DECATUR, Ala. — Junior All-SEC performer Chris Wells and senior Andrew Lanahan combined for a 54-hole total of 17-under par 409 to win the collegiate team championship Saturday at the 38th-annual Spirit of America Golf Classic at Burningtree Country Club.
In all, 34 two-man teams representing universities from across the country gathered to compete in this Alabama Golf Association and Golfweek sanctioned event. The team of J.J. Wood and Michael Baird of Pepperdine finished 13 strokes back in second place with a 4-under 422.
For their efforts, the BCC College Scholarship Fund will make a scholarship donation of $5,000 to benefit the LSU men’s golf program.
“It was our goal to represent LSU well and to show the pride we have in our school and our program,” Lanahan said. “We got off to a real fast start and never looked back from there. It was one of our goals to win that competition and we did.”
Wells agreed with Lanahan and added that the two seemed to feed off each other’s success as the tournament progressed.
“We played together in three of the four rounds and we seemed to feed off each other,” Wells said. “We just kept trying to push each other the whole weekend. I’m proud of the way we played, and it means a lot for us and our program.”
However, their success was not limited to the team competition as the par 71 course also played host to a 72-hole individual championship featuring 150 participants.
Wells finished in second place with an 11-under 273, including a tournament-best 7-under 64 in the first round, while Lanahan fired four rounds under par to finish one stroke back in third place with a 10-under 274.
Wells posted rounds of 64, 74 and 66 in the first three rounds to take a one-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round, but was unable to hold off Scotty Campbell of Arkansas for the title. Wells shot a 69 in the final round, while Campbell fired a 67 to win the tournament by one stroke with a four-day total of 12-under 272.
“I had him on the front nine, but he came out and birdied holes 10, 11 and 13 to start the back. He made a run, and I just tried to hang in there and play my game,” Wells said. “Even though I didn’t win I’m happy with the way I played. I had three solid rounds and it gives me a lot of confidence as I play the rest of the summer.”
Lanahan fired rounds of 66, 69, 70 and 69 to finish in third place and said he was pleased with the consistency he was able to show throughout the tournament.
“It was good for me to play well and stay consistent out there,” Lanahan said. “I had to redshirt last season because of injury, and it shows that a lot of hard work has paid off. I’m definitely looking forward to playing the rest of the summer and next year.”
Wells and Lanahan will return to action in the 33rd-annual Rice Planters Amateur Golf Tournament at Snee Farm Country Club in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., July 6-9.