By: Colby Wilson, Assistant Director of Athletics/External Relations & Communications
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University men's golf team got solid rounds out of seniors Jack Dyer and John Mark Mills, but movement around them jostled the Govs down the leaderboard a bit at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate, hosted by ETSU.
The Govs were a more-than-respectable two-under for the day, putting them at five-under as a team through 36 holes (285-286). However, on a day when the top-four teams in the field each finished ten shots better than par, the Govs find themselves in 10th, one shot ahead of Lamar, heading into Tuesday's final round. VCU leads the tournament at 550, with Toledo, Eastern Michigan, the host Bucs and Kent State in the top-five.
Dyer posted a bogey-free round for the Govs and shot a 33 on the back-nine thanks in part to an eagle on the 517-yard par-5 at No. 14; he sits tied for 21st at 140 (72-68) and has not gone over par for an entire round since the first round of the Bubba Barnett Intercollegiate. Through two rounds, Dyer is one of just six players in the field with two or fewer bogeys, and he leads the Govs and ranks second in the tournament with 29 pars; as a group, Austin Peay's 120 pars also ranks second in the field.
Mills' second-round 70 was his best round since last season's Austin Peay Intercollegiate; he's two shots behind Dyer, tied for 33rd at 142 (72-70). Senior Seth Smith, who led the Govs in the opening round, is one shot behind Mills at 143 (70-73), ended the day on a tear, shooting one-under-par over the final seven holes.
Freshman Tyson Seyler (71-75—146; t-62nd) and junior Parker Elkins (73-75—148; t-73rd) carded three-over 75s on Tuesday. Both rallied from difficult front-nines, with Seyler posting an even-par 36 on the back and Elkins adding a one-under 35, including back-to-back birdies on Nos. 10 and 11.
Playing as the individual, junior Grady Cox fired a 76; he's tied with Elkins at 148 overall (72-76) after a team-high four birdies on Tuesday, including on the 187-yard par-3 at No. 12, which yielded just eight birdies on Tuesday.
Final-round action begins 8:30 a.m. (CT), Wednesday; the Govs are scheduled to tee off on Hole No. 10 alongside Lamar.
