The Skyhawk golf team finished eighth at the Comfort Inn and Suites Belmont Intercollegiate April 3-4 after falling behind early and struggling to recover after a disappointing first round.

“The first round we played was awful,” head coach Jerry Carpenter said. “We just spotted everybody about 10 strokes in the first round and you can’t do that and make a recovery.”

Poor weather had a severe effect on the tournament, which was played at the Old Natchez Country Club in Franklin.

“I’m going to say this in defense of everybody, the first day was played on a very wet course and with 25 mph winds,” Carpenter said. “The conditions were not ideal at all.”

“The wind was blowing 20 or 30 mph,” said sophomore Robert Lents, who tied for first among UTM golfers. “It was hard to put the ball on the green.”

The team’s play improved in the second and third rounds. The Skyhawks’ third round score was fourth best.

The Skyhawks again struggled on par-3s, although Carpenter said the team made some improvements. “It was a small improvement, but par-3s still hurt us scoring wise,” he said.

The Skyhawks led all teams in eagles, carding five for the tournament.

“I would say that consistency has been a problem. We’ve played as well as anybody at times, but at (other) times we’ve struggled,” Carpenter said.

Belmont, the host, won the tournament with an 854. Eastern Kentucky was second with an 866 while Tennessee Tech placed third with an 870. The Skyhawks carded an 890.

Tennessee Tech’s Scott Stallings was the tournament’s medalist after defeating Cleveland State’s Steve Weir in a one hole playoff. Stallings and Weir both shot a three round 7-under-par 206.

Two UTM golfers finished in the top 20. Lents and junior Hunter Prescott both shot a 7-over-par 220 and tied for 16th.

Lents’ third round 3-under-par 68 was the best round by any Skyhawk. Lents shot a 7-over-par 78 in the first round and a 3-over-par 74 in the second.

Prescott shot a 4-over-par 75 in both the first and third rounds and a 1-under-par 70 in the second.

Senior Reise Kelly and junior Jason Bell both shot an 11-over-par 224 and tied for 29th. Kelly carded rounds of 77, 73 and 74 while Bell had rounds of 77, 70 and 77.

Junior Trey McNeil tied for 48th with a 16-over-par 229 on rounds of 75, 79 and 75. Freshman Bradley Stevens finished 51st with a 17-over-par 230 on rounds of 79, 78 and 73.

The Skyhawks return to the greens at the St. Louis University Billiken Invitational at Gateway National Golf Course in Madison, Ill. April 9-11.