Veterans Lead Falcons' Third Round Charge At MAC Championships

Saturday, April 30

Mason, OH

All Day

Bowling Green State University

MAC Championships

April 30, 2011 | Men's Golf

By: by Matthew Daley, Athletic Communications Intern

ROUND THREE RESULTS (.pdf)

LIVE STATS

After a disappointing first day at the 2011 Mid-American Conference Championships, the Bowling Green State University men's golf team showed on Saturday (April 30) that they are capable of competing with the very best the MAC has to offer.

At the TPC River's Bend course in Maineville, Ohio, the Falcons fired a 291 in Saturday's third round. The score was the best of the day and the second-best of the entire tournament. It allowed Bowling Green to escape an eighth-place tie with Ohio and march into sole possession of sixth place.

In reaching sixth place, the Falcons surpassed Miami University and Toledo; each led BGSU by 12 strokes heading into Saturday's play. The team now owns a composite 916 (315-310-291) and trails fifth-place Northern illinois by only three strokes.

For Bowling Green, the distinction between fifth and sixth place is huge -- the Falcons have not placed higher than sixth at the MAC Championships since a second-place showing in 1995.

Kent State continues to dominate the tournament and leads by 29 strokes as the final round approaches on Sunday. With a five-under-par 859 (292-275-292), the Golden Flashes threaten to earn the largest winning margin at a MAC championship event since 1996.

On the individual front, Parker Hewit matched the team accomplishment by carding the best round of the day. Hewit birded four holes, two of which came back-to-back on holes six and seven. He began the day tied for 29th but raced up the leaderboard to a tie for 13th place, just three shots outside of the top ten.

Hewit will tee off on Sunday with a total of 226 (81-75-70).

Drew Preston also had a stellar day on the course. Like Hewit, he claimed birdies on back-to-back holes on the front nine, then finished with a birdie and two pars on the final three holes. He ended the round with a 71, which was 11 strokes better than his second round score. The surge helped Preston jump to a 21st-place tie at 230 (77-82-71).

Wes Gates also moved up the leaderboard and, in the process, helped the Falcons' team efforts. Gates earned a birdie or par on 14 consecutive holes during the round and closed the day with a 74. After rounds of 79 and 80 on Friday, Gates (233) is just three shots behind Preston.

In his first MAC Championships appearance, Chris Melvin has improved successively from round-to-round this weekend. He began with a 79 and then 77 on Friday, and he followed those scores with a 76 on Saturday. Melvin sank three birdies in an eight-hole stretch and closed with three pars to enter the final round at 232.

Also playing in the MAC's ultimate tournament, Charlie Olson ended Saturday's round with a birdie-par combination. Overall, he totaled 78 to match his second-round output and finish with a total of 236 (80-78-78) for the weekend thus far.

Mackenzie Hughes (Kent State) continues to lead in individual play, with a six-under-par total fo 210. Teammate John Hahn trails in second place by four strokes.

During Sunday's final 18 holes, Bowling Green will play with fourth-place Akron and fifth-place Northern Illinois. The Falcons will attempt to continue their climb with tee times beginning at 8:00 a.m. from the first tee. Charlie Olson tees off first, followed by Wes Gates, Chris Melvin, Drew Preston and Parker Hewit in ten-minute intervals.

Players from Toledo, Miami and Ohio begin play, also at 8:00 a.m., from the tenth hole. The top three teams (KSU, Ball State, Eastern Michigan) begin on the first hole at 8:50 a.m., following Bowling Green's groups.