COLUMBUS, Ohio – Eastern Kentucky University’s men’s golf team finished tied for 12th at the 2008 NCAA Central Regional in Columbus, Ohio. The top-10 teams from each of the three regionals advance to the championship round, the Colonels missed qualifying for the finals by three shots. EKU shot a final round 313 (+29) and finished with a three-round total of 904 (+52).

Eastern Kentucky, the 22nd seeded team in the 27-team regional, finished 10 spots higher than it was seeded and finished in front of five teams ranked among the top-50 in the nation. The Colonels finished tied with No. 43 Michigan (+52), and beat No. 8 Georgia Tech (+56), No. 18 Lamar (+59), No. 31 Wichita State (+62), No. 40 Arkansas (+62) and No. 47 Texas Christian (+62).

No. 19 Wake Forest (+27) was the wire-to-wire winner. No. 6 Oklahoma State (+37) placed second followed by Illinois (+39) in third.

The three-day Central Regional was contested on the 7,420-yard, par-71 Scarlet Golf Course at Ohio State University.

In a field of 141 players, junior Jesse Massie tied for 12th with a three round total of 222 (+9). Justin Moore tied for 59th at 15-over-par (228). Senior Phil Hendrickson and junior Trey Bowling tied for 65th with three-round totals of 229 (+16). Ryan Britt tied for 109th at 22-over (235).

Moore had a double-bogey and a bogey on two of the first three holes but he rebounded with a pair of birdies on two of the next three holes to drop to one-over. After two bogeys on the No. 17 and No. 18 holes, Moore made the turn at three-over. Another double-bogey followed by a bogey pushed the senior to six-over. He birdied the par-four No. 7 hole and finished the final round with a six-over 77.

Massie, who turned in the best score on the team in the first two rounds, stumbled in round three. He opened with five bogeys on the first nine holes and made the turn at five-over. He rebounded briefly on the second nine. He birdied the par-three No. 5 and the par-five No. 6 to get to five-over, but bogeys on the final two holes left him seven-over (78) for the day.

Hendrickson had four bogeys on the first nine holes of the day, and four bogeys on the second nine. Without any birdies mixed in, the senior finished the final round with an eight-over 79.

Britt started strong, shooting par on the first six holes of the day. A double-bogey and two bogeys on the final three holes on the back nine left Britt four-over at the turn. He had a double-bogey and two bogeys on the first three holes of the front nine to move to eight-over. He concluded play with a birdie on the par-three No. 8 and a bogey on the nine hole to finish with an eight-over 79 for the round.

Bowling was three-over through the first eight holes, but a triple-bogey on No. 18 doubled his score to six-over. It only got worse from there. He opened the final nine holes with three bogeys and a double-bogey. He got to the bottom of the cup on the par-three No. 8 in two shots, but a bogey on the final hole left the junior with a final round score of 83, 12-over-par.

The Scarlet course is rated as one of the top collegiate courses in the nation and ranked 81st among all golf courses in the United States. The course was designed by famed architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie, the designer of the famed Augusta National Golf Course and Cypress Point Golf Club. 

T12.	EASTERN KENTUCKY	302-289-313	904	(+52)
T12.	Jesse Massie	73-71-78	222	+9
T59.	Justin Moore	78-73-77	228	+15
T65.	Phil Hendrickson	77-73-79	229	+16
T65.	Trey Bowling	74-72-83	229	+16
T109.	Ryan Britt	78-78-79	235	+22