MCC Golf Finishes Runner-Up at Chris Clark Invitational; Duckworth Claims Medalist Honors

CHOCTAW, Miss. – The sixth-ranked Meridian Community College golf team delivered an impressive performance at the Chris Clark Invitational at Dancing Rabbit Golf Club on March 3-4, finishing as tournament runner-up after a playoff against top-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast.

After round one, the Eagles held the lead, shooting +4 as a team, three strokes ahead of Gulf Coast. Freshman Jace Duckworth set the pace for MCC, finishing the first round atop the individual leaderboard at -1.

The tournament was marked by challenging weather conditions, with strong winds impacting play throughout Monday. Anticipating worsening conditions, players pushed through to complete as many holes as possible ahead of the final round on Tuesday.

As round two concluded on March 4, MCC and Gulf Coast both finished with a +21 team total, sending the tournament to a playoff. Gulf Coast secured the victory, leaving the Eagles with a hard-fought second-place finish, while East Central rounded out the top three.

Individually, Duckworth dominated the final round, firing a -3 to claim medalist honors with a tournament total of -4. Sophomore Bruce McClung also earned all-tournament recognition, finishing in the top five with a +5 total. Sophomore Maddox Atkinson and Freshman Dax Reaux both delivered strong performances, finishing inside the top ten.

The Eagles will return to action next week as they travel to Cleveland, Mississippi, for the Derrall Foreman Invitational at Cleveland Country Club, beginning Monday, March 10.