The Murray State Racers led from start to finish in claiming the 2009 Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Golf Championship at the Crooked Creek GC in London, Ky.

The Racers played splendid golf for three days and 54 holes in claiming the program’s seventh OVC title and first since 2004.

MSU did it with steady play on a Crooked Creek course that played to more than 6,000 yards and featured strong winds in the final two days.

The Racers closed the deal Sunday with a final round 321 to go along with a 312 and 319 in the first two days for a 952 total.  MSU had an eight-shot win over four-time defending champion Jacksonville State who had scores of 319-316-325=960.

MSU’s Andrea Downer earned OVC All-Tournament honors with a fifth place showing after rounds of 79-81-77=237, while Bethany Yates came home with an eighth place showing with scores of 78-79-81=238.  Joyce Trus finished ninth with scores of 76-82-81=239, while Megan McKinney placed 11th in the field of 40 competitors after scores of 79-79-82=240.  Morgan Cross was 15th with rounds of 79-80-83=242.

MSU Head Coach Velvet Milkman was named OVC Coach of the Year for the seventh time.

“Before we got here we talked about staying in the moment and forgetting what had already happened and to not think about what the rewards were if we could win,” Milkman said.

“We played our best golf for three days and we had five players perform very well and that’s what you have to get if you’re going to win a championship, these don’t come easy.  We knew Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech were capable of winning it too in the final round.”

MSU ended the first round with a six-shot lead over Tennessee Tech on Thursday.  However the lead was down to four after Friday’s second round when the Racers had a 319.  Jacksonville State made a move with a 316.  When the first nine holes were finished in the final round MSU’s lead was down to three, but they never let the Gamecocks get any closer.

“Really, the way we played holes 10 through 12 I assumed that we were even,” Milkman said. “I told our team that and that they had to keep plugging away.”

The Racers balanced attack showed in the fact that all five finished in the top-15 and they combined to card eight sub-80 rounds for the tournament.

MSU also had four different players lead the way in the event.  Thursday it was Joyce Trus who had a team-best 76.  Friday Bethany Yates and Megan McKinney each shot 79, and Sunday it was Andrea Downer who came home with a 77.

“Our strength this season has been consistency from everyone,” Milkman said. “During the fall and spring we had a different player lead us every tournament.”

Now that the Racers have earned the OVC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, they begin to wonder where they may play next.

The Racers will learn of their NCAA assignment at 4 p.m. Monday.

Here are the regional sites for the NCAA Women’s Golf Tournament

2009: 28th ANNUAL DIVISION I WOMEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

Regionals: May 7-9, 2009

East
Course: University of Florida Golf Club
City: Gainesville, Florida
Host: University of Florida

West
Course: Karsten Golf Course
City: Tempe, Arizona
Host: Arizona State University

Central
Course: Scarlet Course
City: Columbus, Ohio
Host: Ohio State University

Finals: May 19-22, 2009

Course: Caves Valley Golf Club
City: Owings Mills, Maryland
Host: Georgetown University