Guhne signs one during early period for 2019-2020 roster

The Chattanooga Mocs men’s golf team recently signed junior college transfer Matt Smith. Smith, currently a freshman at Wallace State Community College, has three years of eligibility remaining.

Getting Smith became a priority according to Coach Mark Guhne because of the three years remaining. It was apparent that committing to the student-athlete now made the relationship possible.

“We’re excited to get Matt on board for the next three years,” Guhne shared. “There were a lot of Power 5 conference schools talking to him, trying to get him to wait another year to evaluate him further. We believe in what Matt brings to our team. I think that commitment was as important to him as it was to us.”

Smith flew under the radar during his high school career at Clements High School (Athens, Ala.). He made a huge impression in the fall capturing the NJCAA Division I national Preview during the fall. He shot a final round 67 (-5) to win by two with a 4-under total of 212. He also tied for third in the Wallace State Invitational turning in 6 under with cards of 72, 69 and 69.

He was a four-time County Champion and AHSAA Class 3A Section All-tournament during his Clements career. He qualified for the state tournament as a junior and senior claiming top fives both times. There were 14 top five junior finishes as he was the 11th-ranked junior in Alabama in 2018, No. 4 is his graduating class.

“We missed out on him in high school,” Guhne added. “When I say we, I mean a lot of Division I coaches. Matt has the ability to be a major contributor.”

The Mocs return to the tee on Feb. 10 in Palm City, Fla. They take on the field at the UNCG Banyan Creek Collegiate, a three-day, 54-hole event. The squad had one team and individual win in the fall, both coming at the Memphis Intercollegiate. Oliver Simonsen’s school-record 21-under performance (195) led the team to 13-under 851.