March 30, 2010
Tournament Results
LITTLE ROCK - Louisiana Tech defeated six teams ranked in the Top 100 in the country as the Bulldog golf team finished eighth in the 18-team UALR/First Tee Classic held at the par-72, 7,221-yard Bear Den Course at Chenal Country Club.
The Bulldogs were in seventh place heading into Tuesday's final round before shooting a team total of 308 to fall one spot to eighth.
"We had a tough day," said Tech head coach Jeff Parks. "The wind was blowing hard and we had some issues, but we hung in there. It's one of the first times we've been towards the top of the standings heading into the final round and we are still learning how to handle that situation.
"By far the hardest part of it is mental. When you can strike the ball like our guys do, then it is being able to convince yourself that you belong and then getting the ball in the hole."
Jonathan Bale earned a top 10 finish in the event which included 96 competitors as the sophomore shot a three-round total of 217, which included an impressive 69 in the second round of the tournament.
The ninth place finish was his second best of the season, trailing only an eighth place finish at the David Toms Intercollegiate in the fall.
"Jonathan played well," Parks said. "He was in third after two rounds and got off to a slow start today. He was three over after the first two holes but then picked up and shot four over for the round."
In addition to Bale's performance, Matthew Harvey (73-74-78=225) and Cody Santone (73-75-77=225) both finished in a tie for 28th while Clinton Shepard (74-79-77=230) finished 58th and Hayden Stephens (83-79-79=241) finished 89th.
Forty-fourth ranked Southeastern Louisiana captured the title with a team total of 865 followed by 67th ranked Missouri (873), Central Arkansas (874), 59th ranked Lamar (878), 71st ranked North Texas (879), 79th ranked Iowa State (893), 96th ranked Illinois State (894), LA Tech (897), 52nd ranked Rice (901), UL-Lafayette (902), 88th ranked UALR (905), 80th ranked Sam Houston State (907), 90th ranked Southern Miss (908), UL-Monroe (910), Oral Roberts (911), 99th ranked Arkansas State (912), 91st ranked Texas State (914) and Western Kentucky (935).
Missouri's Stuart Ballingall won the individual title with a three-round total of 15-under-par 201, a full 10 strokes better than his nearest competitor in North Texas' Rodolfo Cazubon (211).
"We have three days at home to continue to work and then we will head to Ole Miss this weekend to face our strongest field of the year," Parks said. "It will be a good tune up for us and I think we are starting to peak at the right time."
Tech heads to the WAC championships in Las Vegas May 3-5.
