Cardinals Close Kepler with Season-Best Round in Final MAC Tuneup

Friday, April 19

Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State University GC-Scarlet)

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Robert Kepler Invitational

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

Cardinals Close Kepler with Season-Best Round in Final MAC Tuneup

April 20, 2019 | Men's Golf

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Bronnenberg’s 68, Wiseman’s 69 lead bounce-back round for BSU men’s golf team

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Thirty-one strokes.

That's how much better the Ball State men's golf team scored in Saturday's final round of the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate.

Not how much better the Cardinals truly played – Friday's season-worst score of 313 (+27) was not nearly as bad as the number would suggest, given the brutal conditions that led to ballooning numbers for the majority of the field.

But how much better they scored – Saturday's 282 (-2) on Ohio State's Scarlet Course was a season-best.

Almost all 15 teams vastly improved their score from round one to round two. But Ball State's 31-stroke jump, ignited by under-par rounds from Keegan Bronnenberg and Timothy Wiseman, was the biggest of any of them. A day after BSU combined for five birdies as a team, that duo made five each and Bronnenberg added an eagle.

Tournament host Ohio State overtook round-one leader Michigan State to win the rain-shortened tournament at 573 (+5), beating the Spartans by four. The Buckeyes' Daniel Wetterich ran away with medalist honors at 9 under for a six-shot win.

Ball State emerged from the pack of teams tied for ninth place entering the day and climbed a spot to finish eighth with a 36-hole total of 595 (+27). The Cardinals were also nipping at the heels of Toledo (+26) and Maryland (+23). Toledo was the only one of the five MAC teams in the field to edge them.

For the second straight week, Ball State finished ahead of Miami (+29), Kent State (+39) and Northern Illinois (+45). The past two tournaments have provided a barometer for where the Cardinals stand heading into next week's MAC Championships.

Bronnenberg led the way Saturday with a 3-under 68, his best round of the spring. He climbed 14 spots into a tie for eighth at 2 over par for his second top-10 of the year. Wiseman carded a 69 and vaulted 15 spots into a tie for 17th at 4 over for his best finish of the spring.

Ball State also counted a 72 from CJ Jones and a 73 from Joey Ranieri in the final round.

The Cardinals will travel to Aurora, Ohio, next week for the MAC Championships. The action begins Friday at Club Walden. BSU has finished runner-up to Kent State in each of the past two seasons and held the final-round lead a year ago.

Top Teams
1. Ohio State, 573 (+5): 295-278
2. Michigan State, 577 (+9): 294-283
3. Florida, 581 (+13): 304-277
T4. Penn State, 582 (+14): 301-281
T4. Rutgers, 582 (+14): 305-277
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8. Ball State, 595 (+27): 313-282

Ball State Scores
T8. Keegan Bronnenberg, 144 (+2): 76-68
T17. Timothy Wiseman, 146 (+4): 77-69
T37. CJ Jones, 151 (+9): 79-72
T62. Joey Ranieri, 156 (+14): 83-73
T71. Tyler Green, 159 (+17): 81-78