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OCT.
2-3 — Leafs Improve In Abbreviated MCC Tournament
Squad struggles
in the elements but rebounds for second-best score in day two |
South Bend, IN — The ominous
signs were plentiful at the Blackthorn Golf Course range early
Monday morning, as 54 golfers prepared for — what was supposed
to be — the first half of three rounds at the Mid-Central
Conference Championships.
Sadly for all involved, Mother Nature had other ideas.
“The skies (Monday morning) looked like something you’d
see in the weather-related disaster movies,” said Cory Furman,
Goshen head golf coach. “You could see these huge bursts
of lighting way off in the distance, though there was total stillness
over the course. It was pretty eerie.”
That eeriness turned to a full-fledged lightning storm just minutes
after the 8 a.m. shotgun start, sending golfers scrambling back
to the clubhouse for cover just two holes into the two-day, 54-hole
tournament. Two hours later, the storm had passed leaving a sopping
course in its wake. It was apparent to all coaches that a 54-hole
tournament was a high improbability.
“We were supposed to play 27 (holes on Monday) and 27 (holes
on Tuesday), but after the rain there just wasn’t enough
time,” Furman
said. “We made the decision as a group of coaches to shorten
the tournament to 36 holes.”
The shortened tournament did not help Goshen, as the team struggled
to a 370 on Monday only to shoot a 355 on Tuesday, the squad’s
second-best score of the season.
“Both days were wet, and both days were played under lift,
clean and place rules,” Furman said. “The difference
was partly in the weather. Monday was still very windy and cold
while
Tuesday was sunny and perfect. We rebounded nicely to shoot a respectable
score on a very tough course.”
The Leafs’ 355 on Tuesday was paced by senior Joel Kauffman’s
79, his second-lowest posting of the season. Kauffman might have
had an even better score on Monday — he shot an 87 — but
the rain delay ruined a par-par start with both birdie putts lipping
out of the cup.
“Joel has had a tremendous career at Goshen College,” Furman
said following the meet. “Not only is Joel a great golfer,
but he is a tremendous competitor. For the last three years, I
could never tell by Joel’s reaction as to whether he just
eagled or double-bogeyed the last hole he played. His demeanor
was rock solid, and that’s why he was able to score so well.
He always played each shot in its own right, and never thought
about what just happened or where he was at in scoring. He was
a very smart competitor.”
Freshman Zach Wright backed Kauffman’s efforts with a 90-91
in the two-day event, while junior Brett Troyer (95-96) and senior
Tyler Roth (101-90) both came up with 95.5 averages. Roth played
perhaps his best collegiate round Tuesday, firing his first ever
90 while almost breaking that plateau.
“Tyler had a six footer for par on the 18th on Tuesday that
just missed,” Furman said. “I knew he had to make that
for an 89, and I just felt for him. He’s playing the best
golf of his career right now. It’s too bad our season has
come to a close.”
Goshen’s 725 team score positioned the team in ninth place
overall, as host Bethel College won its first-ever MCC Championship
in firing a 597. That bettered Marian College’s 605, Huntington
University’s 611, Spring Arbor University’s 619, Indiana
Wesleyan University’s 620, Taylor University’s 621,
the University of St. Francis’ 639 and Grace College’s
692.
The Leafs found the going most smooth on Blackthorn’s par
threes during the two-day event (an average score of 3.98) while
the par fours gave the team the most trouble (an average score
of 6.10). Taylor University’s Ryan Johnson fired the first
hole-in-one in MCC Championship history, acing Blackthorn’s
235-yard, par three, 13th hole.
Goshen’s 355 score on Tuesday was bettered only by the squad’s
season-opening 332 in its own invitational on Sept. 6 (click here for article).
“We had some guys struggle with their swings this season,
even though they worked has hard as they possibly could to correct
them,” Furman
said. “Had it not been for that, our scoring could have been
much closer to what we shot in our first tournament throughout
the year. Losing Joel will be very tough, but we have a strong
nucleus coming back that can greatly improve from their efforts
this year. I’m looking forward to this spring and next fall
already.”
Kauffman finished as the conference’s 34th best score in
the championships. Bethel’s Chris Tilbury won the individual
championship by shooting a 73-74 147, claiming the title in a playoff
competition from Marian’s Stephen Ford (72-75 147). The tournament’s
low round was fired by Spring Arbor’s Kris Bradshaw, who
carded a 70 on Tuesday.
Composite team and individual results will be posted soon. Check
back to this site in the coming days for a link to that information.
Goshen Results
Mid-Central Conference Championships
Blackthorn Golf Course
GOSHEN COLLEGE – (370/355) Kauffman, 87/79, 83
avg.; Wright, 90/91, 90.5 avg.; Unrein, 98/95, 96.5 avg.; Martz, 106/103,
104.5 avg.;
Troyer,
95/96, 95.5 avg.;
Roth,
101/90,
95.5 avg. |
  Senior
Joel Kauffman
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