Rhys Davies doesn’t realize he is only a sophomore in his second collegiate season. Instead, he is playing golf like a savvy veteran.
Davies, currently ranked fourth nationally, recently won his second tournament in two weeks and is quickly becoming a legend in the already prominent ETSU men’s golf program.
Davies won the Seminole Collegiate Classic on March 6 in Tallahassee, Fla. This victory was his second college victory in two years.
“I played great for the first two rounds and headed into the last round with the lead,” Davies said. “My final round was alright, except for the weather, but I headed into my final hole with a nine-shot lead.”
The first two days of competition posted nice Florida-style weather, with little or no cloud cover. This gave Davies a chance to take control of the leader board. He fired a 3-under-par 69 on the first day, and a 5-under 67 on the second day.
Davies was the leader after the first two rounds and was optimistic about his chances to win heading into the final round.
“I knew that since I had the lead I didn’t need to play great the last day,” Davies said. “I just needed to play my game and not make any mistakes.”
The final round brought rain and windy conditions. Davies wasn’t worried when he heard the weather warning overnight, but realized he needed to adjust his game to meet the weather. Davies shot a 1-under 71, but believed he played just as well as the previous two days.
“To be honest I played a really good round, I was 4-under with one hole to go and made a triple bogey,” Davies said. “I still won by six shots though.”
Not one to be content with just one victory in the spring season, Davies headed into the Gen. Jim Hackler Invitational in Myrtle Beach with an optimistic game. Davies shot an opening round 2-under-par 70 and was tied for the lead. The second round had about the same results, with Davies shooting a 1-over 73, still tied for the lead heading into the final round of play.
“The course was a lot tougher than normal.,” Davies said.”The course actually hosts PGA tour events. It’s set up difficult; the greens are very severe, and the pins were tucked away on slopes, making the course play really tough.”
Davies teed off before the rest of the leaders in the final round. He had a bad start, finishing the first eight holes at 2-over par. Davies managed to birdie the next four out of six holes, and nearly eagled the 14th. This stretch put him right back in the mix of leaders. Davies finished his round and waited at the driving range for the rest of the golfers to finish. Bucs coach Fred Warren told Davies he had won by one shot.
“Mentally I was prepared for a playoff if there was a tie,” he said. “If I wasn’t, the player who I would compete against would be fresher than me because he was still on the course, and I had been waiting.”
Davies completed this two-week stretch by winning Southern Conference Player of the Week both weeks. The 2003-04 freshmen of year has finished in the top five in five of six of the events he has competed in this season. Davies is handling his success with great appreciation, realizing the golfers that have played for this program. When asked how he would handle being regarded as a legend in just his second year, Davies said, “That’s very special, there have been some top-quality players at ETSU. To be regarded in the same bracket as them is great. I hope I can keep up what I’m doing and move forward, these complements are really pleasing and encouraging.”
The Bucs have had more than 10 players go pro in the past.
Davies realizes this and knows that it is a possibility for him as well.
“I don’t think it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “I want to finish my degree.

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