MSU Finishes Second At OVC Men's Golf Championship

Monday, April 27

Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Shoals GC(Fighting Joe)

Murray State

Host-Jacksonville State

4/30/2009 1:15:00 AM | Men's Golf

The Murray State Racers were unable to keep a back-nine lead and finished second at the 2009 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Golf Championship in Muscle Shoals, Ala. at The Shoals GC Fighting Joe course.

The Racers finished the 54-hole tournament with rounds of 289-296-293=878 and finished one shot behind champion Austin Peay who had scores of 298-292-287=877.

“This is very hard to take after we had played so well even up to the final nine holes,” MSU Head Coach Eddie Hunt said. “We tip our hats to Austin Peay. That back nine they played was outstanding and they finished very strong.”

Indeed, the Racers were victims of a red-hot APSU team that was able to overcome a five-shot deficit with nine holes to play to win by a single stroke. The Govs made 12 combined birdies coming home, while the Racers made six. APSU was a combined five-under par on the back and the Racers were one-over par.

The Racers were led by Jared Wolfe who finished fourth and was named to the OVC All-Tournament Team after rounds of 72-75-70=217.

Chris Griffin and Mitchell Moore each finished seventh in the field of 45-competitors. Griffin shot 72-73-76=221, while Moore carded scores of 72-75-74=221. Nick Newcomb placed 13^th with scores of 73-73-77=223.

Eddie Hunt was named the OVC Coach of the Year in vote by his fellow coaches.

MSU's Cameron Carrico had a final round 71 to go with a first round 73, but his second round score of 71 was disallowed after he signed an incorrect scorecard following a penalty.

The call was controversial because its timing.

Carrico wasn't informed of the penalty until after he signed his scorecard.

The ruling cut what would've been a seven shot lead to five entering the final round.

“That situation no doubt was something that hovered over our team,” Hunt said. “It was unfortunate.”

Gonzalo Berlin of Jacksonville State was the individual medalist with scores of 74-68-72=214.

The final round of the OVC bash had two long rain delays.

The first delay came at 11:10 a.m. when heavy rain rolled through north Alabama dumping more than an inch of rain on the Robert Trent Jones course. Play resumed at 12:40 p.m. but competitors were chased from the course again at 1:50 p.m. by more heavy showers. Once play resumed at 3:05 p.m. there were no more problems with the weather.

MSU's desire to claim their first OVC title since 1991 will have to wait another season.

The Racers say goodbye to senior Mitchell Moore (Hopkinsville, Ky.), but return the rest of the squad.

“I'm excited about the team we have coming back and the competition with our other returners and incoming recruits will be very good for next season,” Hunt said. “I want to thank Mitchell Moore for all he has given to our program over the last four years, he has been a joy to coach.”