September 23, 2003
Stephen Reed fired a blazing six-under-par 65 in Tuesday's final round to tie for first place at the Mason Rudolph Collegiate at the Golf Club of Tennessee.
Reed's effort helped lift the Aggies into second-place in the final team standings with a 293-284=577 total. Alabama-Birmingham won the title by 14 strokes with rounds of 273-290=563. A&M came into the final round in ninth place.
Reed becomes the first A&M men's golfer to win a tournament since Sean Gilliland captured the 1999 Pepperdine Intercollegiate. Reed's 65 ties for the third-best round in school history.
The senior from Houston entered the final round tied for 15th place, five strokes out of the lead, but pieced together a masterful round that included seven birdies, one eagle and three bogeys. Reed's 71-65=136 total was matched by co-medalist Chris Cousins of UAB (67-69=136).
Starting on the back nine, Reed bogeyed No. 11 before posting three straight birdies on No. 12, 13 and 14. He reached the par-5 17th hole in two, then dropped a 50-foot eagle putt to go to four-under-par.
He birdied No. 1, then followed with a bogey on No. 2 to remain at four-under, then reeled off birdies on No. 5, No. 7 and No. 8 to go to seven-under for the round. Unfortunately for Reed, he three-putted the final hole for a bogey.
"This was a long-time coming for me," said Reed, who twice was a tournament runner-up last season. "I had a real solid round today. I was disappointed to finish with a bogey, but I'm happy with how I played. I really putted well both days, but I just didn't seem to score yesterday like I did today."
A&M sophomore Andrew Parr also had a strong performance, tying for 12th with rounds of 75-70=145. Parr tied for fourth in the Aggies' opener earlier this month in New Mexico.
Also for the Aggies, senior Parker Briley (74-76=150) and junior David Schultz (73-77=150) tied for 43rd and senior David Tasker (79-73=151) tied for 53rd.
Behind UAB and A&M in the team standings were South Carolina (580), Vanderbilt (584), Mississippi (586), Kentucky (589), LSU (590), Baylor (590), South Carolina-Aiken (590), Georgia State (595), College of Charleston (598), Florida State (598), Furman (600), Rhode Island (600), Alabama (605), Virginia (606), North Florida (618) and Navy (622).
"I'm really proud of the way our guys played," A&M coach J.T. Higgins said. "After not playing well on Monday, we came back focused today. We played the par 5s exceptionally well. Stephen was just magnificent. He led the charge and played like the senior leader we need him to be this season."
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