GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Drew Williams put the finishing touches on an impressive 54-hole performance today as the University of Tennessee at Martin golf team posted its third consecutive top-five tournament finish at the Loyola Intercollegiate.
Williams matched his career-best score for the second time in three rounds in this tournament, turning in a 68 (-4) that included six birdies on the day. The freshman out of Greensboro, Ga. finished eighth in the field of 116 participants with an overall score of 209 (-7), leading the Skyhawks in par-4 scoring (3.93, -2) for the event.
“I am extremely proud of Drew,” UT Martin head coach Austin Swafford said. “He played the best tournament of his young Skyhawk career. The future is bright for Drew – he showed a glimpse of the kind of golfer he can be in our program for many years to come.”
Jackson Twerdahl also established a new career-best score today as the redshirt senior from Nolensville, Tenn. registered a bogey-free 68 that included four birdies on the scorecard. His redshirt senior teammates Jonathan Xoinis (73, four birdies) and Ethan Ray (74, two birdies) amassed countable scores for UT Martin during today’s third and final round.
The Skyhawks carded a 283 (-5) in Round 3, going under par for the third time in as many days. Overall, UT Martin was responsible for the second-most pars (166) in the field, finishing fifth in the 19-team standings with an 849 (-15) – its third straight top-five team finish dating back to the fall semester (fifth at the LaTour Intercollegiate on Oct. 21-22, fourth at Pinetree Intercollegiate on Oct. 14-15).
“This was a good start to the spring season with three rounds under par and a top-five finish in a talented, deep field,” Swafford said. “The team played with great effort and intensity this week – it’s great to see those red numbers. This gives us something to build off of moving forward.”
Xoinis managed his second top-20 finish of the season with an overall tally of 212 (-4). The Chattanooga, Tenn. native finished 16th and ranked in the top-10 in the tournament with 16 birdies (fourth), a 3.08 par-3 scoring average (sixth) and a 4.33 par-5 scoring average (ninth). Twerdahl generated his fourth top-20 finish in 2024-25 as his 213 (-3) was good enough for 19th in the player standings. He ranked third in the entire field in pars (38) and sixth in par-3 scoring (3.08, +1).
Luke Caldwell, who shot a 77 today, finished the tournament with a 218 (+2) while tapping in the third-most pars (38) in the event. Ray shot a 229 (+13) for the tournament while John-Gregory Wilson shot a 223 (+7) as an individual thanks in large part to his best round of the event (73 with three birdies) today.
The Skyhawks are right back at it next week, taking part in the Gulf Coast Collegiate in New Orleans, La. on Feb. 24-25.