Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
Cardinals Crash Nationally Ranked Golf Party at Mason Rudolph Championship
April 05, 2024 | Men's Golf
FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Sophomore Carter Smith fired a 69 on Friday afternoon and is tied in fifth place through 18 holes at the Mason Rudolph Championship. He was one of just seven golfers to card a score of at least two strokes under par in the first round of play at the Vanderbilt Legends Club.
Playing in the top spot of Ball State's golf lineup, Smith paces a Cardinals team that is exceeding its national ranking and currently sits in a tie for eighth place. Ball State, ranked as high as No. 93 this season but currently listed outside the top 100, enters Saturday's second round of the MRC among eight other programs all ranked in the country's top 85.
"I'm pretty pleased with today's play," said Cardinals coach Mike Fleck. "To be ahead of teams like Alabama and Kentucky speaks about how our guys hung in there today and battled as the winds picked up out of the north and temps cooled off. What a great pace-setting round for Carter Smith! He played some really good golf today."
Rankings may be premature, but in the most competitive field Ball State has faced this year, the Cardinals and their current ranking at 103 – dampened by a tough course and high scores at Auburn three weeks ago – are playing above that ranking through 18 holes. Tournament host and No. 3-ranked Vanderbilt (276) leads the 13-team field, followed by 85th-ranked UNC-Wilmington (283) and 70th-ranked Charlotte (284). No. 5-ranked Ole Miss (285) and 69th-ranked Middle Tennessee State (285) are tied for fifth. Furman (288), ranked 84th, is one stroke ahead of 58th-ranked College of Charleston (289) and two ahead of the Cardinals (290) and 77th-ranked Cincinnati (290).
Smith played the steady hand for the Cardinals, navigating the 7,112-yard South Course by shooting par or better on 17 of 18 holes. He bogeyed the par-3 16th hole but stayed among the leaders when he finished his round with a birdie on the par-5 18th.
Braxton Kuntz (72), golfing in Ball State's No. 5 position after finishing third in Butler's Don Benbow Invitational last Monday, finished at 1-over par with four birdies that offset five bogeys. The junior transfer sits in a 12-player tie for 20th place after his final bogey, on the par-3 16th, moved him above par. Prior to that point, he and Smith were among the tournament's top 20 golfers, all at par or better.
Nearly as steady as Smith was Ball State's No. 3 golfer, junior Ali Khan (73), who finished with 14 of 18 holes at par or better. He overcame four bogeys with a birdie on the 18th hole to finish at 2-over par. Junior Kash Bellar (76) finished at 5-over par and freshman Alec Cesare (80) was 9-over after shooting six-over-par on the final nine holes.
"If we can get a little more efficient as a team in par-5 scoring and clean up a few things on the greens, we will be in good shape," added Fleck. "I'm excited to compete again tomorrow!"
Second-round play begins at 9:30 a.m. CT on Saturday, as Ball State launches with the first group of golfers after playing in the last group on Friday. The final round of 18 holes begins Sunday morning.
Ball State Individual Results, Round 1
No. 1 Carter Smith (69): 34-35—69 (-2, 5th)
No. 5 Braxton Kuntz (72): 34-38—72 (+1, 20th)
No. 3 Ali Khan (73): 36-37—73 (+2, 32nd)
No. 2 Kash Bellar (76): 38-38—76 (+5, 57th)
No. 4 Alec Cesare (80): 38-42—80 (+9, 69th)
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Playing in the top spot of Ball State's golf lineup, Smith paces a Cardinals team that is exceeding its national ranking and currently sits in a tie for eighth place. Ball State, ranked as high as No. 93 this season but currently listed outside the top 100, enters Saturday's second round of the MRC among eight other programs all ranked in the country's top 85.
"I'm pretty pleased with today's play," said Cardinals coach Mike Fleck. "To be ahead of teams like Alabama and Kentucky speaks about how our guys hung in there today and battled as the winds picked up out of the north and temps cooled off. What a great pace-setting round for Carter Smith! He played some really good golf today."
Rankings may be premature, but in the most competitive field Ball State has faced this year, the Cardinals and their current ranking at 103 – dampened by a tough course and high scores at Auburn three weeks ago – are playing above that ranking through 18 holes. Tournament host and No. 3-ranked Vanderbilt (276) leads the 13-team field, followed by 85th-ranked UNC-Wilmington (283) and 70th-ranked Charlotte (284). No. 5-ranked Ole Miss (285) and 69th-ranked Middle Tennessee State (285) are tied for fifth. Furman (288), ranked 84th, is one stroke ahead of 58th-ranked College of Charleston (289) and two ahead of the Cardinals (290) and 77th-ranked Cincinnati (290).
Smith played the steady hand for the Cardinals, navigating the 7,112-yard South Course by shooting par or better on 17 of 18 holes. He bogeyed the par-3 16th hole but stayed among the leaders when he finished his round with a birdie on the par-5 18th.
Braxton Kuntz (72), golfing in Ball State's No. 5 position after finishing third in Butler's Don Benbow Invitational last Monday, finished at 1-over par with four birdies that offset five bogeys. The junior transfer sits in a 12-player tie for 20th place after his final bogey, on the par-3 16th, moved him above par. Prior to that point, he and Smith were among the tournament's top 20 golfers, all at par or better.
Nearly as steady as Smith was Ball State's No. 3 golfer, junior Ali Khan (73), who finished with 14 of 18 holes at par or better. He overcame four bogeys with a birdie on the 18th hole to finish at 2-over par. Junior Kash Bellar (76) finished at 5-over par and freshman Alec Cesare (80) was 9-over after shooting six-over-par on the final nine holes.
"If we can get a little more efficient as a team in par-5 scoring and clean up a few things on the greens, we will be in good shape," added Fleck. "I'm excited to compete again tomorrow!"
Second-round play begins at 9:30 a.m. CT on Saturday, as Ball State launches with the first group of golfers after playing in the last group on Friday. The final round of 18 holes begins Sunday morning.
Ball State Individual Results, Round 1
No. 1 Carter Smith (69): 34-35—69 (-2, 5th)
No. 5 Braxton Kuntz (72): 34-38—72 (+1, 20th)
No. 3 Ali Khan (73): 36-37—73 (+2, 32nd)
No. 2 Kash Bellar (76): 38-38—76 (+5, 57th)
No. 4 Alec Cesare (80): 38-42—80 (+9, 69th)
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