It was not the optimal way to start the spring season, but the Bowling Green men’s golf team will have to accept it.
The Falcons, foiled by windy conditions, kicked off its spring season with a 12th-place finish out of 13 teams at the Irish Springs Invitational at Howie-in-the-Hills, Florida. They finished with a team score of 951 (303-318-330).
Wichita State captured the tournament with a team score of 885 (288-285-312), defeating second-place finisher Colorado State by four strokes.
Judd Easterling of Wichita State gained the individual crown, after shooting one-under par for the tournament with a score of 215 (67-74-74).
The top individual finisher for the Falcons was junior Heath Ziglar, who finished with a score of 234 (78-74-82).
Junior Chris Leake finished the tournament tied for 49th-place with a plus-25 241. Senior Craig Pickerel and sophomore Dan McIntyre both finished tied for 59th-place with a plus-29 245. Freshman Jace Walker penciled in a plus-35 251 on the scorecard.
Freshman Trevor Spathelf and sophomore Brad Dearsman each competed as individuals for the Falcons in the tournament. Spethalf tied for 72nd with a score of 254, while Dearsman tied for 73rd with a final score of 255.
BGSU head coach Garry Winger was disappointed at the way the team handled themselves in this past week’s tournament.
“We had ourselves in a good position after the first round,” Winger said. “The weather was very bad during the final round and we did not get the job done.”
Despite this being the first tournament, Winger believes the Falcons still need to improve if this team is going to be competitive this spring.
“I just think we lacked the mental toughness we need to compete and I think we were lacking that down in Florida,” Winger said. “[Pickerel and Ziglar] they have to step it up because they are the key to our success.”
The Falcons have two weeks before their next tournament, but this will not be an extended vacation. Winger plans on making sure the team is not only mentally prepared, but physically as well for this upcoming tournament.
Bowling Green’s next tournament will be the Pinehurst Invitational, which will be held March 28-29 in Pinehurst, N.C.
