Men’s Golf Begins the Spring at Gator Invite – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/7/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Feb. 7, 2002
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 9/10 Ohio State men’s golf will look to start the spring season off strong as they travel to Gainesville, Fla., to compete in the Gator Invitational. The Buckeyes will be facing some tough competition including the host, No. 1 Florida Gators.
OSU finished in a tie for ninth place with Georgia Southern at the 2001 Gator Invite, shooting a four over 844 for the tournament. The top Buckeye finisher was Mike Austin at 15th place. Ryan Dennis is the highest returning finisher for OSU after firing 211 for three rounds, which was good enough for 29th place.
Buckeyes Earn Spots in Both Major Polls
The Ohio State men’s golf team is ranked in both major collegiate golf polls following three Top 5 finishes in tournaments this fall. Ohio State is rated No. 9 in Golf World’s College Golf Coaches’ Poll and No. 10 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Men’s Golf Poll.
Captains Selected
Following a team vote Oct. 11, Ryan Dennis , Jason Oien and Justin Collins were selected captains for the 2001-02 Buckeyes.
Lineup set for the Gator Invitational
The five players traveling to Gainesville, Fla. for the Gator Invitational will be Doug Wade, Justin Collins, Jason Oien, sophomore Kevin Hall and senior Scott Miller . Hall is competing in his second fall tournament. Miller is making his first appearance of the season. Ohio State Welcomes NCAA Tournament for 10th Time at Scarlet Course
The 2002 NCAA Tournament will be played at The OSU Scarlet Course May 27-June 1, 2001 in Columbus, Ohio. It marks the 10th time the NCAA championship will be determined on Ohio State’s historic Scarlet Course and the first time since 1995.
The Buckeyes missed qualifying for the 2001 NCAA Tournament by one stroke but expect to make a push in 2002 to play on their home course in NCAA tournament play.
Brown Has Veteran Squad Returning
Ohio State returns four student-athletes who played the majority of the 2000-01 schedule for Jim Brown, Buckeye head coach.
Brown, in his 29th season as the men’s golf coach at Ohio State, has led the Buckeyes to 22 NCAA Tournament appearances. His teams have won 16 Big Ten titles and have finished among the Top 2 in the Big Ten Conference 24 times.
Leading the Buckeyes this year are a trio of seniors. Jason Oien, Ryan Dennis and Doug Wade are the most experienced Buckeyes in 2001-02. Junior Justin Collins has played in all but one tournament for the Buckeyes. Sophomore Kevin Hall came out of a redshirt season last year to help the Buckeyes to a pair of tournament wins.
Newcomers Could Become Factor
Freshman newcomers Darren Lundgren (Baldwin, Mo.) and Matt Boudreau (St. Ann, Ill.) each are expected to push the veterans for a spot among the Top 5 as the season progresses.
Lundgren was an American Junior Golf Association All-American and played for the USA World Junior Golf Cup Team which defeated Canada at St. Andrew’s golf course in Scotland.
Boudreau, who played in his first tournament as a Buckeye at the Gary Koch Invitational (Oct. 15-16), was the Illinois Junior National Champion in 2000, the same year he led his high school team to the Illinois State championship.
Buckeyes Prepare for Spring Season
The fall schedule ends at the Aztec Invitational in San Diego, Calif., Nov. 5-6.
The spring portion of the schedule begins Feb. 9-10 at the Gator Invitational in Gainesville, Fla.
Ohio State will play in six spring tournaments before the Big Ten Championship event, held May 3-5 in Iowa City, Iowa. The 2002 NCAA Central Regional Tournament will be played May 16-18 in Little Rock, Ark. Ohio State plays host to the 2002 Men’s Golf Championship May 27-June 1.
