Monthly Archives: May 2021

CHANDLER, Arizona – Following the cancellation of the Baton Rouge Regional last week, the women’s golf team will have a second chance to end their 2021 season on the Barstool Sports Let Them Play Classic (LTP Classic) course. The two-day, 54-hole event will take place Thursday and Friday at the two courses at the Whirlwind Golf Club. The Boilermakers will play 18 holes each on the Cattail course and the Devil’s Claw course on Thursday and close the competition on Friday with a final 18 holes on Cattail. The event takes place in Chandler, Arizona, just minutes from the NCAA Championship in Scottsdale.

All 12 schools and three people who were denied the opportunity to play for a chance to qualify for the NCAA Championship Baton Rouge due to inclement weather were invited to LTP Classic. Some schools not being able to send their full contingent of players, the teams score has been changed to take the three best individual scores (not the usual four) from each round to be used collectively for the group score.

The NCAA waiver, which was only approved on Monday, provides an exception to the rules of the competition, allowing participants affected by the cancellation of the Baton Rouge Regional to play in an end-of-season event such as the LTP Classic in women’s golf.

In their last action, the Boilermakers placed seventh in the Big Ten Championship May 10-12 at TPC River River’s Bend in Maineville, Ohio.

THE FIELD (Invited teams)

Eastern Tennessee State
Houston
Jacksonville State
Kennesaw State
Miami (Florida)
Mississippi State
North Texas
Oregon State
Purdue

Quinnipiac
Sam Houston State
Tulsa

PURDUE RANGE

Kan Bunnabodee, Second year

• Appearing in his eighth event of the 2021 season.
• On average 74.0 strokes per round this year.
• Has done better six times this year and 10 times in 10 career tournaments.
• The low round of 2021 is a 5-under-67 in the final 18 at the ICON Invitational in February.
• The best score out of 54 holes is a par 216 at ICON.
• Scored the lowest, best round eight times and posted the best team be score on 54 holes at the Heroes Ladies Intercollegiate in February.
• Lead the team with 239 pars and a pair of eagles in 2021.
• Is second on the team with 54 birdies.

Danielle du Toit, Junior

• Appearing in his sixth event of the year and the 25th of his career.
• Is averaging 74.2 strokes per round in 2021.
• Has drawn at par or better three times in 2021 and 26 times in three seasons with the Boilermakers.
• The low round of the year is a 1-under 71 in the second round of the Valspar Invitational and the Big Ten Championship.
• The low score of 54 holes in 2021 is a 2 of 218 at Valspar in which she played as an individual.
• Has 160 pars over the year, 40 birdies and an eagle.

Ashley Kozlowski, First-year student

• Make his fifth appearance for the Boilermakers this season.
• Is averaging 76.0 strokes per round.
• Pulled at par or better twice in 2021.
• The low round of the year is a 1-under 71 at the ICON Invitational in February.
• The low score on 54 holes in 2021 is 10 of 226 at the Valspar Invitational in March.
• Has 119 pars and 32 birdies in 12 rounds this season.

Sifat sagou, Second year

• Appearing in his eighth event of 2021 and the 13th of his college career with Purdue.
• At an average of 73.6 strokes per round, the team’s best this season.
• Did better five times in 2021 and 11 times in his college career.
• The low round of the year is a 2-under 70 at the Indiana Invitational in April.
• The best 54-hole score this season is an even par 216 at the Indiana Invitational in which she tied for sixth.
• Is second on the team with 238 pars and third with 44 birdies in 2021.

Inez Wanamarta, Senior

• Appearing in his sixth event this season and the 36th of his college career.
• Is averaging 73.8 strokes per round in 2021.
• Has passed the par or better five times in 15 rounds this season.
• The 2021 low round is a 2-under-70 at the ICON Invitational in February.
• The low score of 54 holes of the year is 2 of 218 at the Valspar Invitational in March.
• Is third on the team with 191 starts in 2021 and has recorded 28 birdies this season.

THE COURSE (Whirlwind Golf Club)

Built into the ancient native landscape is a 36-hole championship golf course designed by renowned architect Gary Panks. A true test of golf, the Cattail and Devil’s Claw courses are truly desert golf, evolved. Staffed with talented and dedicated professionals, the Whirlwind Golf Club has grown into one of the best golfing facilities in the Southwest. Cattail will play the first round by 72 to 6,187 yards and Devil’s Claw to par 72 and 6,170 yards. The last 18 holes will be on Cattail playing to 6,312 yards.

