TEXARKANA, Ark. -- A close-knit clash Wednesday at the Texarkana Country Club (Par 72/6,6969 yards) saw Middle Tennessee claim its first Conference USA Men's Golf Championship in the league's match play event 3-2. The Blue Raiders will make their second-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division I Championship by way of automatic bid. 

C-USA Men's Golf Championship Central
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A 19th hole was needed to determine the winner of the first matchup between Nick Robillard and Hoyeong Kim as the duo was all square on No. 17 and 18. Kim survived the next hole, punching in Middle Tennessee's first win of the day. James Beckner topped James Hayden 2UP in the field's second match, adding to the Blue Raider lead 2-0 overall. Beckner's even-par scores bested Hayden's pair of bogeys on the final two holes to clinch the point. 

Murray Naysmith and R.J. Keur tallied both of UAB's wins on the third and fourth matches. Naysmith opened action with a two-stroke lead and commanded the course the rest of the way to finish 3&2 over Chip Thomas. Keur secured his 2&1 victory over Tyler Johnson with a final birdie on No. 17. The Blazer owned a two-stroke lead at the turn and never looked back. In the fifth match, William Walker III and Marcus Byrd were deadlocked through six holes before Byrd took a slight lead on the seventh. The competiton became all sqaure before the turn, and again through 15 holes. The Blue Raider birdied the last two holes of the match to win 2&1. 

The 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Golf regional selections will be announced Wednesday, May 2, live on the Golf Channel at 4:30 p.m. CT.

Championship -- No. 2 Middle Tennessee def. No. 1 UAB 3-2
Hoyeong Kim (MT) def. Nick Robillard (UAB), 1UP
James Beckner (MT) def. John Hayden (UAB), 2UP
Murray Naysmith (UAB) def. Chip Thomas (MT), 3&2
R.J. Keur (UAB) def. Tyler Johnson (MT), 2&1
Marcus Byrd (MT) def. William Walker III (UAB), 2&1

Semifinal 1 – No. 1 UAB def. No. 4 Rice, 4-1
John Hayden (UAB) def. Jake Benson (Rice), 1UP
Nick Robillard (UAB) def. Nick Duggan (Rice), 3&2
Murray Naysmith (UAB) def. Rishi Kejriwal (Rice), 1&1
R.J. Keur (UAB) def. Mario Carmona (Rice), 5&3
Mitchell Meissner (Rice) def. William Walker III (UAB), 2&1

Semifinal 2 – No. 2 Middle Tennessee def. No. 3 Charlotte, 3-2
Conor Purcell (CHA) def. Hoyeong Kim (MT), 1UP
Chip Thomas (MT) def. Marc Boucher (CHA), 3&2
James Medley (MT) def. James Beckner (CHA), 2&1
Tyler Young (CHA) def. Tyler Johnson (MT), 3&1
Marcus Byrd (MT) def. John Gough (CHA), 2&1