Ranieri and Kuntz: Blending of Ball State Golf Eras
August 21, 2024 | Men's Golf
From fantasy football to touring Winnipeg and, most important, playing in this week's Manitoba Open as part of PGA Tour Americas, the Ball State men's golf program is well represented.
Winnipeg native Braxton Kuntz is playing in the PGA event for the third straight year, following four consecutive titles in the Manitoba Amateur, in which the winner receives an invitation to the PGA event. Joining him this year is Cardinals' golfing alum Joey Ranieri who earned full status on the professional tour in May.
Kuntz and Ranieri met for the first time last January, while coach Mike Fleck and the Cardinals hosted a match-play tournament event in South Florida. Ranieri attended the popular event with other Ball State alums, lending support only a year after finishing his own college career.
"He hits on the wrong side of the ball," quipped Ranieri while evaluating Kuntz' left-handed game, "but he's a solid ball striker and puts himself in the right spots on greens."
The pair actually shared the course and played together for the first time on Tuesday of this week, during practice rounds at Southwood Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg. Playing in his hometown, Kuntz, and his family, were quick to welcome Ranieri as a guest this week while he eases himself through a first season on the professional tour.
"It's a huge learning curve," said Ranieri who begins his seventh tour event this week, hoping to make the cut for just the second time through six events. "Everyone's really, really good … you have to go really low. You have to make a lot of birdies to succeed."
His best pro effort to date has been a four-under-par 276 over 72 holes at the Bromont Open in Quebec in late July.
Kuntz welcomes a member of an extended Ball State golf family while expanding his game once more before returning to college. "This works out great. We have a chance to get to know each other better and I can show him around the city and the course."
For Ranieri, it's a business trip. For a rookie on the tour, a part of that business is about managing finances in an expensive sport, and going to work every day to improve your career – not just practicing and playing, but learning to manage the business component that includes finding investors and learning how to maximize your funds.
Staying the week with Kuntz and his family is part of that equation. "It absolutely is," confirmed Ranieri who is the only five-year letterwinner in the history of Ball State's men's golf program. He owns the program's lowest average score over four consecutive years (73.13), and five (73.23).
By comparison, Kuntz, in his first season at Ball State, shot 73.21 over 12 events.
Discussing the business of the tour, Ranieri added, "Each tour stop offers host housing. It's a way to save some money. All of us players are trying to beat each other on the course, but we also understand what it takes to get here, and what it takes to get to next level. We understand the financial burden is the biggest obstacle for many of us. In fact, the last couple weeks, me and a couple other guys split an Airbnb.
"I asked Braxton if he was going to play and I asked about staying with him. Even though I didn't know him that well, the Ball State golf family is really a family and we try to help each other out. Other guys have helped me out in the past and I would be quick to do the same. I would want our current guys to ask me if they ever need an assist. Braxton and his parents were very generous to allow me to stay with them this week."
Besides the golfing interaction and sharing a home, Kuntz may be the beneficiary of Ranieri's wisdom while navigating another sport, too.
On Friday evening, they have tentative plans to attend a Canadian Football League game between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
"It will be my first CFL game," admits Ranieri, a longtime Indianapolis Colts fan who grew up in Zionsville, just a few miles from the Colts' training complex in Indy's northwestern suburbs.
Kuntz grew up with the CFL and hasn't had much experience with America's version – the NFL. "Evidently, he and the guys played fantasy football last year," recalled Ranieri. "Word is, he knows next-to-nothing about the NFL. He asked me to help him with his fantasy draft. I expect some of the guys to say this year, "How the heck does he know, now? He's getting some help!"
Kuntz may rely on Ranieri this week for pointers on beginning his own professional career, or even help with fantasy football, but he hasn't needed as much help swinging the club of late.
A transfer from Nicholls State last year, the Canadian lefty arrived at Ball State and struggled during parts of a slow fall season last year while becoming accustomed to his team, his campus and new surroundings. More often than not, he golfed in the No. 4 position in the Cardinals' lineup.
"I had a slow fall and I kept falling off in final rounds [of tournaments]," he said. "There was a point at which I had to re-qualify just to get into the lineup again, and maybe that was the kick in the butt that I needed. I think since March I got more consistent and it really helped me focus and continue getting better."