Cattails (from golfarizona.com)

The Cattail Course opened in the fall of 2002. It complements the Devil’s Claw but gives a whole new flavor to championship golf at Whirlwind. While Devil’s Claw features high mounds and significant elevation changes on the fairways, the distaff’s challenge lies in its deep canyons and pristine lakes.

Devil’s Claw (from golfarizona.com)

The Devil’s Claw course mirrors the Gila River’s native palette of plants – Mesquite, Saguaro, Palo Verde, and Cottonwood blend with native grasses to recreate the Gila River as it was when the waters still flowed over the reserve . Its design is dominated by gradual elevation changes, multi-level greens, and tough bunker design.

WEATHER FORECAST

Thursday May 20 – Mainly sunny, high of 98, ZERO percent chance of rain, winds from the SW at 10-20 MPH.
Friday May 21 – Mostly sunny, high of 88, ZERO percent chance of rain, winds from the SW at 10-20 MPH.

DEPARTURE HOURS

Thursday, May 20 – 11:24 a.m. ET (Hole 1)
Friday May 21 – to be confirmed

LIVE SCORING

The live score can be found by clicking here.

Each pair of eyes in the living room of the Cecil W. Weathers Golf Team Center in Bloomington were glued to a television screen hanging on the wall. The exception were those belonging to IU men’s golf head coach Mike Mayer, who turned to his team.

“Like I’ve said from day one, gentlemen, it’s been a complete team effort,” said Mayer. “All of you eleven have played a huge role in what’s going to happen here in a few minutes.”

Sounds of applause and howl echoed through the clubhouse as each pair of eyes found what they were looking for on TV – IU’s trident logo was displayed next to the No.8 seed in the Tallahassee Regional.

IU will be competing in the Tallahassee Regional Monday through Wednesday at Seminole Legacy Golf Club Tallahassee, Florida. One round will be played each day, and the competition will start at 8:30 am on Monday excluding the separate starts, the Hoosiers will start at 9:25 am on start # 1.

The top five teams from each region, as well as the individual with the lowest score outside of the top five teams, will advance to the NCAA Championships which will be held May 28 through June 2 at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, in Arizona.

This is IU’s first playoff appearance since placing 13th in Fayetteville, Arkansas at Fayetteville Regional in 2013.

“It’s always great to play in the playoffs. It’s been a while and we’re excited to be going to Florida, ”Mayer said in a video posted to the team’s Twitter account on May 6.

UI’s lineup will consist of rookie Clay Merchent, senior student Ethan Shepherd, junior Mitch Davis, rookie Drew Salyers and graduate student Brock Ochsenreiter.

Merchent and Shepherd were named the All-Big Ten first and second team respectively, while Merchent was also named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Ochsenreiter, who will be joining the squad for the first time this season, won the Big Ten Co-Golfer of the Week title after winning the Boilermaker Individual on April 11.

“A strong, solid spring for this young man,” Mayer said of Merchent. “He had a huge impact on this program.

The teams competing, with IU, will be Florida State University, University of Georgia, Liberty University, Louisiana State University, Georgia Tech University, Georgia Southern University, Texas Christian University, University of Kansas, University of Southern California, Ohio State, Davidson College, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, and Long Island University.

IU knows Ohio State, having defeated the Buckeyes in the first round of the Big Ten Match Play to open the season on February 5 before finishing a berth behind them with a single stroke at the Big Ten Championship on May 2.

STILLWATER, Okla. – The Alabama Men’s Golf Team returns to playoff action Monday morning when it opens play at the 2021 NCAA Stillwater Regional Golf, hosted by the State of Oklahoma. The No. 6 seeded Crimson Tide will start the first round of the 54 three-day regional holes at 8:00 a.m. CT and will be matched to the No. 4 seeds Notre Dame and SMU No. 5 on par 72, 7 502 -cour Karsten Creek Golf Course.

The course is familiar to number 6 seed Crimson Tide, as it was the site of UA’s second national place in 2018. That year, Alabama reached the final before losing to in Oklahoma State on his home run in the Championship game. Elders Wilson furr and Davis Shore were both freshmen on this team.

The top five regional championship teams and the weak non-advanced team individual will advance to the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships, hosted by Arizona State University at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale , Arizona, May 28 through June 2.

