Senators finish 15th, Butler earns All-Tournament honors at NJCAA DII Golf Championship

PLYMOUTH, IN – Walters State shot its best round of the tournament on Friday in the final round of the NJCAA DII Golf Championship, and the Senators finished in 15th place.

As a team, Walters State shot 10-over in its final round and finished the tournament at 73-over.

Maddox Butler led the way for the Senators, finishing in a tie for 15th place at eight-over. Butler shot two-under in Friday's round, birdieing the difficult 573-yard par-5 fourth and the par-5 fifth. Butler also birdied the eighth hole on the front-nine, and he had birdies on the 14th, 15th and 18th holes on the back-nine. Butler's finish was good enough to earn All-Tournament honors.

Along with Butler, Ayden Smith finished in a tie for 39th at 12-over. Smith shot three-over in his final round, birdieing the first and 15th holes. 

Next for the Senators was Alex Gaetz in a tie for 87th place at 26-over. Gaetz birdied the fourth hole in his round and shot eight-over par over the 18 holes. 

Rounding out the team were Greyson Smith and Blake Dawson, both finishing in a tie for 102nd place at 33-over. Smith shot three-over on Friday, making 13 pars and birdieing the 12th hole. Meanwhile, Dawson shot six-over in his final round and birdied the sixth hole. 

The Senators closed the season with wins in the Bill Gardner Fall preview, the Northeast Tennessee Spring Shootout and the NJCAA DII Southeast District Tournament. Walters State ranked No. 8 in the Clippd rankings and had nine Top Three finishes.