June 15, 2009

Cullowhee, N.C. - Ricky Stout led a trio of Western Carolina men's golfers with a fourth-place finish at the 49th Annual North Carolina Amateur Championship played over the weekend at the par 72, 7,210-yard Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, N.C. The New Bern native posted a four-round score of five-under, 283, at the 72-hole stroke play event.

Stout finished tied with four others in the final standings, five strokes behind the overall tournament winner, Matt McMillen of Smithfield, N.C.

A rising senior for the WCU squad, Stout entered the final day sharing the tournament lead with East Carolina's David Watkins after opening with three-consecutive rounds under par. He shot a six-under, 66, on the opening 18 and followed it up with a one-under 71 and a two-under 70 before closing the tournament with a four-over 76 on the final day.

The Catamounts' Tanner Briele finished tied for 13th overall in the 142-golfer field with a two-under 286 (72-70-72-72) while teammate Kyle Wilson rebounded from a three-over, 75, on the opening day to shoot par-or-better over the final three rounds to finish tied for 16th at one-under, 287.

T 4 Ricky Stout 66-71-70-76 = 283 (-5)
T13 Tanner Briele 72-70-72-72 = 286 (-2)
T16 Kyle Wilson 75-72-71-69 = 287 (-1)