Bulldog Men's Golf Places 15th In North Alabama Classic

The Ferris State University men's golf team started off its spring season by taking 15th place with a three-round 958-team stroke total (+94) at the 2011 Alabama Classic (March 28-29) in Muscle Shoals, Ala.

The Bulldogs, who posted rounds of 315, 331, and 312, respectively, finished 20 strokes in back of 14th-place Missouri Western State (938, +74).  FSU began tournament play Monday (March 28) with a two-round 70-over par 646 and then proceeded to register a 312-stroke total in Tuesday's (March 29) final-round competition.  Host North Alabama claimed the tournament title by firing a nine-over par 873 score among the 18 participating teams competing on the par 72, 7,126-yard Robert Trent Jones at the Shoals Fighting Joe Course.

Leading the way for Ferris State was senior Garrett Simons (Grand Ledge), who tallied a 230 score (80-75-75=230, +14) to tie for 34th place.  Junior Ian Straayer (Caledonia/Grandville) generated a 234-stroke total (76-82-76=234, +18) to earn a five-way share of 44th-place honors while freshman Trent Davison's (Rockford) 242 score (81-79-82=242, +26) proved worthy of a 73rd-place tie.

Senior Joe Brown (St. Ignace/LaSalle) took 93rd place after firing a 278 score (89-95-94=278, +62).  Kyle Wittenbach (Lowell), also a senior, started off tourney play with a 78 but had to withdraw from second-round competition.  The 2010 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championships medalist was able to return for Tuesday's (March 29) final round and netted a 79-stroke total.

Ferris State return to the links this weekend (April 2-3) for the NCAA-II Midwest Region Tournament II to be held at the Cherry Blossom Golf Course in Georgetown, Ky.