Men's Golf

Golf Finishes Fourth at SSC Championships

Wednesday, April 12th, 2006

SAINT LEO, Fla. - A fourth-place finish at the 2006 Sunshine State Conference Golf Championships puts the Eckerd College men's golf team on the bubble for further post-season competition. The Tritons, whose three-round team score of 914 placed them one stroke out of the top three, will await word from the NCAA selection committee to determine whether their season will continue at the NCAA Super Regionals, which will be held May 1-3 in Duncan, Okla. Eckerd served as the host institution for the SSC Championships held at Lake Jovita Golf Club.

Lynn University won the men's team competition with a team score of 890, 17 stokes ahead of second-place finishers Rollins College. Florida Southern College placed third. Dan Walters of Rollins won the individual medal, shooting a combined 218 with a final round low score of 69 (-3).

Leading the Tritons through two windy days of play were senior Danny Allen and sophomore Donnie Troy, who tied for tenth place (228). Teammates Conor McMahon, Joe Meglen and Wil Torres were not far behind, shooting 230, 231 and 235, respectively.

The top eight teams in the South Region will earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Eckerd is not currently ranked in the region, but did finish the SSC Tournament ahead of Barry University and Florida Tech, each of whom are currently in the top eight in the region. If the Tritons are selected for the NCAA Tournament, it will be the first time in the program's history.

For complete results, please visit http://www.sunshinestateconference.com/scores.html#golf.

Bill Buttner Named SSC Coach of the Year

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – When Eckerd College golf coach Bill Buttner finally gets his own office he will have at least one plaque to hang on the wall.

Buttner was voted Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year on Wednesday, following a remarkable turnaround that caught the eye of coaches and sports information directors from around the league.

Over a nine tournament schedule the Tritons set a new school record with a 300.12 average per round, topping last year’s mark by more than eight strokes. Eckerd’s third place finish at last week’s SSC Tournament was the team’s best in four years.

Buttner, who graduated from the University of North Carolina, took over the Eckerd golf program three years ago following a 15-year professional playing career, which included six on the PGA Tour.

With a keen eye for talent and an abundance of good humor, Buttner utilized the few resources he inherited to elevate his program. His quest for greener pastures began by overcoming the lack of training facilities.

“We didn’t have golf courses, we didn’t have driving ranges, we didn’t have facilities on campus,” Buttner said.

What he did have was plenty of sunshine and a good reputation in the community.

Instead of building a central base on campus, Eckerd gained access to multiple golf facilities and courses around the greater St. Petersburg area. Instead of pulling talent from the existing body of students, Buttner is luring recruits from around the world.

“That’s been my main selling point, the fact that we get sunshine,” Buttner said. “We’re used to being a non-recruiting program and just using whatever was on campus. There was no recruiting per se.

“Since I’ve been here I’ve met with a lot of people that are interested in the school but also interested in the program. I’ve yet to meet someone that was interested in the program but not interested in the school.”

Buttner’s first recruiting class of freshmen Donnie Troy, Conor McMahon, Justin May and junior transfer Niclas Rockmann all played a significant role in Eckerd’s quick transformation into an SSC contender.

Rockmann, a native of Dusseldorf, Germany, won the individual portion of the SSC Tournament and was named to the first team All-SSC. Rockmann led the team with a 73.75 average and a season-best 65 round.

“We’re probably a year ahead of pace I think, simply because we have better players. Better players is the name of the game. It’s not like there is coaching strategy. Once you’ve picked your players, they’ve done this before.”

Sophomore Danny Allen and Troy also contributed to Eckerd’s success this year. Allen led the Tritons placing fifth individually in the UNICCO Spring Invitational at Nova Southeastern University, helping Eckerd to finish fourth as a team. This season, Allen led the team with the second lowest scoring average with 74.69. Troy finished third individually in the 15th Annual Eagle Invitational, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Allen finished fifth, in which brought Eckerd to a second place finish, out of 17 schools. Troy finished the season, third on the team with the lowest average score of 75.39. Allen and Troy share the second lowest career score on the team with 69.

McMahon and May have also competed in tournaments with strong individual results. May finished 10th in the UNICCO Spring Invitational at Nova Southeastern University. McMahon finished 15th in the 2004 Saint Leo Fall Preview.

Buttner was pleased with the team’s progress this season. Eckerd finished first in Golfstat’s Division II Freshman Class Impact Rating with an average score of 75.43.

“These three freshmen are going to build the foundation for a consistent and steady program of the next few years.”

Buttner was selected to spearhead the Eckerd women's golf program and will become a full-time member of the athletic department staff this fall. Eckerd women’s golf will begin competition in the fall of 2006.

FINAL RESULTS
Men's Golf - SSC Championships (Hosted by Saint Leo University) 

2005 Southeastern Collegiate @ Valdosta State University
@ Kinderlou Forest, Valdosta GA.
Tournament Dates: April 4-5, 2005  
Par:          72     72     72              
Yardage:  7289 7289 7289