Bellar and Veterans Lead Resurgent Cardinals at Boilermaker Invitational

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Battling injury since the start of the spring semester, Kash Bellar fired his best round in a team competition since last fall and helped lead Ball State to a strong eighth-place finish Sunday at the Boilermaker Invitational. The Cardinals were tied in eighth place with Notre Dame after Saturday's first round, among 18 schools featuring five from the Mid-American Conference plus the Irish and six Big Ten teams. Ball State remained in eighth place after 36 holes and were in the same spot when the final round concluded on Sunday.

Scores were low and competition tight through two rounds Saturday. Sunday, scores rose but Ball State was among just four schools to navigate the par-71, 7,275-yard Ackerman-Allen Golf Course with a team score of par or better over the final 18 holes. While unable to gain ground behind champion Marquette (836), second-place Purdue (838), four more Big Ten programs and Notre Dame (843), Ball State (849) held firm in the eighth position ahead of four other MAC schools and Iowa (863). In a final tune-up for next week's MAC Championship, the defending champion Cardinals bested Toledo (854) in ninth place, Miami (857) in 10th and Northern Illinois (861) in 11th.

Ball State's steadiest golfer over 54 holes. and just one of nine in the tournament to shoot par or better in every round, Bellar (71-71-70--212) was the Cardinal catalyst. He was the tournament's only golfer to fire a pair of eagles over 54 holes -- recording both on Sunday on the second and fourth holes while making a turn toward the finish. His scorecard was at -2 through ten holes, with birdies on #14 and #16. But after a triple-bogey on a par-3 17th hole and a bogey on the par-4 18th, he righted the ship and stayed among tournament leaders with eagles on two of the next four holes. Counting an individual performance to start the month, his final round of 70 was his third card of 70 or better this month. It was his best in team scoring since a round of 69 at Purdue last fall.

He paced a cast of veterans that won last year's MAC title and reached the NCAA Regionals. Ball State's four veterans were separated by just two strokes on Sunday, with fellow seniors Ali Khan (73-70-71--214) and Braxton Kuntz (72-71-71--214) both finishing at par, and junior Carter Smith (69-74-72--215) a stroke behind. The strength of the Cardinals' core was on display down the stretch Sunday, During a six-hole series from holes 1 through 6, the Core Four carded eight birdies and both of Bellar's eagles. Sophomore Avery Mahoney (77-68-75--220) added Ball State's ninth birdie during that sequence which helped Ball State finish five strokes ahead of Toledo, with whom it was tied earlier in the round.

Khan and Kuntz both tied for 31st place out of 90 total participants. Ball State was led by a different golfer in each round, with Carter Smith firing 69 in Round 1 and Avery Mahoney carding a timely 68 in Round 2.

On the adjacent par-72 Kampen Golf Course, three other Cardinals capped play in the Boilermaker Spring Indy. Happy Gilmore (74-74-79--227) finished in 13th place out of 38 golfers. He was in fifth place after one round and sixth place after two, but had a pair of double bogeys in a 7-over final round on Sunday. Drew Todd (81-76-75--232) finished in 26th place. Gavin Hare (80-77-78--235) was 29th.

Ball State faces its MAC rivals next week, April 27-29, when the Cardinals travel to Grove City, Ohio, to participate in the 2025 MAC Championship at Pinnacle Golf Club.

Bellar and Veterans Lead Resurgent Cardinals at Boilermaker Invitational

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Players Mentioned

Kash Bellar

Happy Gilmore

Gavin Hare

Ali Khan

Braxton Kuntz

Avery Mahoney

Carter Smith

Drew Todd