In a sport where inconsistency is consistent, the Mississippi State men’s golf team placed 12th in the 12-team field at the Billy Hitchcock Intercollegiate in Auburn, Ala.
State was forced to count scores of 80 and 82 in the final round in which they fired a 316, their second worst team round of the year.
“We obviously played very, very poorly,” head coach Clay Homan said. “I think a lot of it is hardly played five tournaments in a period of about five weeks. I feel like it kind of took a toll on us.”
State freshman Michael Knight and senior Tim Satow tied for 29th in the 62-man field, each finishing with a tournament total of 226. Knight’s 29th place finish ties his best this year.
“He’s one of the bright spots of the week,” Homan said of his upcoming freshman. “He really kept the ball in play and played more consistently than anyone. He kept the ball in the fairways and that’s what it takes on that golf course because when you hit it in the woods there it’s very penalizing.”
Joe Deraney, who has played exceptionally all year and has a tournament win to prove it, had his worst outing of the season. Deraney carded a ten-over-par 82 in his final round, totaling a 232 for the tournament, four shots higher than his previous worst round.
Deraney’s worst finish before this tournament was a tie for 17th. The senior from Statesboro, GA finished 39th after Sunday’s dismal round.
Sophomore Josh Oller finished with a tournament total of 237, his worst of the year. Jake Lambert concluded with a 244, including a final round of 83 to finish 62nd.
Auburn hosted and won the event for the second consecutive year. The Tigers’ closest competitor was the University of Memphis, who was 24 shots behind.
State was more than 60 shots behind Auburn’s team score of 861, or three-under-par.
The Bulldogs’ 308 after the first day placed them eleventh in the field of 12, but a second round 298 vaulted them to ninth place. Their 316 in the final day was the worst team round of the tournament.
Earlier in the year, the Bulldogs took home their first victory of the season when they beat out the University of South Alabama by five shots on USA’s home course.
South Alabama bested Mississippi State by 21 strokes down in Auburn, finishing in a tie for sixth, illustrating just how bad State played.
“I just don’t think we were there mentally,” Homan added.
In-state rival Mississippi placed fourth in the tournament.
The Bulldogs are finished with the regular season and will travel to St. Simon’s Island, GA for the Southeastern Conference Championship where they will compete against the other eleven SEC schools.