MGCCC rebounds at NJCAA Tournament

MGCCC Sports Information

For Immediate Release

May 26, 2016

MGCCC rebounds at NJCAA Tournament

PLYMOUTH, Ind. – Mississippi Gulf Coast stormed back from disappointing second day, playing the third round of the NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Tournament 15 shots better.

Freshman Colin Troxler led the Bulldogs with a 2-under 70, and Phillip Hickam remains near the top of the leaderboard after a 73 left him at even for the tournament. He sits in a tie for sixth, nine back of leader Marco Maldonado of Tyler.

Gulf Coast solidified its hold on fourth place. The Bulldogs are 22-over, nine ahead of Owens. They are 19 back of Kirkwood, which is in third place. South Mountain seized control of the tournament, stretching its lead to 13 shots over Tyler.

The Black Course at Swan Lake Resort continues to challenge the nation's best junior college golfers.

"It was tough," Hickam said. "I thought yesterday was tough, but it just keep getting harder. It's a grind out there, for sure."

Troxler is in a tie for 20^th place at 5-over.

Grant Motter had another up-and-down round. He was 3-under through six holes, but finished 2-over and is at 7-over. He is in 26^th place.

George Kawell shot 73 and is in a tie for 36^th at 12-over, and Jonathon Newman's 79 has him at plus-21, tied for 79th.

The field waited out a 79-minute weather delay when a thundershower sent everybody crowding into the clubhouse. Gulf Coast's last golfer had just hit his tee shot on the third hole when play was interrupted.

Troxler went out in 1-over, then bogeyed 11 before catching fire.

"I hit a 50-footer (on 13), and it jump-started my round," he said. "Then I made an eagle on 15."

He played the back in 33 to get to 5-over for the tournament.

Hickam made birdies at Nos. 5 and 7 to play the front nine in 1-under. He stumbled with back-to-back bogeys on 12 and 13. He lagged a long putt on the first hole, then missed for par.

"I just lost focus a little bit," he said. "I missed that putt and let it get to me on the next hole. I think I managed the storm coming in."

He birdied 15 to get back to even for the day before bogeying 17. Hickam scrambled well on the last hole, playing from the trees on the left into the adjacent fairway, before two-putting from above the hole to save par.

The Bulldogs picked up steam down the stretch Thursday. They are hoping to finish the 72-hole event strong.

"That's good playing, especially after having a bad day yesterday, being able to fight back to 2-over," Snell said. "That was better than our first round. We're really close to hitting on all cylinders."