Golf Squads Ready for Conference Championships

Monday, April 22

Niceville, FL

8:00 AM

Middle Tennessee

Sun Belt Championships

4/21/2002 2:18:00 PM | Men's Golf

By: MT Media Relations

NICEVILLE, Fla. - The Middle Tennessee men's and women's golf squads begin play in the three-day Sun Belt Championships Monday at The Golf Club at Bluewater Bay, with the Lady Raiders teeing off at 8 a.m. and the Blue Raiders starting at 8:50 a.m. The Golf Club at Bluewater Bay is comprised of four nine-hole courses. The Lady Raiders will play on the Bay and Magnolia courses, which will play 5,910 yards with a par-72 for the tournament, while the Blue Raiders tackle the Lake and Marsh courses of the club, playing 6,857 yards with a par-72, as well. "The course is tight with a lot of water from what I hear," men's coach Johnny Moore. "I'm sure it's a great course. We'll have to play well to stay in it." The Blue Raiders placed fourth in the conference championships last season and head into the tournament coming off their best effort of the season, a tie for ninth at the Billy Hitchcock Invitational two weeks ago in Opelika, Ala. Senior J.R. Wade leads the way with a 72.7 stroke average in nine tournaments this season, including claiming top individual honors in five tourneys this season. Senior John Beddies claimed top honors in two of the last three tournaments for the Blue Raiders, including a tie for 16th at the LSU Spring Invitational in Baton Rouge, La. "J.R. Wade has done well this season, and John Beddies and Charlie Gibson have been playing well lately," men's coach Johnny Moore said. "J.R. is the key for us. He will have to put up some low numbers for us to have a chance. But even if we don't win, we want to finish as high as we can. We finished fourth last year and I think this team is stronger. We just have to keep grinding and find a way to get it done. "We are paired with Arkansas State and North Texas, and I imagine those two will be at the top before the tournament's all over. Arkansas State would have to be the favorite. They are highly ranked." The Lady Raiders are led by sophomore Tamara Munsch, who carries a 78.5 stroke average into the tournament and claimed medalist honors at the Chris Banister Classic in Jacksonville, Ala., last month. This will be the inaugural conference tournament for the first-year Lady Raider program, and head coach Rachael Moore says her squad is ready for the challenge. "We're really looking forward to it. The girls are excited about playing," Rachael Moore said. "This will be the last tournament of the year and it will be a real challenge. "Our goal is to make the top five, that's what it's been all year. New Mexico State is a great team. We'll have to play three great rounds to have a chance." The conference championships conclude run through Wednesday at the Bluewater Bay course, with the conference champion earning an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.