Blue Raider golfers to take on SBC challengers

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October 5, 2009

Blue Raider golfers to take on SBC challengers

33rd ranked Raiders at Squire Creek Invitational

Athletic Communications

Craig Smith and the Blue Raiders will play 36 holes today at the Squire Creek Invitational. ()

RUSTON, La. - Everybody wants a shot at the top dog, no matter what the sport or activity, and the Middle Tennessee golf team will give several of the Sun Belt Conference contenders that chance beginning today at the Squire Creek Invitational. The Blue Raiders are ranked 33rd nationally by GolfStat and Golf Week entering today's tournament.

Several strong SBC teams will take their best shot against a Blue Raider team that was honored this week as the National Team of the Week by Golf Week.

The Blue Raiders, led by a combined 12-under-par final round by Craig Smith, Jason Millard and Hunter Green, came from 11 shots down on the final day to force a playoff at Vanderbilt's Legends Club course in Franklin. Middle Tennessee then beat 10th-ranked South Carolina in a sudden death playoff. Georgia Tech, ranked No. 3, finished fourth.

Now they are one of the favored teams in the tournament at Ruston, Louisiana. It will be a 54-hole tournament, with two rounds on Monday and the final round on Tuesday.

Blue Raider Coach Whit Turnbow will take the same five golfers that have played in the first two tournaments of the fall season. "When you win a tournament, you don't change anything." noted Turnbow.

Heading the five-Raider contingent will again be Smith, Millard and Green along with Kent Bulle and Brad Simons. Millard is averaging 70 strokes per round so far this fall, followed by Bulle at 72.6, then Green and Smith at 73.0 and Simons at 73.4

Strong challenges are expected from Arkansas State, who finished third last week, one stroke behind MTSU and South Carolina, as well as from South Alabama, New Orleans and Louisiana-Lafayette.

Turnbow knows his team will get a good look at the teams that will be challenging for the Sun Belt title next spring.

"It will be a good barometer for us. We don't get to see a lot of the Sun Belt teams ahead of time, so this will give us some idea of where we stack up." said Turnbow.

"We will be playing on a course (Squire Creek) that we have played on before. It is a challenging course, but one that suits us very well. However, we have not played well there in the past, so it will be interesting so see what happens."