Eagles Rally on Final Day to Win Tommy Snell Invitational
BILOXI, Miss. — The Meridian Community College men's golf team delivered a clutch final round performance Thursday to capture the Tommy Snell Invitational at Sunkist Country Club.
The three-round, 54-hole event, hosted by Mississippi Gulf Coast, featured two rounds on Wednesday before concluding with the final 18 holes Thursday.
Meridian opened strong Wednesday morning, teeing off at 8:30 a.m. and firing a 9-over team score in round one to take the early lead. Sophomore Dax Reaux and freshman Daniel Young paced the Eagles, each shooting even par and sitting tied for third individually after the opening 18 holes. The Eagles led Itawamba by two strokes and host Gulf Coast by three.
In round two, Meridian improved slightly with an 8-over team score. However, Gulf Coast surged with a 1-under team round, pushing the Eagles into second place, six strokes off the lead heading into Thursday's final round.
With an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start to close the tournament, Meridian responded in championship fashion. The Eagles shot an impressive 2-over as a team in the final round to overtake Gulf Coast and secure the title. Meridian finished the tournament at 19-over, edging the Bulldogs, who placed second at 22-over.
The win marks the Eagles' second victory of the season, adding to their dramatic win over Gulf Coast at the Northeast Invitational in September.
Three Eagles earned All-Tournament honors, as Young, Reaux, and sophomore Jace Duckworth each finished tied for third individually at 4-over par for the event.
Head Coach Lance Strickland was thrilled with the breakthrough victory.
"We've come so close so many times with runner-up finishes," Strickland said. "It's nice to finish this one off. The guys showed a lot of resilience and focus on that final day."
The Eagles will have a quick turnaround as they travel to Philadelphia, Miss., for the Chris Clark Invitational at Dancing Rabbit Golf Club on March 2-3 in MACCC Event No. 6.
Follow MCC Athletics on X (@mcceaglessports), Instagram (@mcceaglesathletics_), and Facebook (Meridian Community College Athletics) for updates, photos, videos, and more.