Get better, he did. At Auburn last March, Kuntz shot 76-83-83 to finish 26 shots over par and fifth in the Ball State lineup. Prior to playing at Virginia, April 5-7, Fleck entered him in Butler's Don Benbow Invitational as a qualifier to return to the Cardinals' starting five. On Monday, April 1, he shot 68-68 in a rain-shortened event and finished third overall. The following weekend at Vanderbilt, he shot 72-72-75—219 to lead Ball State in the Mason Rudolph Championship.
Since that point, he was Ball State's best golfer, including a record 62 in the opening round of the NCAA regional tournament at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His 62 was the best opening-round score by any NCAA individual since at least 1996. He matched Kash Bellar's program-record 62 in the 2021 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational at Delaware Country Club.
Kuntz' addition to the Ball State golf team gave the Cardinals some quality depth that certainly was a factor in their Mid-American Conference championship last spring.
He has continued his torrid play this summer, winning the Manitoba Amateur for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year, then finishing third in the Canadian Amateur in Saskatoon on August 8. He will compete in this week's PGA Tour event prior to returning to classes in Muncie.
"He's a pretty long hitter. He's got a solid game," said Ranieri of his Winnipeg host.
Kuntz assessed his own game, and his own improvement: "Going back to the spring, a lot of it was getting comfortable – it was a new environment, new atmosphere, new team. I tried to develop my consistency. Consistency leads to confidence, and confidence leads to lower scores. It's more of a process than any specific moment."
"If I look at my putting, more recently, over the last month, I've been better. My drive off the tee has become more consistent and that is strength of my game."
Asked if he was ready to get back to campus and begin his senior season as part of the Cardinals' "core four" that includes Bellar, Carter Smith and Ali Khan, the near-4.0 student added, "Absolutely! I feel like I'm on top of my studies and athletics. It's my last year of school and I want to make a big impact. I'm happy where I sit with my game right now, but I'm not complacent. I want to work on getting better. I want to have a chance to turn pro and have success."
Like Ranieri – this week's competitor, mentor, fantasy-football guru and housemate. Always Cardinals.
Winnipeg native Braxton Kuntz is playing in the PGA event for the third straight year, following four consecutive titles in the Manitoba Amateur, in which the winner receives an invitation to the PGA event. Joining him this year is Cardinals' golfing alum Joey Ranieri who earned full status on the professional tour in May.
Kuntz and Ranieri met for the first time last January, while coach Mike Fleck and the Cardinals hosted a match-play tournament event in South Florida. Ranieri attended the popular event with other Ball State alums, lending support only a year after finishing his own college career.
"He hits on the wrong side of the ball," quipped Ranieri while evaluating Kuntz' left-handed game, "but he's a solid ball striker and puts himself in the right spots on greens."
The pair actually shared the course and played together for the first time on Tuesday of this week, during practice rounds at Southwood Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg. Playing in his hometown, Kuntz, and his family, were quick to welcome Ranieri as a guest this week while he eases himself through a first season on the professional tour.
"It's a huge learning curve," said Ranieri who begins his seventh tour event this week, hoping to make the cut for just the second time through six events. "Everyone's really, really good … you have to go really low. You have to make a lot of birdies to succeed."
His best pro effort to date has been a four-under-par 276 over 72 holes at the Bromont Open in Quebec in late July.
Kuntz welcomes a member of an extended Ball State golf family while expanding his game once more before returning to college. "This works out great. We have a chance to get to know each other better and I can show him around the city and the course."
For Ranieri, it's a business trip. For a rookie on the tour, a part of that business is about managing finances in an expensive sport, and going to work every day to improve your career – not just practicing and playing, but learning to manage the business component that includes finding investors and learning how to maximize your funds.
Staying the week with Kuntz and his family is part of that equation. "It absolutely is," confirmed Ranieri who is the only five-year letterwinner in the history of Ball State's men's golf program. He owns the program's lowest average score over four consecutive years (73.13), and five (73.23).
By comparison, Kuntz, in his first season at Ball State, shot 73.21 over 12 events.
