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APSU Governors Golf moves up to second at OVC Championship

Austin Peay Sports Information

Austin Peay State University Governors - APSUMuscle Shoals, AL – Austin Peay State University men’s golf team really couldn’t ask for much more heading into Sunday’s final round of the 2015 Ohio Valley Conference golf championship.

Austin Peay Men’s Golf set in second at OVC Tournament heading into final day. (APSU Sports Information)

On moving day, the Governors put themselves in the final group by shooting a 4-under 284 for a 577 total, leaving them in second place, two shots behind leader Eastern Kentucky (575) in the event, being played at The Shoals, a Robert Trent Jones Trail Course.

Tennessee Tech is in third place at 580 (290-290) with UT Martin at 581 (294-287) and defending champ Jacksonville State in fifth at 583 (294-289).

“We are in the hunt,” APSU coach Robbie Wilson said. “We really hung in there. We have a chance.”

A night after being named to the OVC All-Newcomer team, freshman Justin Arens showed why he earned such distinction, shooting a 5-under 67 for a 144—he is tied for sixth overall. He had birdies on three of the first five holes. However, on No. 6, he scuffed a chip just off the green and ended with a double bogey.

However, the Columbus, Ohio native refused to let that mistake deter him. He came back with a birdie on No. 8 and then recorded three straight birdies to open the back nine. He bogeyed No. 13 but concluded his sterling round with a six-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to finish at 5-under for the day.

But he wasn’t the only young player to give APSU a lift. Sophomore Erik Hedberg fired a 72, overcoming a front side that saw him record a trio of bogeys and a double to offset three birdies. After playing the front nine at 2-over 38, he played back nine at 2-under, with birdies on Nos. 10 and 12 to go with seven pars. This is the first OVC tourney for both Hedberg and Arens.

A day after shooting a 3-under 69, junior Chris Baker remained at 3-under with a 72. He is in fourth overall at 141. Senior Tucker Wallace shot 1-over 73, including a bogey on 18. He is at 147 for the first two days.

Justin Arens played some really good golf, perhaps the best we have seen from him so far,” Wilson said. “Erik Hedberg, after a shaky start, played really well. He was 2-under on the back nine. Early in the week, we said we needed those two guys and they came through today.

“Chris and Tucker really felt like they left some shots out there.”

Junior Austin Kramer finished the round at 2-over 75 and is at 148 overall.

It was a day that saw the Govs get off to a good start but things almost unraveled at No. 6. Not only did Arens record a double-bogey on the hole, the Govs finished 6-over overall on the hole. Only Baker was able to par the hole, the rest were either bogeys or double bogeys.

“We struggled on six,” Wilson said. “We struggled on a couple holes with pin placement. We had a three-putt on four and we also had a couple of three putts down the stretch that our guys wish they had back. But we can’t get those back.

“We have to learn from it. We have to do a better job tomorrow on the greens of noting being too aggressive and in other cases not being aggressive enough. Six was a tough hole but the way we rebounded and responded as a team after that, I, as the coach, was proud to see.”

Box Score

2015 Ohio Valley Conference Men’s Golf Championship
Team/Player Leaderboard
Tournament Home
Robert Trent Jones at the Shoals – 2015 OVC Men’s Championship Par: 72 Yardage: 7258
April 24th-26th, 2015

Pos. Team/Player (seed) Round 1 Round 2 Total
2 Austin Peay State 293 284 577
4 Chris Baker (1) 69 72 141
T6 Justin Arens (4) 77 67 144
T22 Tucker Wallace (3) 74 73 147
T26 Austin Kramer (2) 73 75 148
T28 Erik Hedberg (5) 77 72 149

 

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