Posted: Friday, May 1, 2009 2:43 pm

Cole Floyd

MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. – The University of Tennessee at Martin golf team battled through a pair of rain delays and a nearly eight-hour final round to finish the 2009 Ohio Valley Conference Men’s Golf Championships in eighth place after carding a final round 27-over-par 315. The final round showing gave the Skyhawks a tournament total of 72-over-par 936. For the tournament senior Cole Floyd led the way for UT Martin, finishing at 13-over-par and in 21st place.
The Ohio Valley Conference Men's Golf Championships featured the top-5 performers from each participating member institution and was played over a 54-hole stroke-play test. The par-72 Robert Trent Jones designed Fighting Joe in Muscle Shoals, Ala., also challenged each participant's ability by being stretched to its championship length of 7,188 yards.
“Today was another opportunity for us to play well with good scoring conditions, but we just didn’t,” said Skyhawks head coach Jerry Carpenter. “We had our chances but just weren’t able to take advantage of them.”
Floyd’s day started with trouble when he quickly found himself 5-over-par after just the first two holes. He recovered on the 416-yard, par-4 No. 3 with his first birdie of the day. Floyd finished out the opening nine at five-over then continued around the back side to card his second 7-over-par 79 of the tournament. The final round also closed out Floyd’s career at UT Martin as he will graduate in May.
Brad Stevens also completed his last round for the Skyhawks with a 6-over-par 78. That pushed his tournament total to 19-over-par 235, landing him in 32nd place. Stevens stared his day on a roller coaster with bogeys on his first two holes, followed by birdies on the next two. A later triple bogey and another double bogey defined his round though before a birdie on the 537-yard, par-5 No. 17 helped settle his final round 78. While Stevens’ collegiate career has ended, he will not be taking any time off as he plays in the Tennessee State Open qualifier tournament in Jackson, Tenn., on Thursday afternoon.
“Both of these seniors, Cole and Brad, have meant a great deal to our program and will be missed next season,” Carpenter added.
Sam Hinson evened Stevens’ final round showing to match the best round of the day for UT Martin at 6-over-par 78. Hinson fought through a pair of double bogeys in his round but finished strong on the challenging 151-yard, par-3 No. 18 at the Fighting Joe with a birdie. Hinson finished the tournament at 24-over-par 240 and in 38th place in the individual race.
Jonathan Martin suffered through his worst round of the tournament with an 8-over-par 80, but still finished up at 16-over-par 232 and in a tie for 24th individually. Brent Webb carded his low round of the tournament with a 13-over-par 85 to finish at 54-over-par 270.
In the team race Austin Peay came back from a five-stroke deficit on the back nine of the final round to card a 1-under-par 287 and edge out Murray State for the OVC championship and earn a berth into the NCAA Regionals by a single stroke. The Govs finished up at 13-over-par 877, while Murray State carded a 14-over-par 878. Jacksonville State and Eastern Kentucky tied for third at 24-over-par 888, followed by Morehead State at 26-over-par 890.
In the individual medalist competition Jacksonville State’s Gonzalo Berlin three-putted the final green of the championship to hold on for a one stroke win over Morehead State’s Lee Chaney. Berlin carded an even-par final round to finish up at 2-under-par 214 for the tournament. Chaney came in at 1-under-par 215, followed by Luke Sherrod of Austin Peay at even-par 216. Murray State’s Jared Wolfe finished in fourth place at 1-over-par 217. The top five was rounded out by Brian Balthrop of Austin Peay and Trey Bowling from Eastern Kentucky at 2-over-par 218.