Blue Raiders finish fourth, two strokes back, at first spring event

GUADALAJARA, Mexico - It appears the carry-over Middle Tennessee men's golf coach Johnny Moore had hoped to see from the fall season was evident in the Blue Raiders' first event of the spring.

Middle Tennessee shot a 12-over 288 in the final round of the GADO North Texas Classic and finished fourth overall, two shots off the lead, in its first event of the spring season at the El Palomar County Club.

The Blue Raiders made up four strokes in the final round but it wasn't enough to catch Indiana and Houston, who shared the title. Louisiana-Lafayette finished third. The Top 5 finish was Middle Tennessee's fourth of the 2006-07 school year after turning in three in the fall.

"I thought our players made strides during the winter months and the way they came out in this first tournament tells me we did make improvements," Middle Tennessee coach Johnny Moore said. "We were pretty steady throughout the tournament and we were strong at the top lineup. It's a good showing for the first time out but now we have to build on it."

Senior Spencer Provow, who prepped at nearby Oakland High School, led Middle Tennessee with a 6-over 222 (77-72-73) after finishing strong with a 1-over in his final two rounds. He finished tied for fifth overall, his highest as a Blue Raider, and he did his best work when the course was most difficult. Provow's 145 in the final two rounds (72-73) was tied for the fifth-best total over the final two rounds out of the 52-player field.

"(Provow) struggled some in the fall but he's an excellent golfer and a hard worker," Moore said. "He worked tirelessly during the winter to improve his game and this start is what he is accustomed to as a player. In order for us to be successful we have to have him be more consistent this spring and this is certainly a good start."

Sophomore standout Chas Narramore was 10th overall with a 9-over 225 (71-75-79) to finish second among Blue Raider golfers. It was Narramore's fifth Top 10 finish at Middle Tennessee, including his fourth this school year. Redshirt freshman Craig Smith enjoyed his best finish as a Blue Raider as he tied for 13th with a 226 (76-79-71).

Senior Bart Barnes had Middle Tennessee's fourth-best finish with a 14-over 230 and finished tied for 23rd after a solid finish to the fall season; however, he competed as an individual and his score was not reflected in the team finish.

Rick Cochran (236) and Nick Bailes (238) rounded out the scoring for the Blue Raiders, who return to action at the All-American Intercollegiate in Houston, next Monday.

2007 GADO North Texas Classic
Final Team Results
1 Houston 309-290-297 - 896 +32
1 Indiana 305-287-304 - 896 +32
3 Louisiana-Lafayette 308-290-299 - 897 +33
4 Middle Tennessee 305-293-300 - 898 +34
5 CSU-Northridge 309-295-295 - 899 +35
6 North Texas 315-296-301 - 912 +48
7 Iowa State 317-300-300 - 917 +53
8 Missouri-Kansas City 313-297-309 - 919 +55
9 Iowa 312-314-310 - 936 +72
10 UALR 318-313-315 - 946 +82

MT Final Team Results
T5 Spencer Provow 77-72-73 - 222 +6
T10 Chas Narramore 71-75-79 - 225 +9
T13 Craig Smith 76-79-71 - 226 +10
T35 Rick Cochran 85-74-77 - 236 +20
T37 Nick Bailes 81-72-85 - 238 +22
* - T23 Bart Barnes 76-76-78 - 230

* - Played as individual

Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter @MTAthletics for continued updates.