Kuntz Leads Ball State Golfers Through First Round at Badger Invitational
October 01, 2023 | Men's Golf
MADISON, Wis. – Braxton Kuntz shot 2-under-par on Sunday to pace Ball State golfers at University Ridge Golf Course in the first round of the Badger Invitational, hosted by the University of Wisconsin. Through 18 holes, Kuntz is tied for 17th place, one stroke ahead of teammate Kash Bellar and five in front of Carter Smith.
Kuntz is part of a pack of 15 golfers bunched at 69 and 70, within striking distance of three golfers tied in third place at 68. Zach Little (66) of Central Arkansas and Austin Cherichella (65) of Florida Gulf Coast command the leaderboard.
Starting on the back nine holes of the 7,271-yard track, the Cardinals are in 13th place overall with a team score of 294, two strokes ahead of the host Badgers (296). Florida Gulf Coast (274) leads the 18-team competition through one round, followed by Middle Tennessee State (281), Long Beach State (282), Nebraska (282), Central Arkansas (283) and Illinois State (283) rounding out the top six. The Cardinals begin the second round on Monday three strokes behind Marquette (291) and four behind Campbell and Northern Illinois, tied in 10th place at 290.
After an early bogey on the 11th hole, Kuntz birdied the 15th and 16th to keep pace with the early leaders. He shot 35 on the back nine and shot eight straight holes of par before a birdie to complete the front nine (35). His round of 70 places him just ahead of Bellar who is tied in 21st place. Bellar fought through a bogey and double-bogey on the back nine (37) before firing seven holes of par with a pair of birdies to card a 2-under 34 on the front nine.
Smith, Ball State's top golfer through the club's first two fall events, was even through nine holes and finished with a 1-over par 73 – countering a seven-shot double-bogey on a par-5 sixth hole with a two-shot birdie on the eighth. He is tied in 49th place out of 90 golfers. Griffin Hare shot a 7-over par 79 after starting with a 1-under par 35 through nine holes. Ali Khan rounded out the Ball State lineup, beginning slowly with six bogeys in the first nine holes, later recovering to shoot 3-over par on the front nine.
Braxton Kuntz: 35-35—70
Kash Bellar: 37-34—71
Carter Smith: 36-38—74
Griffin Hare: 35-44—79
Ali Khan: 41-39—80
Also on Sunday, Alec Cesare finished 18 holes of the Badger Individual event tied in 10th place with Wisconsin's Daniel Aas. Both golfers shot 6-over par among 26 golfers in an individual-only event held at TPC Wisconsin. The 36-hole individual event concludes with a second round on Monday.
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Kuntz is part of a pack of 15 golfers bunched at 69 and 70, within striking distance of three golfers tied in third place at 68. Zach Little (66) of Central Arkansas and Austin Cherichella (65) of Florida Gulf Coast command the leaderboard.
Starting on the back nine holes of the 7,271-yard track, the Cardinals are in 13th place overall with a team score of 294, two strokes ahead of the host Badgers (296). Florida Gulf Coast (274) leads the 18-team competition through one round, followed by Middle Tennessee State (281), Long Beach State (282), Nebraska (282), Central Arkansas (283) and Illinois State (283) rounding out the top six. The Cardinals begin the second round on Monday three strokes behind Marquette (291) and four behind Campbell and Northern Illinois, tied in 10th place at 290.
After an early bogey on the 11th hole, Kuntz birdied the 15th and 16th to keep pace with the early leaders. He shot 35 on the back nine and shot eight straight holes of par before a birdie to complete the front nine (35). His round of 70 places him just ahead of Bellar who is tied in 21st place. Bellar fought through a bogey and double-bogey on the back nine (37) before firing seven holes of par with a pair of birdies to card a 2-under 34 on the front nine.
Smith, Ball State's top golfer through the club's first two fall events, was even through nine holes and finished with a 1-over par 73 – countering a seven-shot double-bogey on a par-5 sixth hole with a two-shot birdie on the eighth. He is tied in 49th place out of 90 golfers. Griffin Hare shot a 7-over par 79 after starting with a 1-under par 35 through nine holes. Ali Khan rounded out the Ball State lineup, beginning slowly with six bogeys in the first nine holes, later recovering to shoot 3-over par on the front nine.
Braxton Kuntz: 35-35—70
Kash Bellar: 37-34—71
Carter Smith: 36-38—74
Griffin Hare: 35-44—79
Ali Khan: 41-39—80
Also on Sunday, Alec Cesare finished 18 holes of the Badger Individual event tied in 10th place with Wisconsin's Daniel Aas. Both golfers shot 6-over par among 26 golfers in an individual-only event held at TPC Wisconsin. The 36-hole individual event concludes with a second round on Monday.
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