Ball State University Athletics
Sunday, September 8
Browns Summit, NC
All Day
Ball State University
at
Bryan National Collegiate
Men's Golf Opens Fall Slate at Bryan National Collegiate
September 07, 2024 | Men's Golf
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- "We've been looking forward to this since we wrapped up in North Carolina in May," said Ball State men's golf coach Mike Fleck, referring to the close of the Cardinals' 2023-24 golf season at the NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. This weekend, Fleck's senior-laden team takes its first swings just an hour away at Bryan National Golf Club outside Greensboro.
The 2024 Mid-American Conference champions and MAC Coach of the Year, the Cardinals and Fleck are eager to attack the upcoming season so soon after advancing to the NCAA postseason last spring. High hopes and high expectations are a part of the 2024-25 season with a Core 4 of four seniors who combined for 32 rounds together last year in one of the most successful seasons in program history. Then juniors, Kash Bellar, Ali Khan, Braxton Kuntz and sophomore Carter Smith manned the Ball State lineup in all 12 tournaments last year.
Now seniors plus a junior, they anchor a Ball State lineup in Greensboro, along with sophomore Avery Mahoney. Mahoney transferred to the Cardinals from Eastern Michigan where he was the MAC's runner-up as freshman of the year last spring. Redshirt senior Griffin Hare participates as an individual competitor this week.
"This group is hungry and I'm excited to see how we compete as a team and where we are early on," added Fleck. "UNCG's event is a new one for us and it will be important to make the adjustments on the Bermuda surfaces at Bryan Park."
Last year's club opened in Columbia, Missouri, where Ball State finished fourth out of 12 teams at the Golfweek Invitational hosted by the University of Missouri. When play begins this Sunday, the Cardinals will be paired with 10 teams including Indiana rivals Valparaiso and IU Indianapolis.
The Ball State contingent had a successful summer of national and international competition, paced by Kuntz and Khan. Khan played his best golf of the year, last season, during the Cardinals' MAC championship run, and Kuntz was Ball State's top golfer through the season's final month including a record round of 62 in the first round of the Chapel Hill Regional.
Back in North Carolina, Kuntz and the Cardinals hope for another hot start. "The core group from last year is back with Braxton, Ali, Carter and Kash while we added a strong player in Avery to the lineup," said Fleck. "I'm also excited to see Griffin get himself back in the mix. We are expecting a competitive and successful week in Greensboro!"Â
Ball State Lineup at Bryan National Collegiate | Bryan National Golf Club (Browns Summitt, N.C.; Par 72, 7,276 yards)
No. 1 – Braxton Kuntz, Sr., Winnepeg, Manitoba | 73.21 average, 34 rounds
No. 2 – Ali Khan, R-Sr., Columbus, Ohio | 73.09 average, 32 rounds
No. 3 – Carter Smith, Jr., Sellersburg, Ind. | 72.78 average, 32 rounds
No. 4 – Avery Mahoney, So., Burlington, Ontario | 74.70 average, 30 rounds
No. 5 – Kash Bellar, Sr., Peru, Ind. | 73.13 average, 32 rounds
Additional – Griffin Hare, R-Sr., Tipton, Ind. | 74.77 average, 13 rounds
The 2024 Mid-American Conference champions and MAC Coach of the Year, the Cardinals and Fleck are eager to attack the upcoming season so soon after advancing to the NCAA postseason last spring. High hopes and high expectations are a part of the 2024-25 season with a Core 4 of four seniors who combined for 32 rounds together last year in one of the most successful seasons in program history. Then juniors, Kash Bellar, Ali Khan, Braxton Kuntz and sophomore Carter Smith manned the Ball State lineup in all 12 tournaments last year.
Now seniors plus a junior, they anchor a Ball State lineup in Greensboro, along with sophomore Avery Mahoney. Mahoney transferred to the Cardinals from Eastern Michigan where he was the MAC's runner-up as freshman of the year last spring. Redshirt senior Griffin Hare participates as an individual competitor this week.
"This group is hungry and I'm excited to see how we compete as a team and where we are early on," added Fleck. "UNCG's event is a new one for us and it will be important to make the adjustments on the Bermuda surfaces at Bryan Park."
Last year's club opened in Columbia, Missouri, where Ball State finished fourth out of 12 teams at the Golfweek Invitational hosted by the University of Missouri. When play begins this Sunday, the Cardinals will be paired with 10 teams including Indiana rivals Valparaiso and IU Indianapolis.
The Ball State contingent had a successful summer of national and international competition, paced by Kuntz and Khan. Khan played his best golf of the year, last season, during the Cardinals' MAC championship run, and Kuntz was Ball State's top golfer through the season's final month including a record round of 62 in the first round of the Chapel Hill Regional.
Back in North Carolina, Kuntz and the Cardinals hope for another hot start. "The core group from last year is back with Braxton, Ali, Carter and Kash while we added a strong player in Avery to the lineup," said Fleck. "I'm also excited to see Griffin get himself back in the mix. We are expecting a competitive and successful week in Greensboro!"Â
Ball State Lineup at Bryan National Collegiate | Bryan National Golf Club (Browns Summitt, N.C.; Par 72, 7,276 yards)
No. 1 – Braxton Kuntz, Sr., Winnepeg, Manitoba | 73.21 average, 34 rounds
No. 2 – Ali Khan, R-Sr., Columbus, Ohio | 73.09 average, 32 rounds
No. 3 – Carter Smith, Jr., Sellersburg, Ind. | 72.78 average, 32 rounds
No. 4 – Avery Mahoney, So., Burlington, Ontario | 74.70 average, 30 rounds
No. 5 – Kash Bellar, Sr., Peru, Ind. | 73.13 average, 32 rounds
Additional – Griffin Hare, R-Sr., Tipton, Ind. | 74.77 average, 13 rounds
Players Mentioned
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