April 16, 2008

Lamar University won the team title and Sam Houston State's Scott Kelly nipped McNeese State's Sigmundur Masson in a two hole playoff for the individual title of the 2008 Southland Conference golf championship here Wednesday at Gray Plantation.

The Cardinals, who successfully defended their title, had gone into the final day with a 14 shot lead and wound up winning the tournament by 28. Their team total was 866.

Texas State and Sam Houston State tied for second place at 894 while Southeastern Louisiana and UT San Antonio were tied for fourth at 896, UT Arlington posted 897, McNeese State 902, Stephen F. Austin 909, Central Arkansas 914 and Nicholls State 924.

With the win the Cardinals receive an automatic berth in the NCAA regional tournament at Ohio State next month.

Although the closest Lamar player to the individual title was Hughes Joannes at two shots back, the Cardinals did have three players finish in the top five and another in the top 10.

Joannes finished third at 217 after shooting a 69 on Wednesday while Justin Harding and Russell Helson both shot 218 and tied for fourth place. The fourth Cardinal golfer - Casey Clendenon, was at 221 and a tie for eighth place.

Masson posted an even par 72 on Wednesday to give him a one under par total of 215 for the tournament. He finished about 45 minutes in front of Sam Houston's Kelly who had to shoot a two under par 70 to tie the Cowboy standout.

The first playoff hole was the par five 10th and both players claimed pars.

On the second playoff hole - the par four 18th - Masson rapped out a wind aided 330 yard drive while Kelly was about 30 yards short. However, the lefthanded Kelly knocked his second shot to within 10 feet while Masson knocked his over the green, about 25 feet away.

Masson's third shot went about 20 feet past the pin and when his par putt came up inches short, Kelly needed only two putts for the victory which he claimed on a tapin par.

Wind was a factor in Wednesday's play, this time with the gusts coming up out of the south.

Rounding out the top 10 scorers were Kyle Robbins of SFA and Matt Carvell of Southeastern Louisiana in a sixth place tie at 220 and Thoms Kearney of UTSA, Scotty Campbell of Central Arkansas, Bobby Massa of UTA and Clendenon of Lamar in an eighth place tie at 221.

The top score of the day was a four under par 68 posted by Simon Merry of UTSA. He finished at 222 and in 12th place. Three other players were under par and there were four even par rounds posted.

Host McNeese State had started the day off in sixth place but the Cowboys fell back to seventh place after shooting a 300.

Cory Vincent posted the second best score of the day for McNeeSe, shooting a 75 and he filnished at 229 and a tie for 27th. Brandon Eaton had a 76 and was at 228 and a tie for 24th while David Wiggins shot 77 for 230 and a tie for 32nd. Justin Ougel posted an 80 and finished at 240 and 46th place.

This tournament concluded the regular season for all of the teams. The only ones who will continue will be those invited to the NCAA regionals.

Team Leaders

1. Lamar 298, 278, 290 - 866 (+2)

T2. Texas State 300, 292, 302 - 894 (+30)

T2. Sam Houston State 297, 293, 304 - 894 (+30)

T4. Southeastern Louisiana 301, 292, 303 - 896 (+32)

T4. UTSA 308, 301, 287 - 896 (+32)

6. UT Arlington 302, 299, 296 - 897 (+33)

7. McNeese State 313, 289, 300 - 902 (+38)

8. Stephen F. Austin 313, 294, 302 - 909 (+45)

9. Central Arkansas 308, 298, 308 - 914 (+50)

10. Nicholls State 310, 307, 307 - 924 (+60)

Individual Leaders

*T1 Scott Kelly Sam Houston St. U. 73 72 70 215 -1

T1 Sigmundur Masson Mc Neese State Univ. 74 69 72 215 -1

3 Hugues Joannes Lamar University 72 76 69 217 +1

T4 Justin Harding Lamar University 77 69 72 218 +2

T4 Russell Helson Lamar University 76 68 74 218 +2

T6 Kyle Robbins Stephen F. Austin St 78 68 74 220 +4

T6 Matt Carvell Southeastern La. U. 73 74 73 220 +4

T8 Thomas Kearney Texas-San Antonio 75 74 72 221 +5

T8 Scotty Campbell Central Arkansas 75 70 76 221 +5

T8 Bobby Massa Texas-Arlington 76 74 71 221 +5

T8 Casey Clendenon Lamar University 73 71 77 221 +5

12 Simon Merry Texas-San Antonio 76 78 68 222 +6

13 Zack Reeves Texas-Arlington 72 76 75 223 +7

T14 Gideon Pienaar Central Arkansas 75 73 76 224 +8

T14 Nick Olivarri Texas-San Antonio 77 72 75 224 +8

T14 Kevin Carrigan Texas-Arlington 75 72 77 224 +8

T17 Graham Benson Southeastern La. U. 77 75 73 225 +9

T17 Eddie Brescher III Southeastern La. U. 72 72 81 225 +9

T17 Tyler Barnes-Wolf Texas State University 77 73 75 225 +9

T17 Fergal Rafferty Sam Houston St. U. 75 74 76 225 +9

T17 Michael Carnes Texas State University 74 75 76 225 +9

T17 Corey Roberson Texas State University 72 72 81 225 +9

23 Oscar Zetterwall Texas State University 77 75 75 227 +11

T24 Marty Reed Nicholls State Univ. 73 79 76 228 +12

T24 Brandon Eaton Mc Neese State Univ. 81 71 76 228 +12

T24 Brandon Frankhouser SHSU 74 74 80 228 +12

T27 Shane Costelloe Texas-San Antonio 80 77 72 229 +13

T27 Parham Booker Nicholls State Univ. 75 76 78 229 +13

T27 Cory Vincent Mc Neese State Univ. 79 75 75 229 +13

T27 Cedric Scotto Southeastern La. U. 80 71 78 229 +13

T27 Leroux Ferriera Lamar University 84 70 75 229 +13

T32 David Wiggins Mc Neese State Univ. 79 74 77 230 +14

T32 Philip Krebsbach Texas State University 82 72 76 230 +14

T32 Scooter Jefferson Sam Houston St. U. 75 76 79 230 +14

T35 Jacob Taylor Stephen F. Austin St 80 78 73 231 +15

T35 Rick Wilkenfeld Stephen F. Austin St 79 76 76 231 +15

T37 Steven Lecuyer Central Arkansas 81 77 75 233 +17

T37 Zack Fischer Texas-Arlington 79 81 73 233 +17

T39 Clay Shovan Nicholls State Univ. 80 80 74 234 +18

T39 Michael Smith Stephen F. Austin St 76 76 82 234 +18

T39 Michael Van de Venter UTA 80 77 77 234 +18

42 Stewart Bannatyne Sam Houston St. U. 83 73 79 235 +19

T43 Matt Oates Stephen F. Austin St 83 74 79 236 +20

T43 Rasmus Astrand Southeastern La. U. 79 78 79 236 +20

45 Jad Sinclair Central Arkansas 79 78 81 238 +22

46 Justin Ougel Mc Neese State Univ. 85 75 80 240 +24

47 Eben Van der Walt Nicholls State Univ. 85 77 79 241 +25

48 Phillip Hui Texas-San Antonio 85 80 77 242 +26

T49 John Hillard Central Arkansas 79 82 82 243 +27

T49 James Terrebonne Nicholls State Univ. 82 75 86 243 +27

McNeese's Sigmundur Masson (left) poses with the other four players who finished in the top five of the SLC tournament that wrapped up play Wednesday at Gray Plantation.