APSU Governors Golf in fifth after first day of OVC Tournament

APSU Sports Information

Muscle Shoals, AL – There are greens and then there is green in golf terminology. And in the case of Austin Peay State University men’s golf team green—as in green boxes–meant too many bogeys during first-round Ohio Valley Conference championship action at The Shoals on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama.

The Governors avoided the big numbers for the most but had 27 bogeys and shot a first-round 300 to sit in fifth place heading into Tuesday’s second round on the par-72, 7,258-yard Fighting Joe course.

“I think we made enough birdies (14) for the majority of the round, but we could not sustain any momentum,” said APSU coach Robbie Wilson. “It seemed like we would follow up a birdie or two with a couple of bogeys.

“We didn’t finish the round as well as we would like. (No.) 17, a par 5, is one of the easier holes—we needed to make some birdies, instead we had three pars and two bogeys.”

After a relatively slow start, the Governors looked up and saw themselves tied for third after making the turn. However, they could not maintained that momentum. They went from being 5-over at the turn to ending at 12-over.

At Wofford, the Governors topped the field in par-5 scoring, but struggled on the par 3s and 4s. Monday, the Govs were second best (even par) on the par 3s—second only to leader Jacksonville State—but were ninth in par 4 scoring.

Senior Austin Kramer (tied for 10th) is the only Gov in the Top 10, scrambling to a 2-over 74 in a round that saw him record just two birdies, both on the front side. Fellow senior Chris Baker and sophomore Justin Arens both were one stroke back. Baker sandwiched a bogey around two birdies to end the round. Meanwile, Arens was even par after 15 holes but suffered bogeys on the final three holes.

After a struggling day, junior Erik Hedberg finished the round with a birdie to end at 76 while senior Tyler Phillips, playing in his first OVC tourney, overcame an early quad and three bogeys to get down to 4-over., but he could not maintain that momentum, incurring bogeys on three of his last four holes to finish at 79.

“The guys are disappointed but we have 36 holes left to come out and fire away,” Wilson said. “We need one of our better rounds of the year tomorrow. That’s not easy to do in golf—you just can’t say you are going to go out and shoot your best round.

“But the guys understand that is time to step up. We need a guy step up and fire a round in the 60s to give us a chance. If we can get to within six or seven shots heading into the final round, then we will be in good position.”

Box Score

2016 Ohio Valley Conference Men’s Championship
Robert Trent Jones at the Shoals
Muscle Shoals, AL