No. 1 MGCCC ready for MACCC Championship

No. 1 Mississippi Gulf Coast is gearing up for the MACCC Championship at Shiloh Ridge Golf Club in Corinth.

That's significant because the last time the Bulldogs lost to conference competition was three years ago at this event.

"Everybody is aware of the streak going on, but at the same time, I'm really confident in our guys," Gulf Coast coach Brad Thornton said. "If they handle their business before the tournament the way they're supposed to, then the results will take care of themselves. It's a good tune-up for regional next week and getting ready for the big picture, trying to compete for the national championship."

The 36-hole event starts Monday. Live scoring will be available at https://scoreboard.clippd.com/tournaments/237807/scoring/team. The top five teams qualify for the NJCAA Gulf District Championship in Tunica. That field will also include host East Mississippi, plus Jacksonville College from Texas, and five other individuals from non-qualifying teams.

Gulf Coast is the defending national champion, and the team has won the last two MACCC titles. This year's field includes two other teams ranked in the Bushnell Golfweek NJCAA Division II Coaches Poll: No. 6 Meridian and No. 9 East Central. Two more teams are in the Clippd National Collegiate Golf Rankings top-20: No. 13 Jones and No. 20 Northeast Mississippi, the event host.

Gulf Coast has won the last three times conference teams have convened at Shiloh Ridge during the last three regular seasons. The Bulldogs have won all four MACCC events they've competed in this year and seven of the last eight tournaments.

"The course is in solid shape,' Thornton said. "It's a country club-style course, so there are a couple holes that are gonna be a little dangerous, but for the most part it's really gettable. The greens are in really good shape. We've been up here the past day and a half practicing, so the guys will be ready to go in the morning."

For more information on MGCCC's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.