Noting the Buckeyes
Doug Wade: Completed fall play with second-lowest scoring average on the team (71.3) after 4-under par effort (212) at the Aztec Invitational (11/5-6) … fired the low round (64) of his career and on the team for the fall in the second round at the Aztec Inv. … Wade finished the Ping/Golfweek Preview (Sept. 28-30) with back-to-back sub-par rounds to on his way to a score of 211 for the 54-hole event … he finished tied for second after a 4-under 67 in the final round … had streak of four-consecutive rounds under par snapped with a final round 73 (T10 overall) at the Red River Classic (10/8-9) … had a pair of Top 10 finishes in the fall … 5-of-12 rounds this season have been below par, including four in the 60s … currently rated No. 31 nationally in Golfweek/Sagarin individual rankings.
Justin Collins: Finished the fall with a 70.4 scoring average, lowest on the team, after a 9-under 207 (tied for second overall) at the Aztec Invitational (11/5-6) …shot 11-under over the final two rounds at the Aztec to help Buckeyes claim the team title … Collins fired back-to-back rounds under par to finish tied for the No. 9 spot at the Ping/Golfweek Preview (Sept. 28-30) … playing in the No. 1 spot for the Buckeyes, he helped move the team from 12th position after the first round to a No. 4 finish against some of the nation’s best teams … 8-of-12 rounds this season have been below par, including five in the 60s … had three Top 10 finishes in the fall … shot 3-under par 213 at Red River Classic (10/8-9) and 5-under at Gary Koch Inv. … currently rated No. 15 nationally in Golfweek/Sagarin individual rankings.
Ryan Dennis: Responded well after a shaky start to the Ping Preview (Sept. 28-30) … followed first round 76 by shooting par over the final two days combined to tie for 16th with a 54-hole total of 218 … 3-of-9 rounds below par this season, including a 69 at Red River Classic (10/8).
Kevin Hall: Helped Buckeyes move to within striking distance in the second round of the Aztec Invitational (11/5-6) with a second round 68 … the Buckeyes shot 20-under par (268) in round two, winning the 54-hole event by one stroke over the host Aztecs … Hall shot 226 over the three days of the Ping/Golfweek Preview (Sept. 28-30) to tie for 52nd at +13 (75-76-75) … helped OSU to a pair of tournament wins as a freshman after foregoing a redshirt season in the late spring to compete … played in two fall tournaments as a sophomore.
Jason Oien: Finished No. 3 on the team with a 72.3 scoring average in the fall … shot 7-under (209) to finish tied for sixth in helping the Buckeyes to the Aztec Invitational title (11/5-6) … struggled out of the gate in the first two rounds of the Ping/Golfweek Preview (Sept. 28-30) but finished strong with a final round 73 to help the Buckeyes to a No. 4 finish at The OSU Scarlet Course … led Buckeyes with a 7-under 209 effort at the Red River Classic (T 7) … shot final round 68, one of seven rounds in the 60s … finished the fall with a pair of Top 10 finishes.
Scott Anderson: Anderson was a decorated high school golfer at Great Falls (Mont.) … won the state individual title as sophomore and junior before finishing second as a senior … a three-time all-state selection, Anderson won seven individual tournaments as a prep athlete and was a four-time academic all-state honoree … played in his first tournament as a Buckeye at the Red River Classic.
Matt Boudreau: Boudreau made his first tournament appearance with the Buckeyes at the Gary Koch Inv. (Oct. 15-16) … struggled in the first round but was just 2-over par over the final 36 holes, including a career-low 72 in the final round … the St. Ann, Ill., native won the 2000 Illinois Junior Amateur Championship and led Bishop McNamara to the state title that year.
Scott Miller: Miller made his first appearance of the fall season and first since his junior campaign in 1999-00 at the Aztec Invitational (11/5-6) … shot a 1-under 71 in the final round as the Buckeyes won by one stroke at the Aztec Inv. … before the Aztec Inv., the fifth-year senior last competed at the Kepler Invitational (4/14-15, 2000), hosted by Ohio State … he finished tied for 19th place in that event.