Programming

• Wilson furr and Thomas meditates, ranked # 48 and # 56 respectively in the updated Golfweek Individual Ranking, will compete in the top two spots for the Crimson Tide
• Ponder leads the team with an average of 71.03 strokes with Furr just behind at 71.15, however, Furr’s average to par (-0.19) is slightly higher than Ponder’s (-0.07 )
• Clay cannon has also been a consistent force for this year’s team, averaging 72.00 strokes per round, which ranks third on the team, and averaging +1.00 over par.
• Davis Shore maintains an average of 72.13 strokes (+0.88 on average vs par) in the six tournaments he’s been in this season after being limited in mid-spring with a back injury
• JP Cave completes the starting five after starting in seven of Tide’s nine tournaments this season while maintaining an average of 74.40 per lap
• Tyler lipscomb earned a berth in the NCAA Regionals as an alternate team after averaging 73.33 strokes per round in four tournaments played this year

NCAA Regional News

• The 13-team field is led by the No. 1 seed Oklahoma State, who is ranked No. 6 in the country, while the No. 2 seed Illinois, No. 3 Auburn, No. 4 SMU and No. 5 Notre Dame round out the les. top five seeds from the region
• In addition to the sixth-ranked tide, other remaining teams in the Stillwater Regional include: No. 7 Baylor, No. 8 Sam Houston State, No. 9 Arkansas Little Rock, No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 11 Northwestern, No. 12 College of Charleston and No 13 Middle Tennessee State
• Alabama has won an NCAA Regional Championship four times: 2009 Galloway (NJ) Regional, 2012 Athens (Ga.) Regional, 2013 Baton Rouge (La.) Regional and 2014 NCAA Auburn (Ala.) Regional)
• Of the six regional organized, three will have 13 teams and 10 people not belonging to these teams will compete against each other while the other three regional will have 14 teams and five people not belonging to these teams.
• With this year’s selection, the Crimson Tide will make their 16th consecutive appearance in the NCAA regional game under the direction of the head coach Jay seawell, and the 24^e general appearance. The 2020 NCAA Men’s Golf Championships have not been contested due to the global pandemic.

The Crimson Tide have reached national championships 11 times under the direction of the head coach Jay seawell, including seven of the past nine seasons. Alabama has won the national championship twice (2013 and 2014) and finished second twice (2012 and 2018).

Live Championship scores are available on Golfstat.com. The last day of the regional game (May 19) will have expanded television coverage on the Golf Channel.

For all the latest team information, follow AlabamaMGolf on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General sports news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.

Men’s golf | May 14, 2021

USC Men’s Golf Team, under the direction of the first-year head coach JT Higgins and animated this year by seniors Leon D’Souza and Kyle Suppa, get back to the NCAA action this week at the Tallahassee Regional at the Seminole Legacy Club, Monday through Wednesday (May 17-19).

Six regional 54-hole tournaments will be organized next week. Thirteen teams and 10 people not belonging to these teams will compete in each of the three regions while the other three regions will have 14 teams and five people not belonging to these teams. The bottom five teams and the bottom individual not part of those teams from each region will advance to the final.

The USC region includes the host state of Florida as the seed, followed in order by Georgia, Liberty, LSU, Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern, TCU, Indiana, Kansas, USC, Ohio State, Davidson, Florida A&M and LIU.

The No. 10 seeded Trojans will start with No. 11 seed Ohio State and No. 12 seed Davidson starting at 9:55 a.m. ET on Monday. The results will be available on Golfstat.com.

Trojans, looking to return to NCAA Finals after their last appearance in 2019, will start seniors Kyle Suppa and Leon D’Souza, junior Cameron Henry, second year Tyler guo and first year student Shane FFrench. First-year student Krando Nishiba is available as a submarine.

If USC, one of the eight Pac-12 teams competing in the regionals, comes out of Tallahassee, it will advance to the national championships which will be held May 28 through June 2 at the Grayhawk GC in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Until there
The Trojans were sixth at the season opener Southwestern Invitational in their first action of the season at 36-over 900 (301-296-303). For the second consecutive season, junior Cameron Henry kicked off his campaign with a top 20, tied for 15th with 6-over 222 (77-72-73). Senior Kaito Onishi 20th tied at 8 of 224 (77-74-73) in first year Shane FFrench 27th tied at 10 of 226 (70-74-82).

The Trojans, behind the best career performances of the second year Tyler guo and Ffrench, faced one of the nation’s top teams on the wire during the Amer Ari Invitational at the Hapuna GC in Waimea, Hawai’i, ultimately finishing second of the season behind Arizona State on February 4. The Trojans combined for an 839 under 25 (280-278-281), finishing 12 strokes behind the Sun Devils.

