Falcons Soaring After First Day Of MAC Championships

Friday, May 4

Sugar Grove, Ill.

All Day

Bowling Green State University

Mid-American Conference Championships

May 04, 2012 | Men's Golf

By: by Matthew Daley, Athletic Communications Intern

FIRST DAY RESULTS (.pdf)

SUGAR GROVE, Ill. -- Seventeen years have passed since a Bowling Green State University men's golf team has finished third or better at the Mid-American Conference Championships. Halfway through the tournament's 72-hole gauntlet, this year's edition of the Falcons is doing its part to make that drought a memory.

Three of BGSU's five players rank in the top 14 after two rounds of play on Friday (May 4) at the Rich Harvest Farms golf course. Those efforts have vaulted the Falcons to third place with a 36-hole score of 596 (293-303).

The Orange and Brown trail Eastern Michigan for second place by only two strokes and lead fourth-place Toledo by four. The other five teams below BGSU are between nine and 17 sthots back.

Kent State (564) leads the field by 30 strokes and has essentially wrapped up its fourth consecutive conference championship.

BGSU's efforts on Friday were led by Chris Melvin. Melvin, who gained valuable experience at last year's MAC championship tournament, came out strong on Friday morning by shooting one-over-par (73) in the first round. He was one-under over the final nine holes. He followed that with a 74 in the second round.

His total of 147 earned a tie for ninth place after the first day, and he is only three shots out of the top five.

Drew Preston and Parker Hewit both appeared to be on a mission as they began their final tournament with the team.

Preston shot a 74 in the first round but began the second set of 18 with three consecutive bogeys. However, he quickly recovered and was one-under-par over the final 15 holes of the round. His second straight 74 gave him a composite 148 and a tie for 12th place.

Hewit is tied for 14th after carding rounds of 73 and 76 on Friday. He posted four birdies during his two rounds. Two of those came on back-to-back holes in the middle of his first round.

BGSU's team effort also included Wes Gates and Charlie Olson. Gates shot a 156 (77-79) for the day but did have four birdies among his 36 holes. Olson notched a 73 in the first round, including three birdies over his first seven holes, but he struggled in the second round and finished it with an 88 for a 36-hole total of 161.

Play resumes tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. with tee times from the first hole. Groups of three will begin every ten minutes. BGSU players will be grouped with Eastern Michigan and Kent State, and their tee times begin at 9:40.

Saturday's action will feature one round; the final round will be played on Sunday.

Live stats can be accessed through Golfstat.com.