Khan Leading Cardinals In Tennessee

Friday, April 4

Franklin, TN

All Day

Ball State University

Mason Rudolph Championship

Photo by: Josh Shelton

April 04, 2025 | Men's Golf

FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- Ali Khan shot par-71 in the first round of the Mason Rudolph Championship, Friday at the Vanderbilt Legends Club, to lead Ball State before second-round play was suspended by darkness. He was one stroke ahead of teammate Braxton Kuntz at the time of suspension. Khan, Kuntz and the Cardinals resume second-round competition at 8 a.m. CT, Saturday morning, in a continuous play format that should also include a final round before inclement weather forecast on Sunday.

Khan (71) opened play on the 15th hole in a shotgun start late Friday morning, firing birdie on his first hole, and birdie again on the 527-yard, par-5 18th. Overall, he countered four bogeys with four birdies to finish at even par, tied for 25th place in a 76-player field.

A senior from Columbus, Ohio, Khan paced five Ball State golfers including Carter Smith (73) and Gavin Hare (73) who both shot 2-over par, and Kuntz (75) and Avery Mahoney (75) who each finished 4-over. Kuntz started hot in the second round, using an eagle on his second hole -- a par-4 15th hole -- and remaining even at par through 11 holes before darkness suspended play.

Ball State moved up a spot in the standings during second-round and sits in a 12th-place tie with Princeton at the time of suspension. The Cardinals and Tigers trail 11th-place Colorado by four strokes. The Cardinals finished first-round play in 13th place, six strokes ahead of Wisconsin in 14th place.