By Leeroy FrancisStaff Writer
The Augusta University men’s golf team captured the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship for the fourth consecutive year on April 21 at Crosswinds Golf Club in Savannah.With the 33-stroke victory, the Jaguars received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Golf Championship. It was AU’s fourth straight conference championship.Freshman Alex Shead won the individual title at the MEAC Conference Championship. He closed with a 69 to finish at 209. Shead, who is from Appling, has won two individual events during the season. He also won the SSU Tiger Invitational during the fall season. Shead finished six shots ahead of senior Broc Everett, who was four less than Laken Hinton and Gustav Andersson, who also closed with a 69.The Jaguars are peaking at the right time. They now head to the regionals in North Carolina. The three-day, 54-hole regional will be held at the Lonnie Poole Golf Course in Raleigh, the home course for N.C. State of the ACC.“The N.C. State site in Raleigh is a good site for us,” AU head coach Jack O'Keefe said. “Broc (Everett) and Gustav (Andersson) have both played there in the past, and the golf course is a really fair test of golf.”AU opens play in the Raleigh regional on Monday, May 14. The Jaguars, who won back-to-back national titles in 2010 and 2011 (with current Masters champion Patrick Reed helping lead the way), are the No. 12 seed in a 14-team field. AU is joined in Raleigh by top-seeded Georgia Tech, the ACC champion. The Yellow Jackets are the highest ranked team in the regional coming in at No. 5 in the latest Division I poll.The other seeds are, in order, California (ranked ninth nationally), Texas, Arizona State, Duke, N.C. State, Liberty University, Missouri, Santa Clara, Campbell, Middle Tennessee State, Davidson and Iona. Five individuals not on the 14 seeded teams will also compete, led by Dawson Armstrong of Lipscomb.The Jaguars are making their fourth straight appearance to the NCAA regionals under O’Keefe. This is the 21st time for Augusta to make the NCAA postseason in men’s golf.Link to the regional website:http://admin.gopack.com/sports/2018/4/17/2018-mgolf-regional.aspxContact Leeroy Francis at lfrancis@augusta.edu