercollegiate in Zionsville, Ind., on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12-13.

Jeff Sagarin’s rating system that is utilized by Golfweek is based on a mathematical formula that uses a player’s won-lost-tied record against other players when they play on the same course on the same day, and the stroke differential between those players, then links all players to one another based on common opponents. The ratings give an indication of who is playing well over the past 52 weeks.

Dale has a 65.54 rating and sits behind SMU’s Kelly Kraft at 65.20. The only other UNF individual in the top 150 is freshman Kevin Phelan who sits 127th with a 70.40 rating. Phelan finished tied for 10th at Wolf Run. As a team, the Ospreys have a 69.94 rating. Tennessee tops the country with a 67.89 rating.

“Being ranked this high after one event shows the guys what they are capable of,” said UNF head golf coach Scott Schroeder. “It will be very important to keep working hard and staying focused on what we have to do moving forward to stay one of the best teams in the country. 

“Sean being ranked second in the country is a great start.  He has the ability to beat any player in the country.  Now he has to prove that he can do it every week.  With hard work and good preparation, he will be able to prove that by competing to win week in and week out.”

The Ospreys finished second overall in the 17-team tournament, hosted by the University of Indiana, at the par-71, 7,195-yard Wolf Run Golf Club. UNF shot a three-round 860, 13 strokes behind Illinois, who is ranked No. 7, and 11 strokes ahead of host Indiana.

Dale out-dueled Illinois’ Scott Langley by one stroke for the tournament title, shooting an 11-under 202 (66-69-67) for the title. Dales’ 202 was a tournament record, besting the previous best by eight strokes (3-under, 210).

The next tournament for the Ospreys is the Gary Koch Intercollegiate, Oct. 3-4, in Tampa, Fla. The event, hosted by Kentucky and Auburn, is at the Old Memorial Golf Club.

-UNF-