Blue Raiders Win ULM/Fred Marx Intercollegiate

MONROE, La. - Behind strong efforts from Josh Nelms and Charlie Gibson, Middle Tennessee won the ULM/Fred Marx Intercollegiate to capture its first tournament victory since winning the Ohio Valley Conference Championship in 2000. The Blue Raiders shot a 54-hole score of 889 on the par 72 Bayou DeSiard Country Club course.

Host Louisiana-Monroe was seven shots back in second, while Stephen F. Austin and Texas State finished third and fourth, respectively.

The championship was the 14th all-time for the Blue Raiders under head coach Johnny Moore.

"This was a great win for our program on a very difficult golf course," Moore said. "Josh Nelms had a great final round score of 70, but the gutsy effort of Kenny Green on the last 18 holes put us over the top. Kenny was out there on one leg and playing very sore. He gutted it up and played like a champion."

Green, who won the National Amputee Championship for the second straight year on Sept. 13, played in his first tournament with the Blue Raiders this fall. Green had a total of 227 to tie for 16th overall, which was his career-best finish.

Nelms, who was 3-under on the par 5s for the tourney, led the Blue Raiders with a 220 to record his best finish ever with a tie for third. Gibson, who was fifth after two rounds, had a disappointing 78 in the final round but managed to record a tie for 7th.

Blake Bivens fired a 228 to tie for 20th, while teammate Chris Webb matched Bivens' effort with a 228.

For the tournament, Middle Tennessee paced the field in par 4 scoring with a 4.21 average and was second in par 3 scoring with a 3.17.

"All five guys came down here and felt like they could win," Moore said. "We are getting better every time out and I like our progress."

The Blue Raiders will step back into action on Oct. 6-7 at the Shangri La Shootout in Tulsa, OK.

MT SCORES
T3 Josh Nelms (77-73-70=220); T7 Charlie Gibson (74-71-78=223); T16 Kenny Green (75-79-73=227); T20 Blake Bivens (80-71-77=228); T20 Chris Webb (79-73-76=228)

TEAM SCORES
1 Middle Tennessee (305-288-296=889)
2 Louisiana-Monroe (305-287-304=896)
3 Stephen F. Austin (299-292-306=897)
4 Texas State (298-307-300=905)
5 McNeese State (294-304-310=908)
6 Troy State (302-303-309=914)
7 Nicholls State (309-302-308=919)
Northern Iowa (314-295-310=919)
9 Jackson State (308-312-305=925)
10 Louisiana Tech (310-298-318=926)
11 Birmingham Southern (305-306-321=932
) 12 Western Illinois (314-312-311=937)
13 Centenary College (305-320-313=938)
14 Texas Pan American (317-315-317=949)

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