Seniors Get Last Crack At OVC Fame

Live Scoring I OVC Tournament Central I The Shoals GC I Tournament Program

The Murray State men's golf team takes on an 11-team field starting Monday at the 2016 Ohio Valley Conference Championship at The Shoals Golf Club in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

The Fighting Joe course at The Shoals will again be the challenge for the field of 55 players in the 54-hole event that plays 18 holes each day Monday through Wednesday (April 25-27). The winner advances to the NCAA Tournament to represent the OVC and this year's event finds the Racers trying for their first title since 2010.

Head coach Eddie Hunt sends a veteran lineup to the conference bash that includes a quartet of seniors and a combined 24 rounds of experience over the last three years.

Murray State Lineup
Preston French, Sr., Lexington, Ky.
French enters the OVC Championship sixth in the OVC with a scoring average of 72.6. This spring, he's been hot and has turned in career-best round of 66 in Arizona (March 1). His best finish in three previous tries at the OVC was a 29^th place showing as a freshman in 2013 when he fired a second-round 68. In seven OVC rounds, his scoring average is 76.1.

Jared Gosser, Sr., Russell Springs, Ky.
Gosser comes into the OVC Championship with a second-place showing at the Big Blue Intercollegiate (April 12) where he shot 73-69=142. He fired rounds of 69—67 to place second at the Nichols Invitational (March 22). His 72.3 average is third in the OVC. In three appearances and seven rounds in the OVC Championship, Gosser has a 74.5 average. His best finish was in 2015 as a junior when he placed 19^th after a final round 70.

Duncan McCormick, Sr., Morganfield, Ky.
Has appeared in two OVC Championships and has a scoring average of 75.4 in five rounds. His best was a 70 in the second round last year that helped him to a 19^th place finish. He enters the season finale with a scoring average of 72.9 which is 15^th in the OVC. McCormick carded a pair of sub-par rounds and a 33^rd place finish (March 27) at the FAU event in Florida.

Brock Simmons, Sr., Murray, Ky.
He was MSU's top finisher a year ago in his first OVC Championship appearance when he fired rounds of 73-73-71=217 for an eighth-place showing. Simmons is currently fourth in the OVC with a scoring average of 72.4. He finished seventh at the Big Blue Intercollegiate (April 12) and has recorded at least on sub-par round in his last three events.

Matthew Zakutney, Jr., Paducah, Ky.
The only non-senior in MSU's lineup, Zakutney has played solid this season with a scoring average of 74.3 in 25 rounds. He played a solid event at the FAU Invitational in Florida (April 12) with scores of 72-73-76. He made his lone OVC Championship appearance as a freshman in 2014 where he finished 46^th.

Racer Seniors Last Chance
This Racers' group of four seniors gets one last shot at the OVC and want to make it their best. French and Gosser have been here three times where the team finished fifth (2013), eighth (2014) and second last spring in 2015. Evidence that MSU has what it takes to win was evident in the final round a year ago when they posted a 4-under-par 284 and finished in a three-way tie for second. The Racers were five shots off winner Eastern Kentucky. If MSU can stay close going into the final round, they have the talent to go low and become a champion for the first time since 2010.

MSU Golf Tradition
Beginning with Coach Buddy Hewitt's run of 40-years as the general of MSU Golf, the Racers have a proud history of individual success that surpasses its team success. MSU has produced one OVC team title (2010) for Head Coach Eddie Hunt who took over for Hewitt in 2001 and four overall (1971, 1987, 1991, 2010). However, the Racers have produced 11 individual champions with the Newcomb brothers winning the last three in 2008, 2010 and 2013.

Murray State's individual champions include: Bill Graham (1962, 1963), Ron Acree (1965), Chris Pigott (1971), Kevin Klier (1977), Chris Carlson (1987), Adam Grogan (1996), Brandon Henson (2001), Nick Newcomb (2008, 2010) and Patrick Newcomb (2013).

The Racers have produced a top-5 finisher in 11 of the last 13 years.

About The Shoals
For the third straight year and fourth overall, the OVC brings its men's championship to The Shoals Golf Club and the Fighting Joe course.

Part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in state of Alabama, The Shoals has two 18-hole championship courses and lies between the Wheeler and Wilson dams on the Tennessee River in the Florence area. Wheeler Dam is named in honor of General Joseph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler - the only Confederate General to attain the same rank later in the United States Army.

The Fighting Joe course at The Shoals was the first Trail course to break 8,000 yards. Travel & Leisure Golf named Fighting Joe one of the top new courses in 2004. The second course, the Schoolmaster (named for President Woodrow Wilson who was responsible for getting Wilson Dam built and was also known as "The Schoolmaster" of politics), opened in the Summer of 2005.

Tournament Notes
The 11 teams in the field will play practice rounds on Sunday. The Racers' tee time is 12:30 p.m.

All players will begin from the first tee in all three days of the competition. The first group off each day will be at 8 a.m.

In Monday's first round, the Racers will be in the third of four waves of tee times and are paired with Austin Peay and UT Martin. The first tee time is at 9:40 a.m.

For the OVC Championship, the Fighting Joe Course at The Shoals will play to a par-72 (36-36) and to a length of 7,258 yards.

After Monday's first round, the OVC teams get together at The Shoals Clubhouse for the annual awards banquet when All-OVC honors will be announced.

Racer OVC Tournament Facts & Records
First Appearance: 1959 (First year of Golf at MSU, OVC first season was 1949)
Championships: 4 (1971, 1987, 1991, 2010)
First Championship: 1971
Last Championship: 2010
Medalist Winners: 11 among nine players
First Medalist: Bill Graham (1962)
Last Medalist: Patrick Newcomb (2013)
Low Team Single Round (Since 1978): 284 (2015, 2010)
High Team Single Round (Since 1978): 325 (1988)
For top MSU finisher since 1978
Low Individual Single Round: 66, Cameron Carrico (2011, finished fourth)
High Individual Single Round: 82, Kyle Shirley (2004, finished fourth)

Murray State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Preston French

Jared Gosser

Duncan McCormick

Brock Simmons

Matthew Zakutney

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