Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Blue Raiders one stroke off the lead after one round of C-USA Championship
4/24/2023 2:04:00 PM | Men's Golf
Two Blue Raiders in the top five, three in top 10
TEXARKANA, Texas — Middle Tennessee ended the first round of the Conference USA Championship in second place, one stroke behind first-place UAB. Gavin Clements, Owen Stamper and Markus Varjun finished the round in the top 10 as the Blue Raiders carded a collective 293 (+5).
On a cool day with winds approaching 10 miles per hour, the Blue Raiders fell to ninth place early after going a combined 8-over with no birdies on holes 4 through 6. MTSU picked up a combined 15 birdies over the final 12 holes.
Clements was 4-over through his first seven holes before turning it on. The Franklin, Tenn., native carded six birdies and no bogeys on the final 11 holes to finish the day at 71 (-1), tied for second individually. Clements made his money on par 4 holes, going 3-under on those holes, two strokes better than anyone else in the field.
Stamper carded a 73 (+1) in the first round, carding three birdies. He heads into the second round tied for fifth place. Stamper was 2-under on par 5 holes, one stroke off the best mark in the field on those holes.
Varjun birdied three holes on his way to a 74 (+2). He is tied for 10th overall through one round.
Michael Barnard led the Blue Raiders with six birdies in the first round. The defending C-USA individual champion finished the day tied for 18th at 75 (+3).
Kevin Jegers rounds out the MTSU lineup at 76 (+4), tied for 26th. He made par on 13 holes, one shy of the individual lead. He was 1-under on par 3 holes, one stroke shy of the best mark in the first round.
The average score in the first round was 76.00. All five Blue Raiders finished the round at 76 or better. MTSU was the only team with all five players in the top 26.
By the Numbers
71 – Clements' 71 equaled his third-lowest round of the year.
18 – The Blue Raiders are tied with UAB for the most birdies in the field with 18.
6 – Barnard's six birdies are tied for the individual lead.
Coach's Comments: Mark McEntire
"What a round today from Gavin Clements! That round saved the day. The course played really tough, and we had to stay disciplined. I am happy with the start, and we will be ready to play tomorrow."
Tournament Notes
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Follow Middle Tennessee Men's Golf on social media on Facebook /MTMGolf Twitter (@MT_MGolf) and Instagram (@mt_mgolf).
On a cool day with winds approaching 10 miles per hour, the Blue Raiders fell to ninth place early after going a combined 8-over with no birdies on holes 4 through 6. MTSU picked up a combined 15 birdies over the final 12 holes.
Clements was 4-over through his first seven holes before turning it on. The Franklin, Tenn., native carded six birdies and no bogeys on the final 11 holes to finish the day at 71 (-1), tied for second individually. Clements made his money on par 4 holes, going 3-under on those holes, two strokes better than anyone else in the field.
Stamper carded a 73 (+1) in the first round, carding three birdies. He heads into the second round tied for fifth place. Stamper was 2-under on par 5 holes, one stroke off the best mark in the field on those holes.
Varjun birdied three holes on his way to a 74 (+2). He is tied for 10th overall through one round.
Michael Barnard led the Blue Raiders with six birdies in the first round. The defending C-USA individual champion finished the day tied for 18th at 75 (+3).
Kevin Jegers rounds out the MTSU lineup at 76 (+4), tied for 26th. He made par on 13 holes, one shy of the individual lead. He was 1-under on par 3 holes, one stroke shy of the best mark in the first round.
The average score in the first round was 76.00. All five Blue Raiders finished the round at 76 or better. MTSU was the only team with all five players in the top 26.
By the Numbers
71 – Clements' 71 equaled his third-lowest round of the year.
18 – The Blue Raiders are tied with UAB for the most birdies in the field with 18.
6 – Barnard's six birdies are tied for the individual lead.
Coach's Comments: Mark McEntire
"What a round today from Gavin Clements! That round saved the day. The course played really tough, and we had to stay disciplined. I am happy with the start, and we will be ready to play tomorrow."
Tournament Notes
- UAB leads the field at 292 (+4).
- Louisiana Tech's Lake Juban is the individual leader at 69 (-3).
- The second round begins at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Men's Golf on social media on Facebook /MTMGolf Twitter (@MT_MGolf) and Instagram (@mt_mgolf).
Players Mentioned
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