EMCC golf team makes 23-stroke improvement to finish fifth at Northwest Mississippi-hosted tournament
Featuring a 23-stroke improvement between rounds, the East Mississippi Community College men’s golf team finished fifth at the season’s fourth MACJC golf tournament held this week.
OLIVE BRANCH – Featuring a 23-stroke improvement between rounds, the East Mississippi Community College men's golf team finished fifth at the season's fourth MACJC golf tournament held this week. The two-day event, hosted by Northwest Mississippi Community College, was divided between Tuesday's round at Wedgewood Golfers' Club in Olive Branch and Monday's action at Southaven's North Creek Golf Course.
Coach Dale Peay's EMCC Lions fired a second-round 313 at Wedgewood but couldn't overcome their opening-day 336 shot during Monday's cold and windy weather conditions at North Creek. EMCC's two-day total of 649 fell just two strokes shy of Jones County Junior College's 647 (334-313) and only nine shots behind five-time reigning NJCAA Region 23 golf champions Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (331-309—640).
Host Northwest Mississippi (319-308—627) rebounded from a 10-stroke, first-round deficit to tie Copiah-Lincoln Community College (309-318—627) for first place after Tuesday's final round, but the Co-Lin Wolfpack claimed the team title in a playoff. Eight of the nine schools competing in this week's tournament scored 11 strokes or better during Tuesday's play at Wedgewood.
Individually for East Mississippi, sophomore transfer Matt Belk led the way with a two-day 161 (84-77) to tie for 12th-place honors. Sophomores Caleb Westmoreland (84-79) and Nick Davis (85-78) also improved upon their respective opening rounds by finishing in a 15th-place tie with identical 163 scores. Fellow sophomore Miles Respess placed 20th at 167 (83-84).
EMCC freshman Chase Smith overcame a first-round 94 with Tuesday's 79 for a 15-shot improvement to finish in a three-way tie for 31st place. Competing as an individual performer for the Lions, freshman John Pittman rounded out EMCC's scorecard with a 34th-place showing at 175 (91-84).
Chad Cupples (72-76—148), of host Northwest Mississippi, held off Mississippi Gulf Coast's Hayes Weathersby (78-73—151) by three strokes to claim individual medalist honors.
The MACJC's fifth and final regular-season golf tournament of the spring campaign will be hosted by East Mississippi Community College, April 7-8, at the Mississippi State University Golf Course in Starkville.