Written by Kylie Akins
The men’s golf team participated in its first tournament of the spring semester Feb. 21-22 at Henderson State’s 2011 Doyle Wallace Classic.
The team placed seventh with a two-round total of 623, which is the exact same score they posted at last year’s Doyle Wallace Classic.
“While it wasn’t our best finish,I know several individuals had great scores,” men’s golf coach Dustin Howell said.
Freshmen Lucas Collins, Jordan Perry and Evan Greenwood, sophomore Lewis Jackson and junior Bruce McMullen made up Harding’s five-man team, qualifying for the event during an intrasquad competition before the tournament.
Sophomores Blake Chase and Ryan Hadash and juniors Dustin Richter and Tyler Parsons also played in the tournament for Harding as individuals.
Jackson scored a personal career best 4 over 149, plac- ing 15th out of 57 golfers as Harding’s top finisher. Collins tied for 22nd at 154, McMullen tied for 33rd at 157, Perry tied for 45th at 163, and Greenwood tied for 52nd at 168.
Team captain Chase tied as an individual at 16th with a 5 over 150, scoring an even-par 72 for the second round. This was his second time this season to shoot par or better, and the third-best round played by a Harding golfer this season.
“I struggled a bit the first round but was able to come out and play well the next day,” Chase said. “Overall, it was a good start to the spring season.”
Richter placed 18th at 151, Hadash tied for 31st at 156, and Parsons placed 44th at 161.
Howell said he hopes the players can continue to mature as golfers this season and learn to hold their playing level consistently frombeginning to end.
“Many of our golfers at thistournament had great rounds going up until the last few holds, and they weren’t able to hold that together and post a good score,” Howell said. “That’s a part of becoming a good player. In fact, it’s one of the last steps that good golfers need: the ability to close a round. When it comes down to the last few holes, it’s about mentally holding it together.”
Howell and Chase said that the team’s new indoor facility in the GAC has drastically improved their game, especially after the long holiday break.
“Our putting was dramatically improved,” Howell said. “While the course conditions weren’t great…I could tell a big difference in putting.”
Although Chase said the team did not perform as well as it could have, he has optimism for the rest of the season.
“Hopefully we can continue to have success this spring like we did last fall,” Chase said. “I feel our team has a very good chance to advance past the conference tournament in April.”
On Monday and Tuesday, the Bisons fared much better at the Crawford-Wade Invitational in Potsboro, Texas, at the Tanglewood Golf Resort. Harding shot a three-round score of 920, with Chase shooting a third- round 67 that helped lead the Bisons to a second-place finish behind Texas A&M-Commerce, which shot 896 for the win.
