The men's golf team continued its solid play this spring, finishing in the top five for the third time this season at the First Energy Intercollegiate in Akron, Ohio. Led by the third-place finish of Wayne Denger, the Cardinals finished fifth in the 17-team event, a performance that pleased coach Mike Fleck.
"Overall, we are doing what we set out to accomplish, which is to get better each and every day," Fleck said.
Xavier won the tournament by shooting a 3-under 861. The Musketeers were followed by Toledo, Kent State and Indiana.
BSU finished 18 strokes back from the champion, shooting 879 (291-290-298).
"We were one 18-hole round away from a pretty outstanding tournament," Fleck said.
The Cardinals got off to a good start in the first round as Denger fired a career-low 4-under par 68. He led the team in the first and second rounds, shooting 214 (68-72-74) for the three rounds and becoming the first Ball State golfer to finish in the top-five this season.
"He had a great tournament," Fleck said. "(His good play) is evidence of how hard he has worked in the off-season and this spring."
The higher team score on the final round was due to the more difficult playing conditions.
"The second day was more challenging than the first," Fleck said. "It was overcast and the wind was blowing."
The highlight of the final round came when C.D. Hockersmith used a 4-iron to ace the par-3 11th hole at Firestone Country Club South Course. Fleck happened to be on the tee box to witness the shot.
"It never left the flagstick," he said. "It landed on the front of the green, rolled 20 to 25 feet right into the hole."
Hockersmith finished the tournament tied for 33rd at 223 (75-72-76). He was bettered by teammate Brandon Boomsma, who shot 217 (71-73-73) and finished tied for 13th.
The rest of the line-up included Patrick Wilkes-Krier, who finished tied for 41st (77-73-75), and Lance Scholl, who tied for 58th (79-75-76). Bud Graessle also competed as an individual and finished alongside Hockersmith in 33rd place (71-74-78).
Ball State finished third out of the 10 MAC schools that competed in the tournament. The strong showing is something that the team plans to build on heading into MAC Championships on May 6.
"We feel like we're one of the better teams in the MAC," Fleck said. "If we can put up good scores, we feel that we can compete for the MAC Championship."-á
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