Final Results | OVC Awards
MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. – Eastern Kentucky University's men's golf team began the final round of the 2015 Ohio Valley Conference with a two-shot lead and never trailed Sunday on its way to claiming the 12th title in program history by five shots.
Eastern's 12 titles are four more than any current conference member. The Colonels last took home the big trophy in 2008. EKU has finished among the top four at the conference championship 35 times in the last 38 years.
Eastern Kentucky moved from sixth to first on Saturday with a second round 8-under 280 and had a two shot lead over second place Austin Peay. No other team was closer than five shots. The Colonels put together a final round 5-over 293 for a three-round total of 868 (+4). Four of the five players finished among the top eleven.
The Governors were 9-over on Sunday and dropped to fifth with a total of 874 (+10). Tennessee Tech (873), Belmont (873) and Murray State (873) tied for second, five shots behind EKU.
The 2015 OVC Championship was played on The Fighting Joe course at The Shoals. The course has a par of 72 and plays 7,258 yards.
By winning the OVC Championship, EKU is awarded the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. The 2015 field will be announced on May 4 on the Golf Channels' Morning Drive program that airs from 7-11 a.m. ET as well as being streamed on the Golf Channel website. The NCAA Regionals will be held May 14-16 at six locations – Noblesville, Indiana (Ball State); Chapel Hill, North Carolina (UNC); San Diego, California (USD); Lubbock, Texas (Texas Tech); Bremerton, Washington (UW); and New Haven, Connecticut (Yale). The NCAA Championship is scheduled for May 29-June 3 at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida.
Jared Brown led EKU and finished seventh overall. The freshman from Bowling Green followed a 4-under 68 on Saturday with an even-par 72 on Sunday for a three-round total of 216 (E). Brown was consistent throughout the final round, shooting par on 16 of the 18 holes.
Taylor Riggs (217) closed out play with a 75 to finish 1-over and tied for eighth.
Patric Sundlof (218) and
Will Sallee (218) tied for 11th overall at 2-over. Sallee shot par on the first 10 holes and then put together a string of three straight birdies. The Lexington native mixed in a double bogey and a bogey with three pars on the final five holes for an even-par round of 72.
Freshman
Noah Combs (223) tied for 27th.
UT Martin (877) was sixth and Jacksonville State (878) was seventh. Morehead State (887) placed eighth and Southern Illinois Edwardsville (907) was ninth. Tennessee State (910) and Eastern Illinois (921) rounded out the field in the final two spots.
1. Eastern Kentucky 295-280-293 – 868 +47. Jared Brown 76-68-72 – 216 E
T8. Taylor Riggs 71-71-75 – 217 +1
T11. Patric Sundlof 74-70-74 – 218 +2
T11. Will Sallee 75-71-72 – 218 +2
T27. Noah Combs 75-71-77 – 223 +7
