Racers Place 5th - French 9th At OVC Golf - Murray State University Athletics

Monday, April 25

Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Murray State

Ohio Valley Conference

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Racers Place 5th - French 9th At OVC Golf

4/27/2016 8:56:00 AM | Men's Golf

Final Results I Gallery I OVC Championship Home I OVC Championship Program I NCAA Golf Home

The Murray State men's golf team saw their hopes of winning the 2016 Ohio Valley Conference Championship fade Wednesday late in the final round the Shoals Golf Club in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, on Wednesday.

They also said goodbye to a great quartet of seniors in Preston French, Jared Gosser, Duncan McCormick and Brock Simmons.

The Racers placed fifth in the field of 11 teams with scores of 297=291-296=884 as they started the day five shots off the lead of UT Martin and ended it five shots behind the Skyhawks who became OVC champ with rounds of 293-290-296=879.

The Racers led briefly while they played the front nine and went into the final six holes two shots off the pace.

Leading the way for MSU was French who placed ninth in the field of 55 competitors with scores of 75-71-75=221 and McCormick who finished 17^th after rounds of 72-76-75=223. Brock Simmons was 19^th with scores of 78-73-73=224 and it was a 27^th place finish for Gosser with rounds of 74-71-81=226. Matthew Zakutney, a junior, placed 35^th with rounds of 76-81-73=230.

UT Martin (879) won the OVC title for the first time when a putt dropped in the final group. UTM edged out runner-up Morehead State at 880 and third place Jacksonville State at 881. Eastern Kentucky finished fourth at 883.

After the Racers and Belmont sharing fifth place at 884, Tennessee Tech placed seventh at 894 and Austin Peay was eighth at 895. SIUE (903), Tennessee State (933) and Eastern Illinois (941) rounded out the field.

Round Three Notes
Duncan McCormick of the Racers and EKU's Travis Rose led the field on par-5 scoring at 4.50 per attempt.

A double eagle was recorded by Eastern Illinois' Charlie Adare at the par-5 17^th hole that played 537 yards. He knocked in his second shot for the rare Albatross when he carried the water in front of the green and the ball went into the hole.

The Racers had a chance today but came up short. They'll go into 2017 with four OVC titles in 1971, 1987, 1991, 2010.

For the OVC Championship, the Fighting Joe Course at The Shoals is played to a par-72 (36-36) and to a length of 7,258 yards. The OVC returns here in 2017 for the OVC Championship.

Final Team Standings
UT-Martin 293-290-29=879 +15
Morehead State 308-287-285=880 +16
Jacksonville State 290-297-294=881 +17
Eastern Kentucky 298-289-296=883 +19
Murray State 297-291-296=884 +20
Belmont 301-292-291=884 +20
Tennessee Tech 313-286-295=894 +30
Austin Peay State 300-310-285=895 +31
SIU Edwardsville 314-293-296=903 +39
Tennessee State 309-311-313=933 +69
Eastern Illinois 309-321-311=941 +77