VALDOSTA, Ga. (May 4) – Cameron’s Travis Lovins fired a one-under 71 in the final round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championships on Wednesday at Kinderlou Forest Country Club. The effort gave the Canadian, Texas, junior a second-place showing in the event, but it was one of the few highlights for the Aggie men’s golf team in the eight-team event.
Coach Jerry Hrnciar’s Aggies, who led the field after Monday’s opening round, posted its second consecutive 308 on Wednesday to finish in fifth place in the tournament. Cameron ended the 54-hole event with a combined team score of 911, 24 strokes behind regional champion Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos carded a final-round 296, surviving a late charge by St. Edward’s University to win the team title by three strokes over the Hilltoppers. Northeastern State University, the reigning Lone Star Conference champion, finished third at 895.
Lovins provided the Aggies’ only sub-76 round over the final two days of competition on Wednesday. Playing the back nine of the Kinderlou Forest layout first, Lovins was one-under at the turn and birdied the par-4 first hole on the front nine to get to two-under. He sandwiched a birdie at No. 5 with a double-bogey and a bogey, but got back under par with a birdie on the par-3 eighth hole. The effort gave Lovins a 221 total for the event and tied him with UCO’s Chris Hutson for second place individually.
Wichita Falls sophomore Owen Mahaffey also earned a Top 10 individual finish despite a final-round 76. Mahaffey, who owned the individual lead after posting an opening-round 71 on Monday, finished three strokes behind Lovins in a tie for eighth with a total of 224. Ryan King carded a 77 in the final round to finish in a tie for 22nd with a 229 total. Scott Watson and Brian Adams shot 84 and 85, respectively, on Wednesday to finish out of the top 35.
Tyler Duncan of St. Edward’s captured medalist honors at the regional tournament, firing a final-round 69 to finish four strokes ahead of Lovins and Hutson.
With the team victory, Central Oklahoma advances to the NCAA Division II National Championships, May 17-20, in Savannah, Ga. St. Edward’s also advances to the national tournament as one of the three lowest-scoring teams in the South/South Central Super-Regional not to win its region. Rollins College won the South Region title, while Delta State and Lynn University earned the two additional low-scoring berths. North Alabama’s Brad Conner advances to the national tournament, as well, as the lowest-scoring individual not on a qualifying team.
