March 4, 2008

The Lipscomb Bisons golf team has made a splash nationally in the early going of the spring season.

Cody Hale is ranked third nationally in the official GolfStat Poll and the team is ranked 97th in the nation.

"Cody's ranking is really incredible," said second-year Bisons golf coach Buddy Harston. "To be ranked third in the nation in Division I golf at a school the size of Lipscomb is unheard of. Not only is Cody a great talent, but he works on his game as hard as anyone I've been around."

Also spending time in improving his game is Cory Parkinson, the two-day leader and top individual finisher in Grover Page Classic hosted by the University of Tennessee-Martin.

The Bisons finished second as a team after leading the first round.

"Cory's win at UT-Martin was a very gutsy display of precision golf," said Harston. "In Monday's round there were only six scores under par out of 90 due to wet and windy conditions.

"Cory played a bogey-free round with three birdies for a 69. Tuesday's round was played on a wet course with wind and temperatures in the high 30s. Cory shot a 71 in those conditions."

Hale and Parkinson are setting the pace for the Bisons both in tournament play and in practice. Harston stresses what a positive it is that the two are reaping the benefits of their hard work.

"This is a great testament to the dedication and hard work that these two and the entire men's team have displayed," Harston said. "They have practiced and played on their own almost every weekend since the first of the year. It is one of the main reasons the team has broken into the top 100 for the first time in school history."