Bulldog Men's Golf Ties For 16th At NCAA Super Regional
The Ferris State University men's golf team carded a squad tourney-best 302 final-round score at the 2011 NCAA Division II Midwest/South Central Super Regional to tie for 16th place overall with a three-round score of 914 (+50).
The Bulldogs compiled rounds of 303, 309, and 302 to post a 50-strokes over par 914 team score on the par 82, 6,842-yard Cherry Blossom Golf Course in Georgetown, Ky. Ferris State concluded the three-round tourney tied with Washburn (914, +50) among the 20-team field. The two teams finished one stroke in back of 15th-place St. Mary's, Texas (913, +49) and two strokes behind 14th-place Midwestern State (912, +48).
Abilene Christian and Central Oklahoma both shot an 876 team score (+12) to claim a share of the regional championship honors while Cameron (881, +17) garnered third place. Missouri-St. Louis (893, +29), which placed fourth, and fifth-place Central Missouri (893, +29) also qualified for nationals by finishing in the top five.
Ferris State, which has now officially concluded its 2010-11 season, was led by Garrett Simons (Grand Ledge). The Bulldog senior placed in a three-way tie for 13th place by turning in a three-over-par 219 (71-70-78=219, +3). Simons tallied six birdies in the second round and then recorded two along with six pars in round three.
Senior Kyle Wittenbach (Lowell) wrapped up his collegiate career by firing a 227 score (76-79-72=227, +11) to earn a share of 45th place with 10 other individuals. Wittenbach, the 2010 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championships medalist and a 2010-11 first-team All-GLIAC selection, scored par on eight holes in the second round before chalking up four birdies in final-round competition.
Senior Richard Weisenberger (New Hudson/South Lyon) and freshman Trent Davison (Rockford) were among four players to tie for 94th place with 22-over-par 238 three-round stroke totals. Weisenberger (81-84-73=238, +22) and Davison (77-82-79=238, +22) produced a combined five birdies in the final two rounds while Davison netted one birdie and parred 11 of his final 36-holes.
Junior Ian Straayer (Caledonia/Grandville) placed two strokes behind both Weisenberger and Davison with a 240 score (77-82-79=238, +22). Straayer birdied five holes and parred seven more in second round action before racking up nine pars to go with a pair of birdies in final round competition.
Ferris State's appearance in the NCAA Regional Tournament this spring represented the ninth straight for the Bulldogs, who are coached by 2010 GLIAC Coach of the Year Award recipient Michael Mignano and assisted by Dr. Phil Walling.