Muncie, Ind. - - Led by senior Jeff Lanier (Austin, Texas), the Belmont men’s golf team finished tied for 8th place in the 2006 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational hosted by Ball State University.

The Bruins, who entered Tuesday’s final round in 9th position, carded a team final round of eleven over par 291 on the 6,438 yard Par 70 Delaware Country Club layout to finish at 868 (+28).

The true intrigue surrounded Lanier, who following rounds of 73 and tournament low 65, began the final 18 holes T-3, two strokes behind Eastern Kentucky’s Shaun McConnell.

Opening on the back nine, Lanier birdied the par four 10th and the par three 14th to pull even with McConnell through five holes. Though hurt somewhat by a double-bogey 6 on the par four 17th, the talented senior answered with birdie on the 18th for an outward nine of one under par 34.

Lanier carded one birdie and one bogey coming in to post a round of one under 69, and a 54 hole total of three under par 207. After McConnell came in at 207, the two went out for a sudden-death playoff. McConnell parred the first playoff hole to claim the outright title.

Rounding out the Bruins’ play, freshman Scott O’Brien (Brookings, S.D.) capped off his finest showing of the year with a final round 73 to finish T-13 at 213 (+3). Freshman Bryn Rocke (Durban, South Africa) fired a final round 75 to come in T-52 at 222 (+12). Sophomore Danny Amundson (Sioux Falls, S.D.) shot a final round 74 to finish T-64 at 226 (+16). Freshman Simon Marshall (North Yorkshire, England) – in his collegiate debut – carded a final round 81 to finish 92nd (253, +43).

Belmont returns to the links in two weeks, October 23-24, as a participant in the Austin Peay Intercollegiate.