Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
How a friendly bet and a buzz cut led to a 3-peat
5/4/2021 5:00:00 PM | Men's Golf, BRAA
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Middle Tennessee needed something to light a fire after its quest for a Conference USA title three-peat didn't start on the right foot April 26.
A friendly bet between two teammates did just the trick.
The Blue Raiders struggled to a 296 team score in the opening round of the C-USA Championship at Texarkana Country Club in Texarkana, Arkansas, despite having senior Tanner Owens fire a 2-under 70 to tie for fifth. Their combined 8-over was good enough for just 10th place out of 13, and it looked like their chance at a three-peat had vanished.
Later that night in the team hotel, redshirt sophomore Michael Barnard and freshman Kevin Jegers were talking over dinner about their rounds — 79 and 76, respectively, the two worst for the five-man team on the day — when the wager was struck.
Jegers mentioned he thought a low score was out there for the taking in the second round, and Barnard bet him if he shot 66 or lower, he'd shave his head the next night.
"Mike just randomly said 'let's make a bet,'" Jegers said. "I shook his hand and said heck yeah."
Call it superstition, fate, the Golf Gods doing their work or just dumb luck and coincidence — or maybe Jegers just really wanted to see Barnard with a shaved head — but the bet ignited Jegers and Middle Tennessee.
The team quickly erased its 13-stroke deficit to first-round leader UTSA and climbed the leaderboard, using a 13-under 275 to claim the outright lead heading into the final round.
Jegers led the way with a 7-under 65, winning the bet with a stroke to spare. He improved 36 spots on the individual leaderboard with the bogey-free round, ending the second day in a tie for seventh and four strokes off the lead.
The 65 is the lowest round for any Blue Raider this season.
"I was like 4-under at one point and remember thinking it might actually happen," Jegers said. "At first, I was thinking even if I played 66 or lower, there's no way he's going to shave his head. We did shake hands, but I didn't think he would actually do it."
Barnard made good on his word that night, though not without some hesitation.
"When it first happened, I thought, well, there goes my hair, but right before they got the clippers out, I tried to get out of it," he said. "I feel like it got all the bad out of me. … If I can walk around with a bald head, why should I let golf bother me?"
The fresh buzz cut seemed to give Barnard the confidence he was missing in the first two rounds (not to mention, he switched to the team's haunted white push cart to really scare the demons away).
After rounds of 79 and 76 the first two days, he — quite literally — didn't look like the same guy in the final round. A 5-under 67 spring boarded him 16 places on the leaderboard and helped the Raiders claim the top spot going into match play, where they faced Charlotte in the semifinals.
Barnard and Jegers, who finished the final round with a 69 to claim fifth place individually, one behind Owens, carried their good juju from the bet into match play. They both claimed victories over Charlotte in MT's 4-1 win, then followed with two more victories against North Texas in the finals.
Middle Tennessee beat the Mean Green 3-0-2 to clinch their third straight championship.
"It was pretty awesome," Jegers said. "To win the conference in my first semester here, it felt pretty nice."
Looking back, the bet was undoubtedly the best one Barnard has ever made, even though he lost. Don't think for a second he's going back to longer hair, either. The NCAA Regionals start May 16, and no matter where the Blue Raiders have to go, he's taking the clippers.
"I'll trim it up and make sure it's looking nice," Barnard said.
A friendly bet between two teammates did just the trick.
The Blue Raiders struggled to a 296 team score in the opening round of the C-USA Championship at Texarkana Country Club in Texarkana, Arkansas, despite having senior Tanner Owens fire a 2-under 70 to tie for fifth. Their combined 8-over was good enough for just 10th place out of 13, and it looked like their chance at a three-peat had vanished.
Later that night in the team hotel, redshirt sophomore Michael Barnard and freshman Kevin Jegers were talking over dinner about their rounds — 79 and 76, respectively, the two worst for the five-man team on the day — when the wager was struck.
Jegers mentioned he thought a low score was out there for the taking in the second round, and Barnard bet him if he shot 66 or lower, he'd shave his head the next night.
"Mike just randomly said 'let's make a bet,'" Jegers said. "I shook his hand and said heck yeah."
Call it superstition, fate, the Golf Gods doing their work or just dumb luck and coincidence — or maybe Jegers just really wanted to see Barnard with a shaved head — but the bet ignited Jegers and Middle Tennessee.
The team quickly erased its 13-stroke deficit to first-round leader UTSA and climbed the leaderboard, using a 13-under 275 to claim the outright lead heading into the final round.
Jegers led the way with a 7-under 65, winning the bet with a stroke to spare. He improved 36 spots on the individual leaderboard with the bogey-free round, ending the second day in a tie for seventh and four strokes off the lead.
The 65 is the lowest round for any Blue Raider this season.
"I was like 4-under at one point and remember thinking it might actually happen," Jegers said. "At first, I was thinking even if I played 66 or lower, there's no way he's going to shave his head. We did shake hands, but I didn't think he would actually do it."
Barnard made good on his word that night, though not without some hesitation.
"When it first happened, I thought, well, there goes my hair, but right before they got the clippers out, I tried to get out of it," he said. "I feel like it got all the bad out of me. … If I can walk around with a bald head, why should I let golf bother me?"
The fresh buzz cut seemed to give Barnard the confidence he was missing in the first two rounds (not to mention, he switched to the team's haunted white push cart to really scare the demons away).
After rounds of 79 and 76 the first two days, he — quite literally — didn't look like the same guy in the final round. A 5-under 67 spring boarded him 16 places on the leaderboard and helped the Raiders claim the top spot going into match play, where they faced Charlotte in the semifinals.
Barnard and Jegers, who finished the final round with a 69 to claim fifth place individually, one behind Owens, carried their good juju from the bet into match play. They both claimed victories over Charlotte in MT's 4-1 win, then followed with two more victories against North Texas in the finals.
Middle Tennessee beat the Mean Green 3-0-2 to clinch their third straight championship.
"It was pretty awesome," Jegers said. "To win the conference in my first semester here, it felt pretty nice."
Looking back, the bet was undoubtedly the best one Barnard has ever made, even though he lost. Don't think for a second he's going back to longer hair, either. The NCAA Regionals start May 16, and no matter where the Blue Raiders have to go, he's taking the clippers.
"I'll trim it up and make sure it's looking nice," Barnard said.
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