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Sophomore Hal Larkin earned all-tournament honors in helping lead the EMCC men’s golf team to a second-place finish at this week’s MACJC event played at Shiloh Ridge in Corinth.
Finishing five strokes behind tournament champion Mississippi Gulf Coast (593-598) in the two-day event, EMCC head coach Dale Peay’s Lions continued their steady ascension up the state’s community college golf ranks with this week’s runner-up finish. Following a season-opening, sixth-place showing in Laurel, East Mississippi came back with a fourth-place finish in Raymond and successive third-place outings in Forest and Wesson.
“We’re extremely excited that we were able to put together a complete tournament,” EMCC’s Peay noted. “The guys have been working hard all season, and now everything is paying off for them.”
Heading into Tuesday’s second and final round at the par-72, 6,770-yard Shiloh Ridge layout tied for third and six strokes behind host Northeast Mississippi, the Lions carded the day’s lowest team score to trail only three-time season team champion MGCCC. Copiah-Lincoln and Northeast finished third and fourth at 600 (299-301) and 603 (293-310), respectively.
“We’ve had difficulty getting over the hump on the second day this entire spring, but we responded this time even in today’s (Tuesday) driving rain,” Peay added. “Hopefully we can carry over this momentum into next week’s state tournament.”
Individually, EMCC sophomore Hal Larkin of Caledonia earned all-tournament honors by finishing in a second-place tie with Mississippi Gulf Coast’s Richie Williams at 1-over-par 145 (73-72). Hinds’ Elliott Bingham claimed medalist honors with an even-par 144 (75-69) for the tournament.
EMCC freshman Jordan Jamar of Bossier City, La., and Belmont’s Trey Adams tied for 13th and 16th place, respectively, with two-day scores of 151 (76-75) and 152 (76-76). Brandon’s Garrett Alford finished in a 23rd-place tie at 154 (78-76), while Will Black of Calhoun City rounded out the Lions’ scorecard in 29th place with a 156 total (74-82).
East Mississippi now turns its collective attention to next week’s (April 6-7) MACJC State Championship set to be played at Kirkwood National Golf Club in Holly Springs. The top five team finishers at the state tournament and the top five individual finishers not included among the top five teams will advance to compete in the 2009 NJCAA Region 23 Championship slated for April 27-28 at the Mississippi State University Golf Course in Starkville.