Tennessee State hosts 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Golf Championship

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Tennessee State University men's golf team will serve as host to the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Golf Championship from April 26-28 at the GreyStone Golf Club in Dickson, Tennessee.

The 54-hole, three day tournament will consist of three rounds with round one set to begin on Wednesday, April 26. The third and final round is slated for Saturday (4/28) and will close with the team trophy presentation.

Designed by PGA Tour pro Mark McCumber, GreyStone is a public course that has hosted numerous high profile events. It has served as home of the 2002 PGA Tour First Round Qualifying, Men's and Women's Tennessee State Opens 1999 through 2003, the 2000 PGA Tour First Round Qualifying and the Monday Qualifying for the BellSouth Senior PGA Tour event.

This marks the third year in a row that GreyStone, a par-72, 6,858-yard layout, has hosted the OVC Men's Championship.

Sharing the field with Tennessee State will include: Eastern Illinois, Morehead State, Eastern Kentucky, Austin Peay, Tennessee Tech, Jacksonville State, UT Martin, Murray State.

Jacksonville State claimed the team title last year with a 561 after inclement weather shortened the tournament to just two rounds. JSU won by 18 shots ahead of second-place finisher UT Martin. It was the Gamecocks third overall championship.

Andres Schonbaum (Jacksonville State), Johan Eriksson (Eastern Kentucky) and Matthew Wallace (Jacksonville State) won the individual title last year carding a 139 with a one-shot lead over the fourth place fininisher.

TSU will look to improve from their seventh place finish at last year's championship. The team is coming off an idle week after hosting the TSU Big Blue Intercollegiate. The Tigers finished the tournament in eighth place while Cameron Scitern returned from his injury to place 10th.

Although injury has limited him to 14 rounds this season, Scitern leads the Tigers, finishing in the top 20 on four occasions in five tournaments played this year. He has finished in the top ten four times which includes four finishes in the top five. He currently holds a team best 72.1 stroke average.

Ryan Pierson is second on the team with an 74.0 stroke average while registering three finishes in the top 20 and three in the top ten this season. James Stepp follows with a stroke average of 75.5 finishing in the top 20 twice in eight events played.

Andrew Warner (76.1), Tyler Hendrickson (76.2), Dallas Hill (77.3), Codie Welborn (79.2) and Matthew Campbell (82.3) round out the team averages with the Tigers currently shooting a combined 299.8 team average.

Practice round will begin on Wednesday before the opening round starts on Thursday at 8:30 a.m.

The annual awards banquets will be held following Thursday's first-round play honoring the All-OVC first-team and second-team members as well as All-Newcomer Team and Freshman of the Year.

The champion of the tournament will represent the OVC in NCAA Regional Play.

Hole-by-hole live results from each day of the championship can be accessed through links at OVCSports.com.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION