Tennessee men’s golf delivered a solid three-round performance at the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial, finishing fourth behind a standout performance by junior Bruce Murphy.

The No. 14 Vols finished the tournament at 20-under-par, behind winner No. 2 Virginia (-39), No. 25 Florida State (-26), and No. 45 SMU (-23) at Birdwood Golf Course in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Murphy led the way for the Vols, finishing at 12-under and third individually. Murphy was consistent all tournament, posting scores under par in every round. Murphy set the tone early, opening the tournament with a bogey-free 7-under 64. Murphy would follow up his electric opening round with back-to-back rounds in the 60s with four birdies in each of those rounds.

Murphy’s performance was one of his strongest finishes of the season and provided a major boost for a Vol lineup that was in contention all tournament.

Senior Lance Simpson finished his tournament at 2-under, tying for 22nd individually. Simpson came out firing in round one with a 3-under 68 that included five birdies. A second round 1-over-par performance slowed his momentum down, but he bounced back in the final round with an even-par performance, highlighted by an eagle on a par four.

Freshman Luke Smith would also shoot 2-under, tied for 22nd individually. Smith finished all his rounds at even-par or better, including two 1-under performances highlighting his consistency. Smitch carded four birdies or better in every round.

Senior Josh Hill added a solid performance, finishing at 1-over, tied for 33rd individually. Hill showed resilience in round one, starting his tournament with two bogeys in four holes, and fighting back with three birdies to finish his first round under par.

Freshman Chase Kyes rounded out the Tennessee lineup with a 2-over performance, tied for 37th individually. Kyes had an up-and-down week, but his 3-under 68 in round two was the Vols’ best score of the round.

As a team, the Vols maintained a consistent level of play throughout the tournament. Tennessee was one of only three teams to finish under par in all three rounds. This steady performance allowed the Vols to remain in contention all tournament, ultimately earning a top-five finish in a field featuring multiple ranked programs.

The Vols will look to maintain this strong form and momentum into the SEC Championships and postseason.

Tennessee will tee it up next at the SEC Championships on April 22 at Sea Island Golf Course in St. Simons Island, Georgia. Depending on the results from the first three rounds (April 22-24), the Vols could play until April 26 as they chase an SEC Championship.