MOC golf advances to regional

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on April 28, 2013 12:08 AM

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MOC Sports Information

MOUNT OLIVE -- Nationally 24th-ranked Mount Olive has earned an at-large bid to the 2013 NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship, it was announced Friday. The Trojans will compete in the South/Southeast Regional May 6-8 at Mission Inn Resort and Club in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla.

Mount Olive, ranked No. 8 in the Southeast Region, will be among 20 teams competing in the 54-hole regional, 10 from the Southeast Region and 10 from the South Region. Mount Olive is among four Conference Carolinas schools to earn a berth in the regional.

The Trojans finished sixth in the 2013 Conference Carolinas Men's Golf Championship, which concluded Monday at Graham, N.C. Dalton Gore tied for 13th, while Kyle Simpson tied for 20th.

During award ceremonies at the tournament, Sebastian Andersen earned All-Conference Carolinas first team honors and was named 2013 Conference Carolinas Men's Golf Freshman of the Year.

Mount Olive had one of its most successful performances of the year in Central Florida as the Trojans finished fourth out of 18 teams in the McDonough Cup in Orlando in October. Mount Olive finished ahead of three national top 10 teams competing in the 54-hole tournament. Mark O'Hara completed regulation in a five-way tie for first and finished second in a playoff.

The Trojans are making their first appearance in the NCAA II Men's Golf Championship since advancing three consecutive years from 2006-08. In addition, Mick Moberg and Eric Royster competed as individuals in the 2005 Men's Golf Championship and Scott Woodard competed as in individual in the 2009 Men's Golf Championship. Woodard's second round 69 and 54-hole score of 218 are both Trojan records in NCAA Tournament play.

Mount Olive has been ranked as high as No. 20 in the nation this season, the Trojans' highest-ever national ranking. The Trojans have posted their second lowest team scoring average in school history this year.

Mount Olive will have a noon tee time for the first round and a 7:30 a.m. tee time for the second round. Final round tee times will be based on the 36-hole leaderboard. Seven teams will advance from the South/Southeast Regional to the National Finals which will be held May 20-24 at Hershey Country Club in Hershey, Pa.