Discussing the business of the tour, Ranieri added, "Each tour stop offers host housing. It's a way to save some money. All of us players are trying to beat each other on the course, but we also understand what it takes to get here, and what it takes to get to next level. We understand the financial burden is the biggest obstacle for many of us. In fact, the last couple weeks, me and a couple other guys split an Airbnb.
"I asked Braxton if he was going to play and I asked about staying with him. Even though I didn't know him that well, the Ball State golf family is really a family and we try to help each other out. Other guys have helped me out in the past and I would be quick to do the same. I would want our current guys to ask me if they ever need an assist. Braxton and his parents were very generous to allow me to stay with them this week."
Besides the golfing interaction and sharing a home, Kuntz may be the beneficiary of Ranieri's wisdom while navigating another sport, too.
On Friday evening, they have tentative plans to attend a Canadian Football League game between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
"It will be my first CFL game," admits Ranieri, a longtime Indianapolis Colts fan who grew up in Zionsville, just a few miles from the Colts' training complex in Indy's northwestern suburbs.
Kuntz grew up with the CFL and hasn't had much experience with America's version – the NFL. "Evidently, he and the guys played fantasy football last year," recalled Ranieri. "Word is, he knows next-to-nothing about the NFL. He asked me to help him with his fantasy draft. I expect some of the guys to say this year, "How the heck does he know, now? He's getting some help!"
Kuntz may rely on Ranieri this week for pointers on beginning his own professional career, or even help with fantasy football, but he hasn't needed as much help swinging the club of late.
A transfer from Nicholls State last year, the Canadian lefty arrived at Ball State and struggled during parts of a slow fall season last year while becoming accustomed to his team, his campus and new surroundings. More often than not, he golfed in the No. 4 position in the Cardinals' lineup.
"I had a slow fall and I kept falling off in final rounds [of tournaments]," he said. "There was a point at which I had to re-qualify just to get into the lineup again, and maybe that was the kick in the butt that I needed. I think since March I got more consistent and it really helped me focus and continue getting better."
Get better, he did. At Auburn last March, Kuntz shot 76-83-83 to finish 26 shots over par and fifth in the Ball State lineup. Prior to playing at Virginia, April 5-7, Fleck entered him in Butler's Don Benbow Invitational as a qualifier to return to the Cardinals' starting five. On Monday, April 1, he shot 68-68 in a rain-shortened event and finished third overall. The following weekend at Vanderbilt, he shot 72-72-75—219 to lead Ball State in the Mason Rudolph Championship.
Since that point, he was Ball State's best golfer, including a record 62 in the opening round of the NCAA regional tournament at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His 62 was the best opening-round score by any NCAA individual since at least 1996. He matched Kash Bellar's program-record 62 in the 2021 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational at Delaware Country Club.
Kuntz' addition to the Ball State golf team gave the Cardinals some quality depth that certainly was a factor in their Mid-American Conference championship last spring.
He has continued his torrid play this summer, winning the Manitoba Amateur for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year, then finishing third in the Canadian Amateur in Saskatoon on August 8. He will compete in this week's PGA Tour event prior to returning to classes in Muncie.
"He's a pretty long hitter. He's got a solid game," said Ranieri of his Winnipeg host.
Kuntz assessed his own game, and his own improvement: "Going back to the spring, a lot of it was getting comfortable – it was a new environment, new atmosphere, new team. I tried to develop my consistency. Consistency leads to confidence, and confidence leads to lower scores. It's more of a process than any specific moment."
"If I look at my putting, more recently, over the last month, I've been better. My drive off the tee has become more consistent and that is strength of my game."
Asked if he was ready to get back to campus and begin his senior season as part of the Cardinals' "core four" that includes Bellar, Carter Smith and Ali Khan, the near-4.0 student added, "Absolutely! I feel like I'm on top of my studies and athletics. It's my last year of school and I want to make a big impact. I'm happy where I sit with my game right now, but I'm not complacent. I want to work on getting better. I want to have a chance to turn pro and have success."
Like Ranieri – this week's competitor, mentor, fantasy-football guru and housemate. Always Cardinals.
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