No. 1 seed Liberty Flames head off to compete in ASUN golf tournament

The Liberty Flames enter into the ASUN Championship after a strong showing in the Mason Rudolph Championship, where the team tied for sixth place. The Flames saw multiple golfers hit the top 20 during the event as Isaac Simmons breached the top 20 on the first day, along with Austin Barbin in the second day and both Jonathan Yaun and Barbin in the final day.

While the Flames are accustomed to stronger showings at the Mason Rudolph Championship, finishing second in this event last year, the top-10 outing this season gives the team the momentum it needs as it embarks on an ASUN tournament run. 

“We had a solid season, and we’ve been really consistent with our play,” Liberty Head Coach Jeff Thomas said. “All the guys have been playing solid. Moving into the ASUN Championship, we are hoping we can get a couple of players to finish in the top two or three or maybe even get a winner. I think that would help and would increase our chances of winning … If we can just get one or two guys in the top five, then I think that gives us a real good chance to win.”

Of course, Thomas’ confidence runs high in his team, but it’s hard not to be confident in a team that has three seniors who are crucial to the success and have been excellent leaders on the team.

Connor Polender and Barbin are two of the seniors on the team. Thomas made it clear how important they were in mentoring the younger guys and how fulfilling it has been to coach the two players.

“They’ve been here a long time. It’s been an awesome ride with them,” Thomas said.

Another senior that can’t go unmentioned, however, is Jonathan Yaun. Yaun has been a staple player for this Flames’ team for five seasons. The Minneola, Florida, native now looks towards his final ASUN Championship, wanting to go out with a bang.

“I definitely want to win this year,” Yaun said. “I’ve had a couple of good opportunities (to win before) late in the rounds and coming down the stretch, but just haven’t been able to capitalize on making those last few putts under pressure. As I’m practicing, I want to imagine making putts to win and what that feels like so when I get to that moment, I can remember what I practiced and can stay in my process.”

Yaun has been a key player for the Flames throughout his career, being named to multiple ASUN all-conference teams and winning VaSID men’s Golfer of the Year for the first time in program history, as well as many more accolades and accomplishments. If the Flames manage to achieve NCAA Tournament status this season, Yaun would become the first player in program history to go to a National Championship in every year he has attended the school.

“My time here has been crazy, (and) it has flown by,” Yaun said. “I’m just so thankful for Jeff Thomas and Liberty for giving me this opportunity … I’m really excited for this last stretch as a team here, and I think as a team, we could win the ASUN comfortably. We have the talent and the firepower. We have one of the longest teams in the country, and our putting has improved as well.”

Willard is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on Twitter