
Men's Golf Team Visits Puerto Rico for Dorado Beach Collegiate
February 24, 2024 | Men's Golf
MUNCIE, Ind. – Using a match play title earlier this month as a foundation, and riding a wave of development last fall, the Ball State men's golf team launches a spring round of four stroke-play events beginning with this week's Dorado Beach Collegiate in Puerto Rico.
Played on the 7,112-yard, par-72 Sugarcane Course at TPC Dorado Beach, Ball State competes Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in a 17-team event hosted by UNC Greensboro.
"We are excited to compete again in Puerto Rico at TPC Dorado Beach," said 26th-year head coach Mike Fleck. "The experience here is awesome and we have had competitive success the past two years. Sugarcane is a course we are familiar with and we are embracing the opportunity to compete for a top finish this year. The guys are ready to go, should be a good one!"
The Cardinals entered the spring season almost a month ago, getting past an eight-team bracket in the MAC/A-10 Challenge at Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club in South Florida. The annual match play event produced grand results for a Ball State club that is heavy in its junior class and has hopes of challenging for the Mid-American Conference championship. Ball State finished the event 3-0 with all six golfers collecting at least two head-to-head victories. In the No. 1 position, sophomore Carter Smith won all three of his matches and needed just 48 of 54 holes to complete his sweep.
With Smith leading the Ball State roster and followed by junior Kash Bellar who captured the individual title at last year's National Golf Invitational, the Cardinals present a formidable lineup in virtually any college event. This week's tournament in Puerto Rico tees up a national-caliber schedule featuring 42nd-ranked UNCG and nationally ranked hosts such as No. 2 Auburn, No. 3 Vanderbilt and 20th-ranked Illinois.
The top-100 Cardinals hope to minimize strokes and continue improving the depth of their lineup that includes juniors Ali Khan and Braxton Kuntz in the third and fourth positions. At Dorado this week, talented freshman Alec Cesare mans the No. 5 spot in the Ball State lineup. Jensen Klondike and Griffin Hare will compete as individuals while in Puerto Rico.
The Dorado Beach Collegiate features an 8:30 a.m. (AT) shotgun start on Sunday and Monday mornings, with an 8 a.m. tee time on Tuesday. Competing schools include Ball State, Bryant, Butler, Denver, George Mason, Illinois State, Kent State, Louisiana Monroe, Maryland, Old Dominion, Southern Mississippi, Texas-San Antonio, Valparaiso, West Point, West Virginia, Winthrop and host UNC Greensboro.
Played on the 7,112-yard, par-72 Sugarcane Course at TPC Dorado Beach, Ball State competes Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in a 17-team event hosted by UNC Greensboro.
"We are excited to compete again in Puerto Rico at TPC Dorado Beach," said 26th-year head coach Mike Fleck. "The experience here is awesome and we have had competitive success the past two years. Sugarcane is a course we are familiar with and we are embracing the opportunity to compete for a top finish this year. The guys are ready to go, should be a good one!"
The Cardinals entered the spring season almost a month ago, getting past an eight-team bracket in the MAC/A-10 Challenge at Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club in South Florida. The annual match play event produced grand results for a Ball State club that is heavy in its junior class and has hopes of challenging for the Mid-American Conference championship. Ball State finished the event 3-0 with all six golfers collecting at least two head-to-head victories. In the No. 1 position, sophomore Carter Smith won all three of his matches and needed just 48 of 54 holes to complete his sweep.
With Smith leading the Ball State roster and followed by junior Kash Bellar who captured the individual title at last year's National Golf Invitational, the Cardinals present a formidable lineup in virtually any college event. This week's tournament in Puerto Rico tees up a national-caliber schedule featuring 42nd-ranked UNCG and nationally ranked hosts such as No. 2 Auburn, No. 3 Vanderbilt and 20th-ranked Illinois.
The top-100 Cardinals hope to minimize strokes and continue improving the depth of their lineup that includes juniors Ali Khan and Braxton Kuntz in the third and fourth positions. At Dorado this week, talented freshman Alec Cesare mans the No. 5 spot in the Ball State lineup. Jensen Klondike and Griffin Hare will compete as individuals while in Puerto Rico.
The Dorado Beach Collegiate features an 8:30 a.m. (AT) shotgun start on Sunday and Monday mornings, with an 8 a.m. tee time on Tuesday. Competing schools include Ball State, Bryant, Butler, Denver, George Mason, Illinois State, Kent State, Louisiana Monroe, Maryland, Old Dominion, Southern Mississippi, Texas-San Antonio, Valparaiso, West Point, West Virginia, Winthrop and host UNC Greensboro.
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