Putting struggles become focus for men's golf at SMU Invitational

Junior Johnny Watts putts the ball during the Earl Yestingsmeier Memorial Invitational on April 14 at the Deleware Country Club.  Ball State scored 720, just behind Eastern Kentucky (714). Kaiti Sullivan, DN File
Junior Johnny Watts putts the ball during the Earl Yestingsmeier Memorial Invitational on April 14 at the Deleware Country Club. Ball State scored 720, just behind Eastern Kentucky (714). Kaiti Sullivan, DN File

Missed putts on the greens this weekend left Ball State men’s golf head coach Mike Fleck wondering what could have been. 

Ball State entered the final round of the EKU Intercollegiate in second, just four shots shy of leader Eastern Kentucky, before a lackluster final round dropped them to fourth overall. 

“Our birdie conversion when we hit the green has been way down,” Fleck said. “When you’re hitting that many greens and getting that many good looks inside of 10 feet, you have to convert those puts. Through the first two events, we just haven’t been very good at getting the ball in the hole once we get on the green.” 

In preparation for the SMU Invitational this weekend, Ball State men’s golf will direct its attention to improving its putting. Fleck plans to have the team stay on the driving range as it will be working on putting drills on the green.

The tournament will take place at the Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas, which opened in fall of 2016 and is the new host of the PGA Tour AT&T Byron Nelson Classic.

Fleck says that the SMU National Invitational has the toughest course of any opponents Ball State has faced since playing in the National Championship in 2013, however, Fleck sees it as a chance to improve.

“There’s no pressure on us,” Fleck said. “We go in there on paper as one of the weakest teams in the field. Therefore, we can go there, let it go, play golf and see what happens without the pressure of having to be in one of the top spots.”

The SMU National Invitational is Sept. 24-26 at the Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas, Texas. Tee times TBA. 

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