No. 1 Bulldogs close out regular season with another win
No. 1 Mississippi Gulf Coast closed out a dominant MACCC regular season in dominant fashion Tuesday, winning the Lou Hart Invitational by 17 shots over host Meridian.
The Bulldogs shot even-par in the final round at Northwood Country Club, adding seven shots to their first-round lead. Gulf Coast closed out its third straight unbeaten conference season by winning its fourth of the year.
"We're just staying the course, staying focused," Gulf Coast coach Brad Thornton said. "We've been really good in the regular season and conference play, and I couldn't be more proud to wrap up the season with another win."
Stanley Campbell (So., London, England/Essex Golf College) made a big charge at the individual crown. He shot 4-under to finish one shot behind Meridian's Jace Duckworth.
The Bulldogs had four golfers in the top eight, with John Mark Mills (So., Pontotoc/Mike Bender Golf Academy) placing third with a 1-under for the day and tournament. Harlan Yerger (Fr., Oxford/Oxford) shot 2-over for a fifth-place tie, and Peyton Russell (So., Gautier/Gautier) tied for seventh at 4-over.
After winning the Bulldogs Spring Invitational, Campbell has finished second three straight times.
"He played exceptional golf today," Thornton said. "I think he finished with two bogies and a double for the entire tournament, and I know it was bogey-free today yeah, He made a really good run at it and could've had a few more putts fall for him, but Jace played great this week."
The Bulldogs haven't lost to MACCC competition since April 2022. They won a one-hole playoff with Meridian for the Chris Clark Invitational earlier this month.
The MACCC Championship will be played April 7-8 at Shiloh Ridge Golf Club in Corinth. The top five teams plus host East Mississippi will advance to the Gulf District Tournament at Tunica on April 21-23.
"Depth is huge," Thornton said. "We still have a few shots we left out there, even today. I would like to take advantage a little bit more on our good days and separate ourselves even more. Consistency is really key in this game, and to have four guys play that well, you know we're moving in the right direction. It was a positive week in Meridian for us."
Team scores |
|
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| 1. Gulf Coast | 285-284—569 (+1) |
| 2. Meridian | 295-291—586 (+18) |
| 3. East Central | 300-297—597 (+29) |
| 4. Jones | 297-302—599 (+31) |
| T5. Northeast Mississippi | 309-303—612 (+44) |
| T5. Hinds | 310-302—612 (+44) |
| 7. East Mississippi | 307-306—613 (+45) |
| 8. Copiah-Lincoln | 311-320—631 (+63) |
| 9. Itawamba | 314-318—632 (+64) |
| 10. Northwest Mississippi | 316-330—646 (+78) |
| T11. Southwest Mississippi | 329-325—654 (+86) |
| T11. Pearl River | 326-328—654 (+86) |
MGCCC scores |
|
| Player | Score |
|---|---|
| 2. Stanley Campbell | 71-67—137 (-4) |
| 3. John Mark Mills | 71-70—141 (-1) |
| T5. Harlan Yerger | 70-74—144 (+2) |
| T7. Peyton Russell | 73-73—146 (+4) |
| T20. Ludvig Behring | 74-78—152 (+10) |
| T24. Garner Seymour* | 76-77—153 (+11) |
| T40. Seth Lockhart* | 74-84—158 (+16) |
| * — Playing as individual | |
For more information on MGCCC's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.
