Buckeyes Head to San Diego for NCAA Regional – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 32-ranked and fifth-seeded Ohio State men’s golf team is set to travel to San Diego, Calif., for the NCAA Regional Tournament May 19-21. The three-day 54-hole event will take place on the par 72, 6,947-yard The Farms Golf Club in the San Diego suburb of Rancho Santa Fe.
TOURNAMENT BASICS
Name: NCAA Regional
Course: The Farms Golf Club (par 72, 6,947 yards)
Field: 13 teams (Golfweek/Sagaran rankings, May 8)
1. UCLA (4)
2. Texas (10)
3. Southern California (20)
4. San Diego (28)
5. Ohio State (32)
6. UNLV (44)
7. North Texas (38)
8. Middle Tennessee (50)
9. Tulsa (54)
10. SMU (55)
11. Pacific (67)
12. San Francisco (89)
13. Cleveland State (184)
Individuals:
1. Nick Delio, Cal State Northridge
2. Donald Constable, Minnesota
3. Travis Ross, New Mexico
4. Scott Smith, Nevada
5. Erik Van Rooyan, Minnesota
6. Bhavik Patel, Fresno State
7. Glen Scher, UC Santa Barbara
8. Jerry He, UC Irvine
9. Rick Lamb, Santa Clara
10. Donald DeNyse, Siena
Schedule:
Thursday, May 19 – Tee times beginning at 8 a.m. PT
Friday, May 20 – Tee times beginning at 8 a.m. PT
Saturday, May 21 – Tee times beginning at 8 a.m. PT
KEEPING AN EYE ON THINGS
Live scoring for the tournament will be available at www.golfstat.com. A link to the tournament will also be available at the men’s golf schedule page on www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com. Follow the Buckeyes on Twitter at twitter.com/OhioState_MGOLF.
HOW IT ALL WORKS
Six regional tournaments will be conducted as 13 teams and ten individuals will compete in three regionals while the other three regionals will have 14 teams and five individuals. The low five teams and the low individual from each regional will advance to the finals. The NCAA Championships will take place May 31-June 5 at Karsten Creek in Stillwater, Okla., with Oklahoma State hosting the tournament.
THE LAST TIME OUT
The Ohio State men’s golf team finished in fourth place at the 2011 Big Ten Championships April 29-May 1 in West Lafayette, Ind. The Buckeyes’ four-round total of 1190 (+38) came on the par 72, 7,465-yard, Pete Day-designed Kampen Course.
Senior Brad Smith led the charge in a tie for 13th with a total of 295 (+7). Not far off were fellow fourth-years Bo Hoag and Michael Cress. The pair fired a three-day score of 299 (+11) to finish tied for 21st. Junior Alex Redfield also chipped in a solid performance for the Scarlet and Gray, closing out in a tie for 28th with a score of 302. Rounding out the effort was junior Dan Charen in a tie for 47th after shooting a 312.
THE STARTERS
Looking to help the Buckeyes advance to the NCAA Championships are three seniors, one junior and one sophomore. Seniors Bo Hoag and Brad Smith have competed in all 11 tournaments this season with Hoag having a team-best 72.46 stroke average. Smith isn’t far behind, tallying a 72.63 stroke average. Classmate Michael Cress is third on the team with a 73.72 stroke average and has competed in eight events this season. Junior Dan Charen has played in 10 tournaments for the Buckeyes with a 73.85 stroke average, while sophomore Zack Sobel has three.
SCOUTING THE FIELD
The Buckeyes have 10 stroke play tournaments and one match play event under their collective belt so far this season, but it will require a solid effort from all five starters to overcome the difficult course layout and 13-team field. Of the 12 teams Ohio State will square off against, it has only matched up against five and currently holds a 4-4 mark versus the competition.
GRASPING THE GREENS
The par 72, 6,947-yard The Farms Golf Club was originally designed in 1988 by Pete, Perry and Alice Dye and underwent an extensive facelift in 2000 by John Fought and Tom Lehman. The general design of the course remained relatively unchanged, but all 18 greens were completely rebuilt. With a course rating of 73.8 and slope of 142, The Farms is a picturesque, yet highly challenging course. As San Diego’s only private golf club built with serious golfers in mind, The Farms Golf Club promises to give each member of the 13-team field a run for its money.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
The forecast for Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., looks promising for a weekend of golf. Each day of the event is expected to bring in temperatures in the low 60s with partly sunny skies and only a 10 percent chance of rain. Winds are expected to fluctuate most of the week, but should calm for much of the tournament.
SUPER SENIORS
Seniors Bo Hoag and Brad Smith each capped off stellar campaigns as they each garnered postseason awards from the Big Ten league office. Hoag captured the second First Team All-Big Ten honors of his career after leading the team with a 72.46 stroke average. Smith took home Second Team All-Big Ten laurels and also received Ohio State’s Sportsmanship Award. The two honors are the first postseason conference awards for Smith, who finished second on the team with a 72.63 stroke average.
OPEN COMPETITION
Members of the Ohio State men’s golf team competed in the 18-hole U.S. Open Local Qualifier May 9 at the par 72, 7,228-yard Kinsale Golf Club in Powell, Ohio. Sophomore Zack Sobel and senior Bo Hoag each earned a spot in the Top 8 to advance to the U.S. Open Sectional.
Sobel led the field with a 6-under 66, while Hoag finished tied for seventh with a 1-under 71. With the finish, the pair move on to the sectional tournament and will compete for a spot at the U.S. Open held June 13-19 at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.
