The Bowling Green men’s golf team spent its spring break enjoying the tropical climate of Puerto Rico and competing in the Palmas Del Mar Intercollegiate.
Unfortunately for the team, its golf games could not match the tranquil conditions, as BG placed a disappointing 10th in the 14-team field.
“I was pretty disappointed overall with how we played,” said coach Garry Winger. “I know we are capable of playing a lot better than how we ended up.”
Things looked promising for Winger’s bunch after an opening day 299 left them in a tie for fourth.
However, subsequent rounds of 308 and 301 relegated them to joint 10th position with James Madison.
A microcosm of the Falcons’ slide was Matt Schneider, who was tied for second after a first round 70, only to balloon to an 80 in round two and a 79 in round three for a total of 229 and a tie for 39th.
He was far from alone, however, as big numbers became the theme of BG’s week.
Scott Blackburn opened with consecutive 81s, followed by a third round 79 to finish with a 241, tied for 66th.
Wes Gates saw his totals escalate steadily from 76, 77 and 79 for a final tally of 232. Drew Preston fired a 71 in the final round, but it was too little too late after miserable rounds of 81 and 76 on the first two days. He finished tied for 36th at 228.
According to Winger, the Falcons were done in mainly by the golf course’s bedeviling Bermuda Greens, which can be quite perplexing for those who are used to putting on the Bentgrass found up north.
“We had a ton of trouble around the greens,” Winger said. “Bermuda grass takes a lot of time to get used to; it is a lot bumpier than many of the greens we putt on up here. We just didn’t do a great job of making the adjustment.”
John Powers was the one outlier for the Falcons; he parlayed steady rounds of 72-75-72 into a tie for sixth at 219 (+3).
“I thought my ball striking was very good all week,” said Powers. “I hit a lot of balls close, so it was disappointing not to come away with more birdies, but I am still pleased with how I played.”
“John played very confidently all week,” Winger said. “He had a great attitude all week and was in a great position mentally to succeed.”
The Falcons will now rest a week before returning to action on March 27 at the Ball State Cardinal Classic where they hope to right the ship.
“I know that our finish was not for a lack of effort,” Winger said. “Everyone tried their hardest. We just have to work on improving our demeanor when things don’t go our way. Way too often this week we got down on ourselves for bad shots. You absolutely cannot have that happen in golf and still expect to be successful.”