March 17, 2002

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. - The Wake Forest men's golf team won the Birkdale Collegiate Classic after rainy weather cancelled the final round on Sunday. The Demon Deacons led the 18-team field after two rounds on Saturday, shooting a six-under par 570. Wake Forest won with a two-stroke lead over second-place Missouri and a four-stroke lead over third-place Georgia Southern and Virginia.

Hosted by Davidson College, the event took place at the par 72, 7,013-yard course at Birkdale Golf Club. The Deacons finished second at the event last season.

Deacon sophomore Bill Haas (Greer, S.C.) captured individual medalist honors after leading the field with a six-under 138 after Saturday's action. It marked the first collegiate victory for Haas, who has placed second four previous times in his first year and a half of competition.

Haas, who carded a field-low 66 in Saturday's first round, followed that up with an even 72 to finish one stroke ahead of two players tied for second place - Old Dominion's Geoffrey Harris and Virginia's Steve Marino, who were knotted at 139.

Junior Chad Wilfong (Thomasville, N.C.) posted a fifth place finish with a three-under 141 after turning in rounds of 70 and 71. Another WFU junior, Brent Wanner (Chatham, Mass.), finished 16th with an even 144 (68-76). Senior Jay Morgan (Choctaw, Okla.), competing as an individual, also finished 16th with rounds of 73 and 71.

Junior Cortland Lowe (Augusta, Ga.) placed 49th with a six-over 150 (77-73), while junior Chris Yoder (Ashland, Ohio) was one stroke behind in 52nd place with a 151 (78-73).

The Wake Forest men's golf team, ranked third nationally in both the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) poll and the GolfWeek/Sagarin Performance Index, returns to action next weekend, when it travels to Statesboro, Ga. for The Schenkel/E-Z-Go Invitational.

Birkdale Collegiate Classic
Birkdale GC * Huntersville, N.C.
par 72 * 7,013 yards
(final round cancelled due to weather)

1st Wake Forest 281-289 570 -6
1st Bill Haas 66-72 138 -6
t5th Chad Wilfong 70-71 141 -3
t16th Brent Wanner 68-76 144 E
t49th Cortland Lowe 77-73 150 +6
t52nd Chris Yoder 78-73 151 +7

t16th Jay Morgan (Ind.) 73-71 144 E