Injuries end Mount’s UT career

Whatever the University of Tennessee men’s golf team accomplishes the 2007-08 season will be done without senior Jonathan Mount.

Not wanting to let the Vols down with future tournament withdrawals, Mount has decided take a medical exemption scholarship and give up his golf scholarship to another player. The former Kingston High School standout has battled a left-knee injury the last two years.

“That is the real spirit of a true Volunteer,” said Tennessee men’s golf coach Jim Kelson. “And Jonathan Mount has been all of that and more in his career here at the University of Tennessee.”

Mount had a career scoring average of 73.46 thanks to 19 rounds playing under-par golf. He was All-SEC second team in 2005 and co-medalist at the 2005 Shoal Creek Intercollegiate alongside accomplished amateur Rhys Davies of East Tennessee State.

“We have a great squad, and I’m going to hate not being there,” said Mount. “But that’s one thing I’m going to have to step up and accept, just go on from here and rehab and try to make a career after school.”

Mount’s streak of injuries began in June 2003 when he broke a bone in his right hand. Twice in March of 2004, he hit tree roots during competition and re-injured the hand. He had surgery in April of 2004 and red-shirted the following season.

During that hiatus, the Tennessee training staff made note of a small hole —osteochondritis dissecans — in a bone in Mount’s left knee. Nothing was done at the time because he experienced no problems. However in May of 2006, pain arose in the knee, and Mount withdrew from the NCAA East Regional. He underwent surgery a month later.

“I had five bone fragments in there that needed to be removed,” said Mount. “It was like somebody was taking a poker and, every time I walked, was stabbing me in the knee.

“I knew the team needed me at East Regional. I tried to step up and rise to the occasion and try to tough it out. But the pain was pretty unbearable. It was at the point where I couldn’t walk anymore.”

In September of 2006, Mount bent down to pick up a ball and his knee gave out while at the Shoal Creek Invitational. Another withdrawal ensued. A first-round 67 at the Augusta State Invitational this past April gave hope to a possible recovery. But the next day, Mount stepped off a curb and his knee buckled. He withdrew for the final time.

He had thoughts of playing in the SEC tournament, the NCAA Regional and the NCAA championship this past spring, but practice rounds proved too taxing and he never started the tournaments.

Mount will work toward a master’s degree and a full recuperation this fall. A test of the mini-tour waters may be in his future but only when his leg and game are “good enough.”

“It’s been a hard road here at Tennessee,” said Mount. “But Tennessee’s been great to me. They stuck by me the whole way. I’d like to thank them for that.”