USC finished 14th at Prestige in the 24-team event, led by At Léon D’Souza Tied for 36th at 5 of 5, then tied for eighth at the Lamkin San Diego Classic, led by Onishi’s 16th at 2 of 218. Troy then took ninth place at NIT, led again by Onishi, who posted a season-best tie for ninth at 10 under 206 (70-68-68), his second-best score of 54 holes as a Trojan horse.

Onishi again led USC to The Goodwin, tied for fourth while USC was tied for 13th. He extended his streak of consecutive rounds in the sixties to five while posting his fifth top 20 in six starts. Leon D’Souza Tied 21st at Western Intercollegiate for lead USC, which took eighth place.

At the Pac-12 Championships, USC was eighth. Ffrench and D’Souza are tied for 20th to lead Troy while Onishi is tied for 22nd.

Onishi leads the team in average shots at 71.68 while Ffrench is second (72.48) and D’Souza third (73.32). Onishi has a best team of 14 rounds par or better while Ffrench has 12 and Henry has seven. Onishi has a best team of 13 rounds under par while Ffrench has nine. Onishi has a record of seven rounds in the 60s while D’Souza has four, Guo has two.

New staff
Higgins succeeded USC head coach on August 14, 2020, replacing Chris Zambri, and will be joined on the course by the first-year assistant coach. Matt Walton, hired November 4.

Higgins joined USC as a GCAA Hall of Fame coach after 19 seasons at Texas A&M (2002-20) and four in New Mexico (1998-01). He guided the Texas A&M Men’s Team to an NCAA Championship (2009) and 17 NCAA appearances during his 19 years there and was named Conference Coach of the Year three times and Four-time Region / District Coach of the Year.

Higgins’ teams achieved an academic record of 12 consecutive NCAA regional places from 2003 to 2014. The Aggies earned 12 top-5 rankings in NCAA regional games, including regional championships in 2018 and 2019, and earned 10 top-15 finishes at NCAA Championships, including tied. for fifth place in 2018 and 2019. A&M finished 12 times in the Top 20 in the national ranking under Higgins and twice in the Top 5 in the country in terms of scoring. His teams posted the 15 lowest average scores in school history.

Walton is a college All-American with Division I coaching experience to complete a wide range of jobs with juniors and amateurs. He arrived at USC after a season as an assistant men’s golf coach at Wichita State (2019-20) in which the Shockers won a regular season event (NMSU / Herb Wimberly Invitational), won an individual and combined title for two other individual summits. 10 arrivals in the shortened season of the Covid. Prior to joining Wichita State, Walton was a head coach at Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy in Orlando, Florida, providing comprehensive education to some of the nation’s top junior golfers. Prior to that, he worked as a professional assistant for several years in Indiana.

Trojans 2021
USC’s 2021 team includes three senior graduates Kyle Suppa, fourth year terminal Kaito Onishi and second year Trojan horse Leon D’Souza. Other returning Trojans include juniors Cameron Henry and second Tyler guo. Newcomers to the squad this season are freshmen Shane FFrench, Ethan Chung and Krando Nishiba.

Team parties are Yuxin Lin, who transferred to Florida at the end of 2020, and Charlie Reiter, who transferred out of USC after the fall 2019 season.

D’Souza is USC’s first returning golfer in stroke average (70.67) and rounds in the ’60s (eight). He has finished in the top 4 three times, including his second at the Southwestern Invitational at 11 under, a second tie at the Bill Cullum Invitational at 13 under and a fourth at the Prestige at 10 under.

D’Souza has joined Issei Tanabe, Suppa and Guo with 18-round team tops during the cropped season. Tanabe finished second in stroke average (72.33) to go with five rounds in the ’60s. He closed the season with a season-best tie for ninth at the Southern Highlands Invitational at 2 under to go with two. other top 30.

Onishi, the only USC All-American on the team (an honor earned in sophomore 2019), only played 12 rounds last year, highlighted by a tie for third place in Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate, which saw its only round in the 60s. He had a stroke average of 73.00

Suppa played two rounds in the 1960s as a true senior, his season highlighted by a tie for 22nd in the Prestige.

Henry opened his junior season with a 68 en route to a better tie of the season for 13th place at Mea Lanakila Individual and finished 25th at the Southern Highlands Invitational at 3 points. Guo played two rounds in the ’60s and had the best tie of the season for 17th in the Prestige.