East Mississippi Community College’s Matthew Phillips, a graduate of Columbus Christian Academy, has earned an invitation to compete in next week’s NJCAA Division II Gulf District Men’s Golf Championship.
The tournament, hosted by Northeast Mississippi Community College, will take place April 25-26 at Kirkwood National Golf Club in Holly Springs. The two-day event will be one of eight regional tournaments played nationally to determine which teams and individuals will advance to the NJCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championship, set for May 17-20 at Twin Hills Country Club in Joplin, Missouri.
Phillips, a freshman from Steens, tied for 22nd place with rounds of 83 and 85 at the MACCC Championship held April 8-9 at Wolf Hollow Golf Club in Wesson, hosted by Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
“I’m very proud of Matt because he’s a very hard-working and driven individual who is passionate about the game,” EMCC men’s golf coach Ashton Maddaloni said. “It’s been great to see the improvements he’s made throughout the season, and he will represent East Mississippi well and hopefully set the tone for the future of the program.”
Phillips was one of two MACCC golfers who played their way into the tournament based on their conference tournament finishes. Itawamba’s Rhett Gullet earned an invitation by placing 27th.
Golfers from the top five teams at the MACCC Championship (Meridian, Mississippi Gulf Coast, Northeast Mississippi, Copiah-Lincoln, and Pearl River) automatically advanced. In addition, three other golfers from nonqualifying teams were selected based on their season-long stroke averages in conference play: Itawamba’s Landry Miller and East Central’s Bryce Denley and River Maskew.
Phillips enters district play with a team-leading 81.50 stroke average for the season, including six sub-80 rounds. He paced the Lions in seven of eight tournaments this season, finishing 31st or better during each of the last six conference tournaments.
Most recently, at the MUW Invitational on April 11-12 Elm Lake Golf Course in Columbus, Phillips carded back-to-back rounds of 77 to finish tied for 11th and help lead the Lions to a fourth-place finish.
Phillips lettered in track, cross country, basketball and baseball at Columbus Christian Academy, earning all-district honors in basketball and baseball and qualifying for two MAIS cross country championships.
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