Former Buccaneer Cannon leads Blazers to golf title
UAB junior Will Cannon had a record-setting performance at The Goodwin in Stanford, Calif., leading the Blazers to a tournament championship and earning his first Conference USA Men’s Golfer of the Week honor.
The Hoover High graduate guided UAB to a team title while also tying for first place individually among the field of 24 teams. Cannon finished the tournament with a 197 (-13) to tie for a UAB school record 54-hole score.
He shot under 69 in all three rounds, including a career-best 62 (-8), which also ties for a school record 18-hole score. He never fell below eighth in the individual standings and moved into first after the second round.
Cannon carded an eagle and 17 birdies, second highest among individuals, over the three-day tournament. His career-best second round included an eagle, six birdies and 11 pars.
He also tied for a school-best 36-hole total with a 128 (-12) through the first two rounds of play. His performance led UAB to a record-setting 817 (-23) team total, which is 10 strokes better than the previous record set in 2007.
“I am really proud for Will to be co-champion at The Goodwin,” head coach Alan Murray said. “It was as impressive an individual performance that I have witnessed during my time at UAB. To finish at the top of such a strong field is something Will should be very proud of.”
The individual performance was the best of his career, and it came against some of the top golfers in the nation.
“It feels incredible to have a great finish like that,” Cannon said. “That is why we all practice and play, to be able to put yourself in that situation and have a chance to win. It is very satisfying that the hard work is paying off. The Goodwin is one of the best fields in the country so it is encouraging, not only for me but everyone on this team, to compete with some of the best players. Overall the week was just awesome. It was one of the best weeks I have ever had.”
Cannon said he hoped it would be a stepping-stone for the UAB men’s golf team as the Blazers prepared for the Conference USA Tournament and a possible fifth straight trip to the NCAA Regionals.
“I think first off, this tournament gives all of us a lot of confidence,” Cannon stated. “We had been finishing right around that fifth place area all year and to be able to win a tournament like this is big for us.”
It wasn’t all work for the Blazers as Cannon and the rest of the team were able to experience some of California’s sites during the stay on the Pacific coast.
“We had a lot of fun,” Cannon said. “We got to go over to San Francisco to see the Golden Gate Bridge. I have never been to California so that was really cool to go see that. One day we went go-karting so it was a lot of fun, we had a great time.”